|
Departments
Town Council
Town Court
Clerk Treasurer
Police
Streets & Sanitation
Utility Departments
Information
History of Sellersburg
Entertainment
Schools
Links
Home
Parks
|
Return to Main Page
What Homeowners need to Know
Testing Home Connections
In the Sellersburg service area,
as much as 30-60 percent of inflow and infiltration comes from leaking house
laterals and
illegally connected roof and foundation drains. Sump Pumps also present a
problem to the Sellersburg Sewer system. Sump Pumps are illegal to have
connected to the sewer system.
Because improper connections
represent such a large part of the sewage overflow problem, many
communities with sanitary sewer systems have begun or may be required to
begin testing home connections. Common examples of improper connections
include downspouts, groundwater sump pumps, foundation drains and driveway
drains. These connections allow storm water to enter the sanitary sewer
line and contribute to the sewage overflows that occur when the system is
overloaded.
|
|
|
|
|
Proper Connection
|
|
Improper Connection
|
The most common method for
testing home connections is the dye test. A brightly colored dye is
inserted into a downspout, sump pump or drain. The dye is flushed through
with clear water and if the dye is seen flowing through the sanitary sewer
line, the connection is deemed improper and must be corrected. Many
communities are actively testing all of the homes in their geographic
boundaries, while other municipalities have created an ordinance that dye
testing must be completed at the time of a real estate sale. Sellersburg is
in the first stages of creating guidelines to govern the illegal
connections to the sewer system. Pilot areas have already had flow meters
installed in order to collect data to determine the effectiveness of
programs soon to be implemented.
Top of Page
Next Page
|
