Problems decline for city sewer lines
Officials credit sanitary system upgrades, education.
The city of Dayton saw fewer reports of wastewater-system blockages and overflows and flooding in basements last year.
Dayton crews last year responded to fewer reports of blockages and overflows in the wastewater system and flooding in people’s basements.
Unwanted sewer-related events are becoming less common as the city spends millions of dollars improving and replacing part of its wastewater collection system and steps up efforts to educate the public about harmful disposal practices.
Sewer backups and clogs can lead to expensive repairs, property damage, fines for environmental violations, unpleasant odors and pollution in local waterways, officials said.
“This impacts the health and welfare of the community, and we want to minimize it as much as possible,” said Michael Powell, Dayton’s interim director of the water department.
Last year, the city of Dayton responded to seven reports of sanitary sewer overflows, 39 reports of water intrusion in basements and 66 reports of sewer mainline stoppages, according to Dayton’s work order data.
Compared to the prior year, overflows were down 68 percent, water intrusions fell 43 percent and stoppages decreased 33 percent.
Overflows occur when the untreated contents of the sanitary sewer discharge out of the underground infrastructure before reaching the treatment facility. Sewage often surfaces at manholes once the pipes get clogged or overwhelmed.
Water-in-basement events typically result from internal plumbing problems after downspouts flood the wastewater systems, officials said.
Big rains or rapid snowmelts make these events more likely. The sanitary collection system can be overrun by storm water that is fed in through downspout connections.
And sewer backups commonly arise because of cracking and breaks in the pipes caused by