As life returns to normal around Yorkton, SaskPower is urging flood-affected residents to keep safety in mind.
"The main message I want to get out to people is that they shouldn't just dry it out and carry on," said electrical inspector Dean Schill on a media tour of flooded homes earlier this week.
With rare exceptions, said Schill, any electrical equipment or wiring that was submerged during the flood will need to be replaced or cleaned by a professional.
"Once they're dry they might function normally, but now we're looking at corrosion problems."
The power company's biggest safety concern in Yorkton at the moment is corroded panel box breakers.
This problem can arise even if the box was not submerged, but merely exposed to high humidity for a long period of time.
"You can wipe them off on the outside and they look like brand new, but what's happened is on the inside they've started to corrode. They'll stay on, and you'll have power, but what'll happen is they may not operate under a fault situation."
A breaker that fails to shut off in the event of a short can start a fire or cause injury.
The company has a similar message about gas installations.
"Generally, as soon as the controls are submerged, then the equipment has to be replaced," said Gas Codes & Standards senior engineer Doug Hird.
Ductwork containing sewage is another issue to watch out for-ducts in that situation will need to be replaced.
Whether gas or electrical, equipment touched by the flood needs to be properly inspected.
"If you are using equipment that has been flooded and wasn't inspected," said Hird, "that equipment is no longer certified. You can't use uncertified equipment on a gas system anywhere in Saskatchewan."This work is performed by a licensed electrical contractor-not just an electrician-or a licensed gas contractor. Once the contractor has ensured the installation is safe, an inspector can verify that the work has been completed and authorize reconnection of the residence.
About 25 flooded homes in Yorkton are still awaiting power. Schill apologized for the inconvenience, but promised that workers are doing all they can to speed up the process.
"Our concern throughout the whole thing [has been], and still is, safety. If we felt that it wasn't safe, we weren't going to take any chances on bringing people back in and compromising their safety."
So far, no one has been hurt in an electrical or gas accident associated with the flood.
