UPAR FAQs

• A temporary service is a 1-1/4” poly service line which the City will set up in either the back alley (for commercial) or in front (typically for residential) of a property, depending which access point will allow for easiest connection for temporary services.
• The City will connect a ¾” garden hose to the property in one of two ways – either through an existing or installed (and functioning) external hose bib (tap) – preferred – or, through a vent of some sort, connecting above the water meter, or to an internal tap.
• Once you are connected to the temporary service, you must leave your valve closed below your water meter to avoid backflow into the portion of the water main under construction.

• There is construction taking place on your street which requires significant time to complete (between two or more days up to a few months – timelines are dependent on scope of construction projects). The construction is affecting or will affect your main water line. A temporary service will allow you to have water running to your property during construction. Important - the water provided to you through the temporary service is non-potable and should be boiled before it is consumed by humans.

• The City is planning to replace the water main in front of your property.
• To complete this work, the water main will be shut off and the City will provide you a temporary water service line to your property.
• Note: As mentioned, this temporary service will be non-potable. Residents impacted in a construction zone will receive a Drinking Water Advisory notice. You will remain on a drinking water advisory is lifted, which takes place after the water main construction is completed and subsequent testing of water samples in your area receive satisfactory results. The length of time for use of a temporary service line and accompanying drinking water advisory is dependent upon the scope of work to be completed during a
  construction project. It can take several weeks.

• No. The temporary service is going through your outside water tap so the water isn’t running through your water meter. Regular base rate charges will still apply.

• The temporary service is being provided through a black PVC service line that lays on the ground of your property and then runs through a rubber garden hose. Often when the water sits in the line for a longer period of time, the water is warmed up by the sun and may take on the odour of either the rubber or plastic lines. This is normal and unavoidable for the term of the temporary service.
• You may also experience pressure fluctuations during the temporary service. This is normal as the temporary water service is much smaller in diameter than the water main line in the street.

• If you have gotten home and you find you have no water, it is possible you were not home when the temporary service was provided to your property. In that case, the valve below your meter must be closed tightly and then the valve on the temporary service line can be turned on to provide water to your property. Generally, one of the contractors working on the street or a member of the City Water Works department can help you if you are experiencing this issue. Call 306-445-1723 during regular business hours and
  someone can assist you. For after-hours water service issues, contact the emergency
  number at 306-445-1700 and your call will be directed accordingly.

• For some reason, the temporary service line valve may be shut off. Sometimes when construction begins on the water main, the City may find that one or more of the residents’ valves below the meter isn’t completely closed. This will cause water to continuously run back into where land has been dug up, creating a muddy mess, wasting water and causing construction delays. To avoid this, the City will find the source of the valve that is leaking and shut off that property’s temporary service. The City will attempt to contact the resident to inform them of the shut-off. If no one is available, the City leaves the service off until the resident returns and contacts the City to turn it on. This is done to prevent water leaking and to determine what was causing the leak. If you have no water, contact the after-hours emergency number at 306-445-1700. Please do not turn on the service yourself as this could cause unnecessary damages to the construction site or other issues.
• Sometimes a person passing by may close the valve and leave it closed not knowing what issues this may cause.
• Sometimes mineral deposits can become dislodged and cause the aerator on the tap to become plugged. If this happens, the water will work in one room but not in another. If there is no water in any room and your aerators are clean, please contact the City at 306-445-1700 so we can assist.

• During construction you will need to find a different place to park daily for the construction crew to work unobstructed and avoid any damage to your vehicles. At some stages of construction there may be times where the contractor will allow you to park in your driveway or near your home, however this request shall only be granted by the construction supervisor or someone else in charge of operations. The safest place for you and your vehicle is outside of the construction zone.

The length of time required for these projects varies greatly depending on what work needs to be completed. There may be service line replacements, water main replacements, valve replacements, sewer main replacements, storm sewer replacements, and other large-scale jobs to carry out before construction is complete. Sometimes a base timeline can be provided, but weather and other factors can change the course of the construction schedule.

• All garbage and recycling bins may be placed in the back alley on your scheduled pickup day until the end of construction on your street. Once construction has been completed on your street, the garbage and recycling containers may be returned to their normal pickup locations.

Do you have any of the following?

• Water softener (put into bypass mode)
• Filtration system i.e. Reverse osmosis, cartridge, or particulate filters
• Tools or devices that operate on water i.e. coolers, rooftop AC, dental tools
• Multiple service requirements i.e. multiple tenants or businesses
• Do you have any “high flush” toilets or other high-flow requirements?

• If you do not have a suitable exterior connection, please contact a plumber and have a functioning external hose bib installed as soon as possible. This is the least disruptive method of having a temporary water service through water works construction.
• An exterior hose bib needs to be installed before a temporary water service can be provided.
• The cost an exterior hose bib is the responsibility of the property owner. If you do not have a way to connect the temporary water service, the water will be shut off anyway and there will be no water service to the property until the new water service connection is made. This could take as long as a month.

