The City of Red Deer has released some tips to avoid flooding toilets and unsafe drinking water in reopened businesses.
As some businesses have been closed for several weeks, water can become stagnant in the pipes, equipment and storage tanks.
Before allowing tenants and visitors to re-occupy any building, the city advises running taps “until the water maintains a constant cold temperature.”
It’s recommended to run the cold water first, and then the hot.
The city also advises to clean, disinfect and rinse all outlets, where possible.
Toilets that haven’t been used for some time need to be flushed a few times to ensure solids and sediment are washed away.
Floor drains and pea traps may have been holding stagnant water, causing odour issues, so pouring water down these is also recommended.