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Our Air

Air gives us life! 

The Town of Okotoks encourages residents to learn how local actions can positively impact our community and our planet.  In this section, find practical tools, resources and tips to assist you in monitoring your air quality both indoors and outdoors, and things you can do to keep our air clean. 

Outdoor air quality is affected by human activity, weather conditions and events such as wildfires. Outdoor air quality in Alberta is monitored using a combination of permanent and temporary monitoring stations within regional airshed zones. Okotoks is located within the Calgary Regional Airshed Zone (CRAZ). 

Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)

The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is a tool developed by Environment Canada and Health Canada used to report outdoor air quality on a simple scale from 1-10+. It considers levels of particulate matter, ozone and nitrogen dioxide in the air, and generates an air quality rating.

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Air Quality Health Index Chart

Check out this interactive map of the province of Alberta to view the current air quality, the air quality score in each region and the forecasted air quality.

View Alberta Air Quality Index Map 

For more information on how the AQHI is measured and calculated, please consult the following resources:


Air Quality Advisories 

Environment and Climate Change Canada’s WeatherCAN App pushes air quality advisories to the user based on their geographical location. View instructions to download the WeatherCAN App

Tips to limit your exposure to poor outdoor air quality during an air quality event:

  • Reduce levels of outdoor physical activity, as necessary, to decrease the inhalation of airborne pollutants. Move activities indoors when possible. 
  • Drink plenty of water to keep the nose and mouth moist
  • Keep windows and vents closed in your vehicle. Run car fans on re-circulate mode to avoid drawing in outdoor air. Vehicles should not be used as a means of shelter.

Visit albertahealthservices.ca for more information on air quality events. 


Additional Resources

Go Idle Free!

Often idling cannot be helped, for example, if you are warming up your vehicle while clearing your windshield or dropping off the kids at the rink.

Just as often, there are situations when idling is not necessary. People are often seen running their vehicles while waiting to pick up a child at school or while running into a store. Unnecessary idling gets you nowhere; instead‚ it wastes money and fuel, and produces greenhouse gases that lead to climate change.

Did you know? Turning off your car while parked in a school zone can radically reduce children's exposure to toxic pollutants.

As part of our Sustainable Community strategy, Okotoks has an idle-free bylaw. The idle-free bylaw puts measures in place we can all follow to benefit our community. The intent of this bylaw is to limit excessive idling. It’s important to know the bylaw has rules in place that change along with the temperature outside. Exceptions have been written into Bylaw to take extenuating circumstances into effect.

Review the Idle-Free Bylaw


Idle-Free Bylaw Highlights

  • No driver shall cause or permit an occupied vehicle to idle for more than three (3) consecutive minutes within a continuous thirty (30) minute period when the outdoor ambient air temperature is between 5oC and 25oC.
  • No persons shall cause or permit an unoccupied vehicle to idle for more than three (3) consecutive minutes within a continuous thirty (30) minute period when the outdoor ambient air temperature is above 0oC.
  • No persons shall cause or permit an unoccupied vehicle to idle for more than ten (10) consecutive minutes within a continuous thirty (30) minute period when the outdoor ambient air temperature is below 0oC.

Are there exceptions to the Idle-Free Bylaw? 

Yes.  For example, idling is permitted if there is a pet present in an unoccupied vehicle.  You are also allowed to idle (if required) while engaged in a mechanical test or vehicle maintenance.

Please read the Bylaw for the full list of exceptions.

Cold Weather Idling 

Natural Resources Canada suggests warming up your vehicle “by driving it at a moderate speed. In most cases, you need no more than 2-3 minutes of idling from a cold start on winter days. Vehicle components, such as wheel bearings, steering, suspension, transmission and tires, are best warmed up by driving the vehicle.” Please clear your windows of ice and snow before driving.

 

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality is influenced by temperature and humidity, as well as indoor contaminants such as mould, dust, or other sources of vapours (e.g., paints, cleaning supplies, etc.). If you are concerned about the air quality within your building, consider what types of activities might be contributing to poor air quality and try to reduce them. 

Indoor air quality is also affected when outdoor air contaminants get inside the building, through open doors and windows, ventilation systems, and other pathways for air movement if a building envelope is not air-tight.  

For more information on sources of indoor air pollution and how to reduce exposure in your home, check out the Government of Canada's Air Quality and Health page at canada.ca


How to reduce impact on indoor air quality during an air quality event

Alberta Health Services recommends the following tips to reduce the impact on indoor air quality during an air quality event:

Think about ways to keep the poor air quality out of your home, such as:

  • Close all outside windows and doors, including attached garage doors. Properly seal any areas with drafts.
  • Close fireplace dampers on wood burning fireplaces.
  • Do not use wood burning fireplaces, wood stoves or other smoke-producing appliances or features, including candles.

