Connecting to a centralized water or wastewater system is not always possible for many Canadians, whether it be due to remote location, cost of connection, or both. Therefore, numerous rural residents and First Nations communities rely on decentralized systems, including cisterns and septic systems. Maintaining these systems is critical to providing reliable potable water and safe wastewater management. This presentation will focus on an inspection program developed by ATAP to assess cisterns and septic systems in First Nations communities throughout Alberta. In particular, this presentation will focus on using this inspection program at Alexander First Nation where 170 cisterns and 250 septic systems were inspected. During this presentation, our team will provide the perspective of the inspector and the administrator. The inspector will provide an overview of the program, which uses an ArcGIS data collection program and a submersible camera to identify potential maintenance and contamination concerns. The administrator will discuss the importance of communication with community members to ensure the program is successful.
Sarah Larlee is a Process Engineer with Associated Engineering in the Edmonton office. She primarily works with small communities in Alberta, B.C., and Nunavut on their water and wastewater systems.
