November 4, 2011

Village of River Hills Resident

River Hills, WI 53217

RE:          Private Property Inflow & Infiltration Reduction

Dear Resident:

I am writing this letter to alert you of a pilot program the Village will be conducting this fall.  As you may have read, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, which provides sanitary sewer treatment to all of River Hills, is conducting a Private Property Infiltration and Inflow (PPII) Reduction Program.  As part of this program, the Village is reimbursed funds for the inspection and repair of private sanitary sewer laterals (the section of pipe that carries wastewater from the home to the Village sewer main).

The reason for the program is to reduce Inflow & Infiltration in, which is water other than sewage (most often rain water) entering the sanitary sewer system.  The sanitary sewer system was designed to handle all waste from your bathrooms, kitchens, showers, etc.  As such, the addition of rain water inundating the system during heavy rain events can cause the pipes to surcharge, potentially leading to basement backups.  To help reduce the likelihood of possible backups, the Village is participating in MMSD’s program.  

As part of the program, the Village would need to have your private sanitary sewer lateral inspected for defects that can allow water seepage into the laterals.  To do this, the Village needs your permission to (a) access your front yard above the location of your sewer lateral, and (b) televise of your lateral.  Upon receiving your permission, the Village will hire a contractor to perform the investigation, which may include dyed water injection into the ground above the sewer lateral while simultaneously televising of the lateral to find potential leakage of dyed water.

The Village will be using MMSD funding for the investigative work at no cost to property owners.  If defects are found, MMSD funds will be used for the repair and rehabilitation of up to 50 feet of the lateral from the public sewer main.  Any necessary repairs to the lateral past this point will be the responsibility of the property owner.

If you agree to this inspection, please return the enclosed consent form to Village Hall.  Also enclosed with this letter is a frequently asked question sheet that helps some of the features of this program and why it is important to address these issues before they become more difficult and expensive to repair.   

Following the lateral inspections, the village will develope a schedule for repairs and rehabilitation of defective laterals.

If you have any questions, please contact the Village Engineer Mustafa Emir by phone 414-315-1933 or email mustafa.emir@clarkdietz.com .  Your anticipated cooperation during this project is greatly appreciated. 

Sincerely,

Mustafa Emir, PhD, PE

Village Engineer

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS A SANITARY SEWER LATERAL?

A sanitary sewer lateral connects a building to the municipal sewer main.  The sanitary sewer lateral is considered part of the house, and as such, is maintained by the property owner.

WHAT DO SANITARY SEWER LATERALS DO?

The sewer laterals are integral parts of the sanitary sewer system.  They carry away all waste from your home (bathrooms, kitchens, showers, etc.) to the public sanitary sewer main.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTENANCE?

The building lateral is considered part of the home.  Maintenance, repair, and replacement of the lateral is the responsibility of the homeowner.  Performing regular maintenance and making necessary repairs is vital to ensuring the longevity of your lateral, similar to other home upkeep.  Most can be cleaned by accessing the sanitary sewer cleanout. 

WHAT IS A SANITARY SEWER CLEANOUT?

A sewer cleanout is a point of access where the sewer lateral can be serviced. It usually is 4 inches in diameter and has a tight-fitting steel or plastic cap over it.  If you are unsuccessful in locating one, you either do not have one or it may be buried under dirt or concrete. A plumber can assist you in locating it.

I’VE HAD BASEMENT BACKUPS, WHY?

The main reason for basement backups is the presence of excess water in the system.  During rainfall, saturated ground conditions encourage seepage into the sewers. Rainwater finds its way into the sewers through many cracks and defects in the system.  If enough excess water makes it into the sewers, pipe capacities are exceeded and basement backups can occur.

WHY IS THIS AN ISSUE NOW?

Rain water entering the sanitary system has always been a cause for concern, but the unusually high amounts of rain in recent years have put a strain on the area’s infrastructure. Think of your sewer lateral like your water heater.  They both perform a function that you use in everyday life, but are often unseen.  It isn’t until these systems are not operating correctly that we consider their importance.

WHY REPAIR THE LATERAL?

The Village has had an on-going sewer main video inspection and rehabilitation program for several years as part of our effort to maintain our public infrastructure in good service condition. We are also aware that needed maintenance on private laterals may not have taken place at the same rate as the public infrastructure.  Repairing laterals is considered as part of overall system upkeep to ensure on-going acceptable sewer service levels in our Village.

HOW IS MMSD INVOLVED?

Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) has set aside dedicated funds for each municipality to investigate and correct inflow and infiltration that originates from private laterals.  River Hills is using these funds to conduct the present investigation.  In addition, in case defects are identified, the Village will use MMSD funds to participate in the repairs and rehabilitation of the lateral by funding the cost to repair up to 50 feet of a private lateral found to be defective.