Building Inspection FAQs

Building inspections are typically conducted by appointment and require less than one hour to complete. 

What is a Building Inspection?

Building Inspections are conducted as part of a municipal sewer investigation study to identify areas in a sewer system where clean water/rain water is entering the system. Sewer systems are designed to carry sewerage from homes and businesses to a treatment facility. When rainwater is being transferred to the system unnecessarily it can cause the system to be overtaxed, which can cause overflows and basement backups AND increase treatment costs because of the higher flows requiring treatment. Building inspections are conducted to identify unnecessary connections to the sewer system from sump pump connections, downspouts, and area drains.

What does a Building Inspection involve?

There are two types of Building Inspections: 1) External and 2) Internal. An external inspection is conducted by walking the exterior of a building to look for downspouts that outlet into the ground, drains, and other potential exterior drainage features. An internal inspection requires access to the building, typically to the basement, to look at the sump pump setup and connections. In some cases, an inspection may also require dye tracing to determine whether an identified connection is actually connected to the sewer system. Dye tracing is simply water (mixed with non-toxic, fluorescent dye) poured into the connection (drain, downspout, etc.) with CCTV cameras inserted in the system to track the flow and see whether the dye is present in the sewer system.

Why have I been contacted to set up an appointment for a Building Inspection?

Building Inspections are one phase of a comprehensive municipal sewer system study. Typically, neighborhoods/areas are earmarked for inspection because analysis of flows in the area showed the potential for excessive clean water entering the system. In most cases, building inspection programs are only conducted as a last phase in a program.

What should I expect during the inspection?

RJN inspectors can be easily identified by their photo identification. They will only inspect for potential sources of clean water and will not conduct any other building-related inspections. The inspection should take between 15 and 30 minutes and there is no charge for these inspections.