02-25-1998 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mayor & City Council February 20, 1998 Page 3 of 4 • If there is an area where a lot of sump pumps are discharging towards the street, we may need to look into installing a drain tile system behind the curb that picks up this water and carries it to the storm sewer system. Typically, this would only be a problem due to ice during the winter months. Until the inspection is complete, we cannot identify if this will be a problem or to what extent. I recommend we wait until the sump pump inspection is complete and then determine the most cost effective method to deal with this issue if it arises. • Addressing roof drains and footing drains that are connected to the sanitary sewer system could be another problem. As of now, without televising the individual laterals that lead to each property, we do not know if footing or roofing drains are connected to the system. As part of the sump pump inspection program, we would be certifying that the sump pump system itself is in compliance and not the property footing and roofing drains. Bringing footing and roofing drains into compliance would require televising of individual laterals and retrofitting existing individual systems. This work could require new downspouts, excavation work, and quite possibly inside concrete and finish work. I recommend we wait until the sump pump inspection is complete and then determine if roofing and footing drains are a problem and to what extent. The cost of televising individual sewer laterals would be approximately $100 each. By waiting until sump pump inspection and subsequent mapping is complete, we will be better informed as to where potential problem areas are located. • Should the City help with the cost of bringing individual homes into compliance? Currently, we have 2,231 sanitary sewer connections to our system. Using figures from other cities who have implemented programs of this type anywhere from 5% to 15% of the homes potentially have sump pumps not in compliance. Using these percentages, anywhere from 110 to 340 properties could potentially have sump pumps that will now be required to discharge to the outside of the building. The costs associated with retrofitting to a rigid PVC system can range anywhere from $50 (do- it- yourselfer with an unfinished basement) to as much as $300 (hiring a contractor to complete work in a finished basement). Some cities have implemented rebate programs to help with the cost of the retrofit. They have typically been in the $75 to $100 range. Remember, the 85% to 95% of the properties that do not have sump pumps have been subsidizing the properties that do have sump pumps in the form of increased sewer costs due to the additional flows created by those improper connections. Since our first sanitary sewer improvement, it has been against our ordinance to discharge surface water of any kind into the sanitary sewer system (ordinance 205.080). I believe it would also be viewed as penalizing those properties that have properly connected their sump pumps. Therefore, I recommend the City does not implement a rebate program Page 82