INFRASTRUCTURE

Strategy 1:

Maintain quality service and capacity to serve new development in existing water and sewer service areas.

About The Objectives

In almost all cases, it is most cost-efficient to use existing infrastructure to serve new development when it is in good condition and there is adequate treatment capacity at the water or sewer plant. Quality service must also be ensured to existing businesses and residents; expansions and extensions can’t come at the expense of current customers. For this reason, new growth, whether industrial, commercial, or residential in use, should first be directed to areas already served by municipal utilities with available capacity.

As economic development efforts become more successful and communities are able to realize new housing development, capacity increases may be necessary to ensure proper levels of service, even for areas already within municipal sewer and water service boundaries. This may come in the form of expansions at sewer treatment plants or additional wells or treatment capacity at water treatment plants.

Maintain Existing Infrastructure

Municipal infrastructure systems require continual investment to maintain and operate them with proper function. A capital improvements plan can aid in this ongoing maintenance, operation, and replacement by allocating the necessary funding for shortrange infrastructure and capital improvement projects on what is typically a five-year basis. The plan states the jurisdiction’s prioritization of the financial resources available for capital project spending by identifying which projects should be included, when they should be constructed, and how they will be financed. As projects are completed each year, they are removed from the capital improvements plan and new projects are added.

Reduce Inflow and Infiltration

Inflow and infiltration (I/I) refers to water that seeps or flows into sewer pipes. Groundwater may seep into underground pipes through holes, cracks, and faulty joints. Stormwater may rapidly flow into sewers through manhole covers, downspouts incorrectly tied into the sewer systems, and other drains. Most I/I occurs in older sewer systems. This results in sewer volumes that are higher than they should be and also adds expense with more sewer flow volume to treat. Some municipal sewer systems may be operating at or near capacity, not because they have that much development generating the sewer volumes, but because the volumes are being artificially increased because of I/I.

Technological advancements have reduced the cost of addressing many I/I issues. Existing sewer mains can be lined with a flexible pipe that cures in place and acts as a new, leak-proof sewer main. Municipalities that are operating at higher than desired daily capacities, or exceeding capacity as frequently happens after storm events, should audit their sewer systems to determine how much I/I may be occurring. It may be cheaper to reduce I/I thereby freeing up capacity, as opposed to costly sewer treatment plant upgrades that do not address the root cause of the issue.

Objective Priority Actions

A. Maintain and increase sewer and water capacity to support desired development and job attraction efforts.

1. Upgrade outdated and undersized water lines where possible.

2. Replace or repair aging sewer pipes when needed.

3. Increase treatment capacity as additional end users come online.

B. Audit and improve wastewater systems to reduce inflow and infiltration thereby increasing treatment capacity in a cost-effective manner.

1. Evaluate municipal sewer systems to determine the extent of inflow and infiltration issues.

2. Include sewer lining projects and other remedies in capital improvement plans.

3. Pursue grant funding to leverage limited local resources and construct improvements.