Storm water and wastewater are not a good mix

Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Gov. Dayton proposes grants for local governments to prevent costly consequences

 

Too much storm- and groundwater in the wastewater treatment system can create a costly mess.  When the region’s wastewater treatment system is bombarded with too much of this “clear” water, the results are unpleasant, to say the least, causing overflows into lakes and rivers and sewer backups into homes.
 
Clear water gets into the system in several ways: through cracked sewer pipes and leaky pipe joints (called infiltration), or through rain leaders, basement sump pumps or foundation drains illegally connected to a sanitary sewer pipe, (known as inflow).

In his bonding bill, Governor Dayton proposes allocating $5 million for grants to local governments to help fix the pipes and inform area residents of the role they can play.
 
What can residents do? Check their homes for those rain leaders, sump pumps, and foundation drains to make sure they’re not flowing directly into the sewer.

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Posted In: Communities, Wastewater & Water

ENEWSLETTER / TEXT