2/15/06
Communities need to deal with excess clean water problems
Communities are coping with the problem of excess clean water thatís reducing the capacity of their sewer systems.
The clean water is coming from two sources, illegally connected sump pump systems and ground water seeping through cracks of sewer pipes. Overloaded sewer systems can back up and strain wastewater sewer treatment plants. If this isnít corrected, communities will have to enlarge their pipes and even their plants.
In the Twin Cities area, the Metro Council has denied hook-ups to its sewer system who have too much clean water in their local systems.
The excess clean water so concerns the Metropolitan Council that itís set up a surcharge system for communities that canít clean up this clean water peril.
The Metro Council had thought about spending $900 million to enlarge its sewer system, but finally settled on the alternative of spending $150 million, relying on local communities to fix their own leaky local pipes. The plan also relies on local communities to find homeowners who are sending their storm water through sump pumps connected to the cityís sewer pipe system.
The City of Forest Lake has proved that measures can be taken to free up sewer pipe capacity allowing more hook-ups for new homes. Faced with the Metro Council denying any more hookups to its sewer system, the city of Forest Lake in 2004 decided to spend $120,000 for a two-year inspection program.
Designed in five phases, the Forest Lake engineers have found 400 illegally connected sump pumps, freeing up space in the pipes for 500 new hookups. The new capacity means the city will not have to spend $6 million to enlarge the sewer system.
Other savings have come from the program, including reduced electrical costs to run the regional pumps.
Chip Robinson, Forest Lake City Manager, says the program is one of the best heís administered.
Other communities will have to follow Forest Lakeís lead or face a surcharge from the Metropolitan Council. The council knows of 60 communities that are letting excess clean water into the main metro sewer system. They will have to come up with a plan to fix up their sewer pipes to keep out ground water and to stop sump pump owners from pouring storm water into the system.
The council will give communities time to comply but if they fail by 2013, they will have to pay a demand charge, and possibly could be denied any more hookups.
While these measures are tough, the alternative of local property taxpayers having to pay more to enlarge local sewer systems due to excessive clean water is less desirable.
The councilís action is a warning to communities both inside and outside the metro system to follow the lead of Forest Lake by drawing up a plan to keep illegal clean water out of their sewer systems. --Don Heinzman
HometownSource.com
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