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• Information on Sump Pump Inspection and Cross Connection The City of St. Anthony Sump Inspection program is designed to help homeowners identify cross connected sump pumps, so they can be properly connected and to alert homeowners who don't have sump pumps to the ordinance requiring that they be inspected if installed in the future. What is a cross connection? A cross connection happens when a sump pump is connected to a sanitary sewer line. Often this can be a hose leading into a laundry tub or a floor drain. Sump pumps are supposed to drain into storm sewers, either through a direct connection (a pipe from the home connecting with the main storm sewer line), or through draining directly onto the ground or into the gutter outside the home. Why are cross connections a problem? Sump water is what engineers call "clear water," most often rain water, ground water, or snow melt. This water is clean enough to drain directly into area streams, ponds, and lakes without treatment. Wastewater- water from your sinks, showers, tubs, toilets, and washing machines - must be treated at your area wastewater treatment plant before it can be safely discharged into the environment. • When "clear water" is added to wastewater, it can overload the collection system. The MPCA has estimated that a single home with a cross connected sump pump can add up to 1 ,400 gallons of water to the system during one average rain storm. That's the equivalent of flushing your toilet 280 times (based on a standard toilet with a five gallon tank - if you have a low flow toilet with a three gallon tank, you'd have to flush 466 times). Multiply that by the number of homes in your neighborhood, and the magnitude of the problem becomes evident. Why should I care? Excess water in the treatment system costs the City, and you, money. Rates at the treatment plant are based on the number of gallons that flow through the system. When .,clear water" enters the system through cross connected sump pumps, everyone pays to treat water that is already clean. How can they tell when storm water gets into the system? It is not difficult to find out if extra water is entering the system. All homes have water meters that measure the mount of water you use. Think of that water as flowing through your home - it enters, is used (for cooking, washing, cleaning), and then goes down the drain. If the amount of water that reaches the treatment plant is far in excess of the amount being delivered to homes, then obviously, extra water is entering the system. Are cross connections the only cause of this? No. Water can infiltrate the system through bad joints, cracks, or breaks in the sanitary sewer pipe. This is not a big problem in St. Anthony because the City regularly inspects • the interior of the sanitary sewer pipe with TV cameras so problems can be found and corrected.