Your heating / cooling / ventilation systems:

  • Turn down furnace thermostats and furnace fans to the minimum setting. Do not attempt to extinguish pilot light.
  • If you have an air-conditioner, keep the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside.
  • Avoid running fans, such as “whole-house fans” or “fresh air ventilation systems”, that bring more smoky outdoor air inside.
  • Switch all floor registers to closed position.
  • If you have room air cleaners with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, turn them on. Don’t use air cleaners that may produce ozone. For portable air cleaners, follow all the manufacturer’s instructions for changing the filter, where to place the device, and the size of room it’s meant to be used in.

For more information on air quality events, visit albertahealthservices.ca


Improving Indoor Air Quality - A Green Living Workshop

The Town of Okotoks hosted a Green Living Workshop in 2023 on improving indoor air quality. In the below video, you can learn more about particulate matter (a significant contaminant associated with wildfire smoke events), associated health effects, and how to improve indoor air quality in your home, including how to build a home air filter. 

A Portable Air Monitoring Laboratory (PAML) truck will be stationed in the bus loop between Okotoks Junior High School and Percy Pegler School from August 2024 until July 2025.

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a monitoring truck is parked outside of a building with a long antenna out the top

This Portable Air Monitoring Laboratory (PAML) is operated by the Calgary Regional Airshed Zone (CRAZ) Society with funding from the Government of Alberta. The truck will monitor and report on outdoor air quality in Okotoks in real-time using the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI). The data will also be used to inform CRAZ’s long-term strategy for ambient air quality monitoring in this region. You can view the monitoring data publicly at craz.ca/monitoring

For any questions about this project, please get in touch by calling 403-835-0438. 

CRAZ Portable Air Monitoring Laboratory Question and Answer
 

What is radon?

Radon gas is invisible, odourless, and tasteless. It comes from the ground when uranium in soil and rock breaks down. Uranium occurs naturally in many types of rock. Radon gas breaks down to form radioactive elements that can be inhaled and cause health risks. When radon gas is released from the ground into the outdoor air, it is diluted, so exposure to radon outdoors is not a concern. However, when radon enters your home or another enclosed building it can accumulate to high levels and become a health risk for the people who regularly occupy the building. 

What are radon levels in Okotoks?

All homes in Canada have radon gas in them. Radon levels can be elevated if there is a high amount of uranium in the underlying rock and soil, but the level inside your home depends on how easy it is for radon to get in through openings where the house contacts the ground and how well interior spaces are ventilated. Radon concentrations vary from one house to the next, so even if your house is a similar design to your neighbour’s, the radon levels can be different. The only way to know the radon level in your home is to test. 

Watch our online workshop on Indoor Air Quality presented by Colin Dumais of Radon West


How to test for Radon

When? 
Testing should be conducted during the heating season when temperatures outside are colder. Radon levels are typically higher during the colder months because of the pressure difference between inside and outside, and because your windows and doors are kept closed to keep the heat in, allowing for radon gas to accumulate indoors. Testing during the heating season provides a more conservative estimate of exposure. 

What?
You can purchase a do-it-yourself radon test kit or electronic monitor to test your home yourself. Find a local provider of radon test kits HERE
You can also hire a professional to do radon testing for you. Find a qualified professional HERE

Where?
Measurements should be made in the lowest lived-in level of the home (i.e., occupied more than 4 hours per day). Bedrooms on the main floor or basement should be prioritized. Tests should not be conducted in bathrooms, kitchens, or laundry rooms. Place the device somewhere that will not be disturbed and where there is space for air flow around it (i.e., at least 30 cm from the floor, ceiling, or an exterior wall). See the Health Canada Guide below for more tips on device placement.

For how long?
Because radon levels in homes vary over time, testing should be conducted over a period of no less than 91 days. Longer tests give a more accurate estimate.

Health Canada Guide for Radon Measurements in Homes

*Note: The Town of Okotoks offers free electronic radon monitors that can be booked by Okotoks residents for a period of one week at no cost. This short duration measurement can give you a snapshot of radon levels in your home but should not replace long-term testing. 


What do my test results mean?

The Canadian guideline for radon in indoor air for dwellings is 200 Becquerels per cubic metre (200 Bq/m3). Health Canada recommends taking action to reduce radon levels in your home if they exceed this value. 

What should I do if my test results are high? 

  • If your testing was conducted over a period shorter than 91 days, repeat the testing over a longer period of time in accordance with the Health Canada Guide for Radon Measurements in Homes (link above). 
  • If your long-term test results are high, contact a qualified radon professional to review your test results and discuss solutions. The most common way to reduce radon levels is to install a system that sucks air (and radon gas) from beneath the foundation of your home and exhausts it outside.  
  • Find a qualified professional HERE.

For more information, visit the Health Canada resources below or contact a radon professional:

About Radon

Radon Gas: It's in Your Home

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