Sewers
The Sanitary Sewer Section is manned by two employees who are responsible for the maintenance of approximately 43 miles of sewer mains, eleven sewer pump stations. They utilize one jet/vac truck, one jet truck and two support vehicles carrying tools, parts and repair and video inspection equipment. The section has the capability to clean and to video inspect sewer mains and service lines from 4" to 18" and to repair and maintain the sewer pumping stations.
In addition to in-house maintenance, the Town contracts to have root control application performed in all the mains in the older neighborhoods where vitreous clay pipe is common.
Since 2012 the Town has invested approximately $400,000 in sewer main and manhole rehabilitation on aging infrastructure in the Homestead and Bradford Heights neighborhoods. Future plans include rehab projects in several other of the older sections of Town where additional aging infrastructure will be identified and addressed.
In addition to in-house maintenance, the Town contracts to have root control application performed in all the mains in the older neighborhoods where vitreous clay pipe is common.
Since 2012 the Town has invested approximately $400,000 in sewer main and manhole rehabilitation on aging infrastructure in the Homestead and Bradford Heights neighborhoods. Future plans include rehab projects in several other of the older sections of Town where additional aging infrastructure will be identified and addressed.
Sewer Preventive Maintenance
The Sanitary Sewer Section's maintenance program works to ensure that sewer mains remain in proper working order and prevents many problems before they occur. Hydraulic sewer jet cleaners are used to clean sewer lines with high pressure water hoses removing grease, grit and other debris from the lines. The sewer jet hoses can also be equipped with hydraulic rotary saws that are used to remove tree roots and grease from the sewer mains where these are a problem.
Note: Hydraulic sewer line jetting can cause gurgling noises in toilets and drains and may cause temporary sewer odor. In very few occasions sewer water can bubble up out of toilets, sinks or floor drains. If our maintenance crew is jetting a line at the front of your property it is recommended to close the seat on toilets and cover any floor drains. Once the jetting operation is completed water should be run into all drains.
24-Hour Service
The Sanitary Sewer Maintenance Section provides 24 hours a day seven days a week service in response to reports of sanitary sewer backups and overflows. Upon being notified of a problem, a two-person crew is dispatched to the location. Generally the crew will contact the resident to determine the nature and extent of the problem. The crew inspects the sewer main located in the roadway and the service line cleanout that delineates the homeowner’s responsibility and the Town’s (see diagram). Any obstruction determined to be in the public sewer will be cleared. If significant root intrusion is occurring or a defect in the service line is suspected the cleaning is followed up with a video inspection of the sewer line. In most cases, after a complete review of the incident, the location and the cause of the obstruction can be determined. If the problem is in the resident's line, they will be advised to contact a plumber or sewer service company. If there are defects in the Town’s portion of the service line, the DPW will make arrangements to have that portion of the line repaired.
In all cases, if you are experiencing symptoms of a sewer backup, call the DPW (or Bel Air Police Department, after hours) first to avoid the cost of an unnecessary service charge from a plumber.
The Sanitary Sewer Section's maintenance program works to ensure that sewer mains remain in proper working order and prevents many problems before they occur. Hydraulic sewer jet cleaners are used to clean sewer lines with high pressure water hoses removing grease, grit and other debris from the lines. The sewer jet hoses can also be equipped with hydraulic rotary saws that are used to remove tree roots and grease from the sewer mains where these are a problem.
Note: Hydraulic sewer line jetting can cause gurgling noises in toilets and drains and may cause temporary sewer odor. In very few occasions sewer water can bubble up out of toilets, sinks or floor drains. If our maintenance crew is jetting a line at the front of your property it is recommended to close the seat on toilets and cover any floor drains. Once the jetting operation is completed water should be run into all drains.
24-Hour Service
The Sanitary Sewer Maintenance Section provides 24 hours a day seven days a week service in response to reports of sanitary sewer backups and overflows. Upon being notified of a problem, a two-person crew is dispatched to the location. Generally the crew will contact the resident to determine the nature and extent of the problem. The crew inspects the sewer main located in the roadway and the service line cleanout that delineates the homeowner’s responsibility and the Town’s (see diagram). Any obstruction determined to be in the public sewer will be cleared. If significant root intrusion is occurring or a defect in the service line is suspected the cleaning is followed up with a video inspection of the sewer line. In most cases, after a complete review of the incident, the location and the cause of the obstruction can be determined. If the problem is in the resident's line, they will be advised to contact a plumber or sewer service company. If there are defects in the Town’s portion of the service line, the DPW will make arrangements to have that portion of the line repaired.
In all cases, if you are experiencing symptoms of a sewer backup, call the DPW (or Bel Air Police Department, after hours) first to avoid the cost of an unnecessary service charge from a plumber.