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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSection VIII.A Sanitary Sewer Maint PolicyVIII.A. SANITARY SEWER MAINTENANCE POLICY Adopted November 28, 2016 SUMMARY/PURPOSE It is the policy of the City of Prior Lake to comply with all applicable state and federal regulatory requirements. The City intends to provide effective and efficient maintenance to its sanitary sewer system by evaluating political, social, safety, and economic concerns, among others. Procedures identified in this policy are intended to maintain the sanitary sewer system to prevent sewer backups. These procedure, when implemented, may also extend the service life of various components of the sanitary sewer system. The City has 660,475 feet of public sanitary sewer mains, 3,075 manholes and 40 lift/pump stations within its sanitary sewer system. Procedures identified in this policy are intended to maintain the City’s sanitary sewer system to prevent sewer backups and to extend the life of the system. The City has developed and implemented this policy that takes into consideration public safety, the City’s budget and personnel, environmental concerns, and the cost of implementation versus the benefit to be achieved. The City will use its employees, equipment and/or private contractors to provide this service. While the City fully intends to meet the guidelines established in this policy, there may be times when this is not feasible. Issues including, but not limited to, budget constraints, critical equipment failure, or weather and other emergencies may prevent the City from meeting the guidelines established herein. The Maintenance Supervisor, Sewer Foreman or Water Foreman may override provisions established within this policy. Deviations from the goals established in this policy will be documented. The City will use this policy to guide any sanitary sewer maintenance activities to be provided by a contractor or a party other than the City. ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION GOALS A. Sanitary Sewer Mains Scope of City’s Responsibility - The City will maintain the components of the public sanitary sewer system. This includes sanitary sewer mains, manholes, lift stations, and other components. Private property owners are responsible for the maintenance of sanitary sewer components from their property up to and including the connection to the public system. Schedule – The City’s goal is to inspect and maintain the components of its sanitary sewer system according to the attached schedule. (Map included) Equipment – The equipment used to perform maintenance will depend upon the equipment available and its effectiveness as determined by qualified staff. Television Inspection – The City’s sanitary sewer mains will be inspected by television camera in accordance with the attached schedule. Any sewer mains located on a street where a street maintenance project is planned will be inspected before and after such a project. Sanitary sewer mains in a new development must be televised before said mains are turned over to the City. Television inspection may also be used to inspect the system where there are possible problems. In addition, the City may require any main near a construction site to be televised before and after the construction (i.e., near blasting, digging, other activities that might disrupt the main, etc.) Visual recordings of sewer main televising will be required of any vendor performing this service for the City. A written report summarizing and interpreting the findings of the televising will also be required. These records will be kept by the City for a minimum of 12 years. B. Problem Areas The sanitary sewer mains and facilities identified as Districts will receive ordinary routine maintenance as noted on sewer maps. The sanitary sewer mains and facilities identified on the sewer map as Yearly will receive more frequent maintenance and those identified as Large Diameter. will receive less frequent maintenance. When a sewer main or facility is identified as anything other than Category 1, the reasons why maintenance is needed on a different schedule will be documented. Sewer mains and facilities will receive maintenance according to the attached schedule. (Map included) The Sewer Foreman will determine whether a main or facility is a District, receiving routine sewer maintenance, Yearly, receiving more frequent maintenance or Large Main, receiving less frequent maintenance. Based on periodic assessment, maintenance will be adjusted and a sewer main may be moved from one category to another. C. Sanitary Sewer Lift Stations The City maintains lift stations using specific maintenance that is reasonable and recommended. The number of lift stations, location, date of installation, and capacity of each lift station is kept on record. Maintenance for each lift station is reflected in Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Standard Maintenance Procedures (SMP). Components of SOP and SMP include: • Easy availability of original manuals with manufacturers’ recommended maintenance schedules for all lift station equipment • Operating procedures for manipulating pump operations (manually or automatically) during wet weather to increase in-line storage of wet weather flows • Setting wet well operating levels to limit pump start/stops • Cleaning wet well • Conducting draw down tests • Regular rotation of lead, lag, and backup pumps • Regular inspections of lift station, alarm systems and electrical components • Maintenance of operation logs and general records for all lift station activities, including inspections • Clean force mains • Identify problem areas/components INFLOW AND INFILTRATION Inflow and infiltration occur when clear water gets into the sanitary sewer system. This may occur through cracks or leaks in the sewer pipes and manholes or through sump pumps incorrectly connected to the sanitary sewer system. Inflow and infiltration can lead to backups, overflows and unnecessary and expensive treatment of clear water. City employees will periodically inspect manholes to identify any that contribute to this problem. Sanitary sewer mains will be maintained and inspected pursuant to the City’s Sanitary Sewer Maintenance Policy. PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS A. Exercise of Professional Judgment It is expected that City employees, in accordance with their job duties and responsibilities, will exercise their professional judgment in the implementation of this policy. Further, it is expected that in emergency situations (see Emergency Response Policy) City employees will be required to exercise their discretion and weigh political, social, and economic considerations including but not limited to public and employee safety, the potential for damage to private property and the City sanitary sewer system, and environmental concerns. B. Training and Education The City will provide training to employees responsible for maintenance of and emergency response to issues with the sanitary sewer system. Training of employees will include education necessary to earn and maintain appropriate operator certifications. Training will also address standard operating procedures, proper use of equipment, emergency response and other topics required by state and federal regulatory agencies. C. Work Schedule Full-time City employees in the Streets and Utilities departments will be expected to work eight- hour shifts. In emergencies, employees may be required to work in excess of eight hours. Budget and safety concerns may limit the length of time an employee is permitted to work. D. Weather Conditions Regular sewer maintenance operations will be conducted only when weather conditions do not endanger the City employees and equipment. Factors that may delay sewer maintenance operations include, but are not limited to: severe cold, severe heat, flooding, rain, snow and other severe weather events. DOCUMENTATION The City will document all of its inspection and maintenance activities and emergency responses for its sanitary sewer system. The City will also document circumstances that limit its ability to comply with this policy. A report should be prepared periodically for the purpose of evaluating maintenance activities and for determining goals for the future. These records will be kept in accordance with the City’s records retention schedule. PUBLIC EDUCATION Periodically, the City will inform residents of their responsibilities related to sanitary sewer service from the City of Prior Lake. OTHER SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM POLICIES The City has a number of other policies and/or ordinances that are important to the ongoing operation of the City’s sanitary sewer system. The following documents are available on the City’s web site and in the Public Works Department. • Emergency Response Policy • Public Sanitary Sewer Use Ordinance • System Rehabilitation Policy