Saskatoon in brief: Dutch elm disease found in Forest Grove

City of Saskatoon parks department has confirmed a case Dutch elm disease on Central Ave in Forest Grove.

The city said in a news release on Friday that it has initiated a response plan which includes removal of 31 trees, to be disposed of at the city landfill. Further removals may be needed after test results, the city said.

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There will also be increased surveillance of the surrounding area to search for stored elm wood. Provincial regulations allow inspectors to enter private property to inspect and remove elm wood, and sample private elm trees. If found to be infected, property owners will be asked to remove and dispose of those trees.

Dutch elm disease is a fungus that clogs the elm tree’s water and nutrient conducting system, which eventually causes the tree to die.

In Saskatchewan, the disease is mainly spread by several species of elm bark beetles that can fly farther than two kilometres in search of elm trees, but it can also be spread by infected pruning tools.

In Saskatoon, elms make up 25 per cent of the public urban forest. Infected trees were also identified in Saskatoon in 2015, 2020 and 2021.

Sewer smell testing for Idylwyld Crescent

A test to identify weak points in the sewer system on Idylwyld Crescent is scheduled for Aug. 16.

The City of Saskatoon said in a news release on Friday that people in the area may notice thick white smoke around their properties as sewer maintenance staff use a non-toxic liquid smoke that mimics the properties of invisible sewer gases.

The smoke will be poured into manholes in the street and tracked through the pipes to identify weak points or small openings.

The smoke will be able to be seen coming from vent stacks and rooftop drains on houses, yard drains tied to the sewer system, and from any holes or cracks in the contained area.

The city said it was rare but possible for the smoke to enter a home through rarely used drain traps or old plumbing. To prevent this, residents and businesses in the testing area have been advised to run water into all drains for one minute the morning of the testing.

The smoke has been safely used for testing and simulations for more than 25 years in Saskatoon and other municipalities, the city added.

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