| WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT ISSUES / INITIATIVES / POLICY |
|
|
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations require a municipal wastewater treatment plant to notify the DEP when the six-month rolling average of flow exceeds 90% of the plant’s capacity. The municipality is then required to prepare and submit a plan to DEP as to how the plant will address this issue. In April of 2005, the Cheshire Wastewater Treatment Plant reached this triggering level and the Cheshire Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) duly notified the DEP.
The Town of Cheshire through its WPCA is taking action on several integrated fronts: we are working to minimize Inflow and Infiltration to reduce the flow at the Wastewater Treatment Plant; we are hoping to demonstrate that the actual capacity of the plant is greater than the design capacity indicates; and we are looking at ways to increase the maximum capacity of the plant by reviewing and modifying the existing facility and equipment. Concurrent with these efforts, a temporary moratorium on sewer hookups was imposed to prevent additional burden on the plant and to help ensure that the system did not exceed its capacity while the WPCA develops an action plan; this moratarium has been lifted at the present time.
|
|
|
Per state regulations, the Town now has to provide a plan to the DEP within one year and include one of the following:
1) A plan to remove Infiltration and Inflow from the Town sewer system, OR
2) A design and upgrade plan for the existing treatment plant to handle additional flow.
|
|
|
Inflow is ground or storm water discharged by connections to the sanitary sewer system through basement sump pumps, floor drains, roof leaders, foundation and yard drains, and catch basins. These types of connections are illegal as dictated by the Town Sewer Code. Inflow sources from the collection system contribute to high flows at the treatment plant, resulting in added energy costs to pump, stress on the treatment process itself, and an increase of average daily flows over the state permit level.
|
| HOW CAN INFLOW BE MINIMIZED? |
|
1) House to house inspection for illegal connections, expected to begin after the first of the year.
2) Smoke testing of collection piping which will indicate an illegal connection by a visible discharge of smoke.
3) Camera sewer lines, which will visibly show a sump pump or illegal connection by monitoring the flow from a house into the main line.
4) The Town will be offering assistance and suggestions for homeowners on disconnecting illegal connections and alternatives for discharging the water, and will allow ample time for compliance.
|
|
|
Infiltration is groundwater which seeps into the sewer system through cracks, open joints or breaks in the sewer pipe or lateral and through leaks in manholes and manhole covers.
|
| HOW CAN INFILTRATION BE MINIMIZED? |
|
1) Flow meter sewer trunk lines during wet and dry weather conditions.
2) Camera sewer lines to inspect condition looking for offset joints, cracks, root intrusion, lateral connections and broken pipes.
3) Inspect and repair manhole cover seals.
|
| WHY IS INFLOW AND INFILTRATION REDUCTION IMPORTANT? |
|
By reducing Inflow and Infiltration, the Town and the WPCA are diligently working to avoid, delay, and/or limit costly upgrades to the Wastewater Treatment Plant, while continuing to support community growth.
|
| WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS? |
|
The Town of Cheshire, with the cooperation of home and business owners, will continue to work to reduce Inflow and Infiltration to the Waste Water Treatment Plant. Home and business owners can also help by employing water conservation methods to reduce the amount of water input to the facility. But continued community growth may eventually require expansion of the current facility to increase its capacity to accommodate the needs of existing and new residential and commercial development. Planning has begun for engineering reviews and inspections of the sewer infrastructure over the next few years. The WPCA will continue to be part of the capital budget discussions. And the Town will continue to work with the DEP to insure that we are prepared to meet all current pending state regulations and requirements.
|
