Springfield Sewer System Study

Updated: Tuesday, March 24 2015, 12:31 PM CDT

The city of Springfield's sewer division is getting ready to make some changes that are aimed at preventingsewage overflow.

There are almost 500 miles of pipeline tangled beneath the city of Springfield and as these systems begin to age, their reliability decreases; making the likelihood ofsomething going wrong a lot higher.

The city's Department of Public Works' Sewer Division is working with the Environmental Protection Agency on a report that will address the combined sewer overflows. The city is required to complete the report as a condition of their permit from the Agency.

As for the reason of the deterioratingsewage pipes, John Higginbotham, a sewer engineer for the city's sewer division, says they believe it is happening simply because of the ageing infrastructure.

"It really has to do with the age of the system and the materials and installation methods that were used at the time of original construction. That is what we are seeing a lot of right now," said Higginbotham.

In a report initiated by the EPA, the majority of the sewageoverflows has been anongoing occurance in the city's northeast quadrant.

"Many residents in that part of town are very familiar with what I am talking about with sanitary sewer issues," said Higginbotham. He continued to say, "With issues in their basements and other areas of the collection system also."

Bob Krell is the branch manager of ServicMASTER Restore and he says they deal with this issue a lot during the spring seasons.

"The sewage problem, the backups in the people's basements, is a major issue. Not only because of the bacteria that is in the sewage, it is the damage it can cause," said Krell.

Go here to read the rest:
Springfield Sewer System Study