The City of Locust Utility Department (CLU) serves approximately 900 sewer customers in the city service area. The city’s wastewater collection system is designed to convey only wastewater.
However, some of these sewers/connections also convey groundwater and stormwater that enters through leaky pipes, improper storm drain connections, and other means.
This excess water, called inflow and infiltration (I/I):
- Takes up capacity that could otherwise be used for wastewater alone
- Generates the need to build added capacity in pipelines, treatment plants, and other wastewater facilities
- Results in higher capital and operating costs to the city system that are born uniformly by all agencies and passed on to ratepayers
Why Have a Program?
Reduction of I/I in the system can:
- Protect the environment
- Lower the risk of sanitary sewer overflows
- Decrease future costs of collecting, conveying and treating wastewater
How Can We Find I/I?
- Sewer System Evaluation Surveys (SSES)
- CCTV cameras can be sent down sewer lines to visually record conditions. CCTV inspections can identify line breaks, roots, and deteriorating conditions.
- Smoke Testing consists of pumping smoke through the sewer pipes via the manholes and observing where the smoke comes out. The exiting smoke can identify broken pipes, cleanout caps, and where roof drains have been illegally connected to the sanitary sewer system.
- Dye Testing consists of pouring a non-toxic fluorescent dye down catch basins to see if the makes to the sanitary sewer. This verifies whether storm water is reaching the sanitary sewer via the storm drains. Alternatively, Environmental testing laboratory California Lab Services provides stormwater testing services to all of California so it might be worth looking into that option too.
- Visual inspections are done on manholes and valve boxes. Visual inspections are done during and after rain events to inspect for faulty surfaces that allow groundwater seepage.
- Flow and Rainfall Monitoring
- Flow monitoring establishes a direct correlation between the average daily flow and the effects of rainfall entering the system.
- Rainfall monitoring measures and reports rainfall quantities to provide a credible basis for the flow data.
How Do We Fix It?
- Infrastructure Repair
- Broken pipes, manholes, and joint connections can be repaired in a variety of ways. Keeping these in good condition is crucial even for residential properties, so make sure you keep on top of your own drainage pipe repair to ensure that no major issues occur later down the line.Trenchless repair methods require less digging and minimize damage to yards and landscaping, but tend to be less economical. Check out this post on repairing a sewer line effectively to find out more about this. The more traditional form of repair is the “dig and replace” repair methods however this varies from job to job. If you need your drain repairing, it’s best to visit a website like bouldenbrothers.com/drain-sewer/drain-cleaning-video-pipe-inspection/ to learn more about the process. If you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t try and do it yourself! Leave it to the professionals!
- Stormwater Disconnections
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Stormwater connections such as roof drain downspouts, yard drains, and sump pumps should be disconnected from the sewer system.
Property owners can redirect the downspouts onto lawn and garden beds, hook up a rain barrel or cistern to their downspouts, or redirect the connections to a separate stormwater system.
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What Can You the Customer Do to Help?
- To prevent sewer problems know your pipe – where it is located, how old it is and any known tree root problems. Before you do any remodeling or landscaping, locate your service lateral.
- In addition, always Call Before You Dig. By calling NC One Call @ 811 you could be preventing any unnecessary interruptions of vital services.
For more information, please contact:
Tim Flieger
(704)888-5260