Too much clear water is entering Wausau’s sewage system
City officials say clear water in sewer system is costing money, wasting treatment resources
WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - City workers are warning homeowners that sump pumps must discharge water properly after noticing an unusual amount of clear water entering the sewer system.
Ben Brooks, superintendent of Wausau’s Wastewater Operations, said the water flowing from homeowners’ laterals should not be clear.
“Normally, it’s a gray color. There’s toilet paper in that in there as well, obviously. We’re not seeing that,” Brooks said.
Brooks said he has never seen this much clear water entering the city’s treatment plant.
“We’re going to expect to see some of that clear water intrusion, but the amounts we’ve clearly seen in the past couple days is significant,” he said.
Cameras reveal illegal connections
Collection crews are using cameras in gravity mains and noticing homeowners’ laterals are releasing clear water into the sewer system.
“That’s considered an illegal connection. If you have your sump pump hooked up to the city sanitary sewer, that’s a big no-no,” Brooks said.
The added clear water is putting stress on lift stations, increasing their pumping rates.
“Lift stations convey the waste to an elevation where it can flow by gravity to the wastewater treatment plant. We’re seeing a significant increase in these pumping rates,” said Brooks.
The increased pumping means the stations are using more electricity, costing the city more money.
Clear water does not belong in the wastewater treatment facility. “It serves no benefit to the wastewater treatment plant. There is a biological system, so the clear water is just filling up space,” he said.
Brooks said despite the influx of clean water, the plant has good water levels. The plant receives 20 million gallons of wastewater a day. Its maximum capacity is 23 million gallons.
“It’s not adversely affecting the wastewater treatment plant. The plant is running exceptionally well. But when the plant receives this clear water, basically storm water, it costs additional money to treat that,” Brooks said.
The city will be notifying homeowners to take action if their sump pumps are illegally discharging into the sewer system. They may also need to issue citations.
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