• Joe Gagne – Utility Services Supervisor – 306-480-7878
  • Available to do site inspections upon request to assist and answer any inquiries you may have.
• Debbie Gallop – Utility Services Administrative Support – 306-445-1902
• City Hall – 306-445-1700 (there is after hours emergency support at this number if required)

Water and sewer services are, by definition, the pipe from the water main or sanitary sewer main to the building on a property.

• For the replacement of water and sanitary sewer services, the City is responsible from the main to the property line and the property owner is responsible from the property line into the building.
• During this year’s UPAR project, the City will be replacing all services from the main to the property line, except for services which have been recently replaced and meet current City standards.
• During this year’s UPAR project, the City is offering all property owners the opportunity to replace their water and sanitary sewer services at a cost of $1000.

• The City recommends the services be inspected before they are replaced. Please call (306) 445-1902 to request a television inspection of your sewer service. When this inspection is done, the inspector will also determine the size and type of your service water line.
• Very Important! Before any services are replaced, holes need to be broken into your basement’s flooring to allow installation of new services. Failure to have this work completed before the City’s UPAR project work begins will jeopardize these services being installed under the UPAR program. The City’s contractor will not complete the preparation work of your basement floor for you.

• It is strongly recommended that the property owner arrange for a plumber of their choice to prepare the basement floor for service replacement. The preparation work can be any time before the UPAR contractor arrives to begin work on the lines on your street.
• The figure below shows a generalized layout of services entering a building and what preparation work needs to be done:

• Water service line preparation – break a hole in the concrete that is approximately 8”-10” in diameter to allow the lead line to pass through. See the example below:

Sewer preparation:

• Inspect the sewer service at the clean out location. Confirm the depth from the basement floor at which the old sewer service line is located. This will help determine the best strategy to complete the replacement, the area of basement floor that will need to be removed, and the compatibility for the installation of a back flow preventer.
• Ensure you have the space required to install a backflow preventer.
• The water line and sewer line can often be exposed together.
• See the example below:

• The following is a list of the work typically involved in a UPAR service replacement:
  • Set-up of a temporary water distribution system
  • Connecting the temporary water distribution system to the building
  • Breaking holes in the basement floor to install new services
  • Trenching and excavation to prepare for service installations
  • Installation of pipes and fittings
  • Connecting the new service to the house’s plumbing
  • Backfill of trenching and excavation
  • Repair of the basement floor after installation of new services
  • Restoration of landscaping
  • Restoration of driveway and walkways on the property

• The property owner is responsible for contracting and paying for the costs associated with the following work:
  • An exterior water tap (hose bib) or other plan to connect the building to the temporary water distribution system
  • Breaking holes in the basement floor for the installation of new services
  • Connecting the new service to the house’s plumbing
  • Repair of the basement floor after the new services are installed
  • Restoration of landscaping
  • Restoration of driveway and walkways on the property

• It is not recommended that a property owner complete any of the work required for a service replacement. Having access to and experience using the appropriate tools is necessary to complete this work safely and efficiently.
• Only the City, or their contractors, can work on any part of a service outside of the property’s.
• Only the City of their contractors are permitted to operate curb stops.

• A sewer backflow valve may be installed as part of the sewer service replacement. This is an upgrade at the owner’s expense. This is recommended as it helps prevent sewage backflow situations in the event of a sewer backup or sewer surcharge. See an example of a backflow preventer below.

• There are a variety of reasons that services need to be replaced. The three primary ones are:
  • The services are worn out. Service composition materials can corrode, collapse, become invaded by tree roots, etc.
  • Composition materials of the service line pose health or environmental concerns.
  • The services are too small for the new use of a property.
• The City strongly recommends any services (composed of any material) which are 20 years or older be replaced during this year’s UPAR project if the impacted property is within the UPAR construction project zones.
• Where lead water service lines are found during construction, the entire lead water service will be replaced from the water main into the building. The sanitary service will be replaced at the same time. Replacement of lead services is mandatory, as determined by City Council on March 27, 2023.

• When a lead water service line is disturbed during construction, the existing protective layer on the lead is lost, causing lead concentrations rise to levels typically well above Health Canada’s guidelines of maximum acceptable concentrations (MACs).
• During the March 27, 2023, Regular Council Meeting, and in response to recommendations from Health Canada, the City of North Battleford implemented the mandatory requirement to replace all lead service waterlines during any service waterline repair.
• The City’s plan is to replace lead service waterlines when they are encountered during repair and construction, including UPAR work.

• According to Health Canada, lead in the human body has been linked to several problems, including:
  • High blood pressure
  • Joint and muscle pain
  • Difficulty with memory or concentrating
  • Mood disorders
  • Reduced or abnormal sperm count in males
  • Miscarriages, stillbirths, or premature births in pregnant women
  • Delayed child development and/or learning difficulties with children
  • Fatigue
  • Hearing loss
  • Seizures
• Young children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning because they absorb 4–5 times as much ingested lead as adults from a given source.

• Increased water flow
• Cleaner water
• Reduced potential for sewer service blockages

• City Hall – 306-445-1700 (there is after hours emergency support at this number if required)
• UPAR-dedicated support line – 306-441-0359 – call or text