Sacramento City Council recently approved a project to reconstruct two aging sump pumps in North Sacramento and Land Park.
The two pumps and equipment are in a separate underground steel room that is corroding. Electrical equipment at both sites is at the end of its useful life; neither site has flow meters to monitor pump performance; and neither site conforms to the Department of Utilities current security requirements.
The total project cost is $10.5 million and is one of many Your Utilities, Your Community Projects in the pipeline aimed at bringing critical water and wastewater service up to date.
What are sump pumps?
A typical public sewerage system starts with wastewater (or sewage) generated in a home or business, which flows through a service connection into sewer mains along the street. The sewage in the local mains are collected by larger mains and pumping stations until they reach a wastewater treatment plant.
The wastewater system is constructed for sewage to flow downhill through the pipelines. Wastewater pumping stations are needed to pump sewage through the occasional pipelines that go uphill. The pumps are crucial because they keep neighborhood wastewater moving in the right direction. Without the pumps, wastewater would not flow to a regional treatment plant in Elk Grove, and would then back up in the pipes and could potentially flow into streets and homes.
Reconstruction at both sites will add flow meters, upgraded electrical equipment, protective electric equipment shelters and new site security features. It will reduce sanitary sewer outflows and be the most environmentally responsible.
The City’s water and wastewater infrastructure systems require significant investments in order to meet and maintain the ever-increasing regulatory requirements. At the current rate of investment, the City will replace its entire water system every 280 years and its wastewater system every 410 years.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the American Society of Civil Engineers, water and wastewater infrastructure must be properly replaced every 70 to 100 years to ensure reliable service.
In addition to capital replacement, the City must also invest in capital improvements and operational and maintenance practices necessary to maintain compliance with federal, state, and local legislative and regulatory mandates.
You can learn more by visiting, Your Utilities, Your Community.