Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Book Summary
Book Summary
CONTROL OF SEWER
SYSTEM OVERFLOWS
Prepared by the Prevention and Control of Sewer System Overflows Task Force of
the Water Environment Federation®
Eric M. Harold, P.E., Chair Daniel V. Markowitz, Ph.D.
Sean W. FitzGerald, P.E., Vice-Chair Keith D. McCormack, P.E.
Charles McDowell
Gary S. Beck, P.E.
William McElhaney
Jeffrey L. Bertacchi
Jane McLamarrah, Ph.D., P.E.
Patrick J. Bradley
Drew S. Mihocko, P.E.
Chein-Chi Chang, Ph.D., P.E.
S. Wayne Miles, P.E., BCEE
Laurie Chase, P.E.
Bill Moeller
Alan Cherubin
Richard E. Nelson, P.E.
Gregory R. Chol, P.E.
Anthony C. Offerman, P.E., R.L.S.
Bruce J. Corwin, P.E.
Gregory J. Osthues, P.E.
Curtis D. Courter, P.E.
Sanath Palipana
Thomas Curl, P.E.
Suzanne P. Pickett, P.E.
Robert G. Decker, P.E.
William C. Pisano, Ph.D., P.E.
Shawn A. Dent, P.E.
Robert J. Rafferty, P.E.
Jeffery Frey, P.E.
Steven M. Ravel, P.E., BCEE
Gary Fujita, P.E.
Reggie Rowe
William S. Gonwa, Ph.D., P.E.
Jeff Scarano, P.E.
Gunilla Goulding, P.E.
Ross E. Schlobohm, P.E.
Geoffrey M. Grant, P.E.
Nancy Schultz, P.E., D.WRE
Adel H. Hagekhalil, P.E., BCEE
Matthew E. Schultze, P.E.
Richard Helm, Ph.D., P.E.
Uzair (Sam) Shamsi, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE
Roy A. Herwig, P.E.
James Shelton
Suresh Hettiarachchi, P.E. (MN)
Marsha Slaughter, P.E.
James Andrew Hewitt
Terry G. Soster, P.E.
Steven Hilderhoff, P.E., BCEE
Jimmy Stewart
Alan J. Hollenbeck, P.E.
Scott D. Struck, Ph.D.
Ross Homeniuk, MBA, P.Eng.
Stephen Tilson
Phillip L. Hubbard, P.E.
Martin M. Umberg, P.E.
Carol L. Hufnagel, P.E.
K.C. “Kumar” Upendrakumar, P.E., BCEE
Lawrence P. Jaworski, P.E.
George Vania
Peter Keefe
Marc P. Walch, P.E.
Michael D. Kyser, P.E.
Thomas M. Walski, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE
Paul Louis
Michel Wanna
Mary Maciejowski
Tina Wolff, P.E.
Waldo A. Margheim, P.E.
Under the Direction of the Automation and Information Technology Subcommittee of
the Technical Practice Committee
2011
Water Environment Federation®
601 Wythe Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-1994 USA
http://www.wef.org
PREVENTION AND
CONTROL OF SEWER
SYSTEM OVERFLOWS
WEF Press
Water Environment Federation Alexandria, Virginia
Copyright © 2011 by the Water Environment Federation. All rights reserved. Except as permitted
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About WEF
R. Fernandez, Chair
J. A. Brown, Vice-Chair, Publications
S. J. Passaro, Vice-Chair, Distance Learning
B. G. Jones, Past Chair
A. Babatola
K. Conway
R. Copithorn
V. D’Amato
R. P. Dominak
S. Moisio
T. Page-Bottorff
C. Pomeroy
R. C. Porter
E. P. Rothstein
A. T. Sandy
K. Schnaars
A. Shaw
J. Swift
A. K. Umble
P. Zeller
Contents
List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxv
List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xxix
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xxxi
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.0 INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
2.0 GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE MANUAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
3.0 TARGET AUDIENCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
4.0 SEWER OVERFLOW ISSUE SUMMARY AND CONCERNS . . . . . . . . . .14
4.1 Definition of an Overflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
4.2 Regulatory Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
4.3 Environmental and Public Health Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
4.4 Hot Topics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
4.4.1 Asset Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.4.2 Service Levels, Performance Metrics, and Benchmarking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.4.3 Green Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.4.4 Climate Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
5.0 ORGANIZATION OF THE MANUAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
6.0 REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
7.0 SUGGESTED READINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
vii
viii Contents
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .409
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List of Figures
Figure Page
2.1 Typical separate sanitary and storm sewer systems. Sanitary sewer systems
are designed to collect and convey wastewater mixed with limited amounts of
infiltration and inflow to a treatment plant. A separate storm sewer system is
used in many areas to collect and convey storm water runoff directly to surface
waterbodies (U.S. EPA, 2004) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
2.2 Peak wet weather flow components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
2.3 Typical combined sewer systems. Combined sewer systems are designed
to discharge directly to surface waterbodies such as rivers, estuaries, and
coastal waters during wet weather, when total flows exceed the capacity of
the CSS or treatment plant (U.S. EPA, 2004) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
3.1 Coordination of LTCP development and water quality standards review
and revision (WQ = water quality) (U.S. EPA, 2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
4.1 Modern information management concept (courtesy of Westin Engineering, Inc.).
GIS = geographic information systems. CAD = computer-aided design.
HR = human resources. PIMS = project information management system.
LIMS = laboratory information management system. SCADA = supervisory
control and data acquisition. B2B = business to business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
4.2 Geographic information system linking map features to database records
(Shamsi, 2002a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
4.3 Comparison of CADD, facilities management, and GIS and evolution
of AM/FM/GIS as the integration of CADD, facilities management,
and GIS (Shamsi, 2002a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
4.4 Holistic IMS implementation approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
4.5 Computerized maintenance modeling system selection process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
4.6 Indexing application screenshot from NYCDEP (courtesy of Michael Baker Jr.,
Inc., Moon Township, Pennsylvania) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
4.7 Geographic information system-based sewer capacity calculation tool for
NYCDEP (courtesy of Michael Baker Jr., Inc., Moon Township, Pennsylvania) . . . . .128
4.8 Geographic information system-based sewer system inventory from NYCDEP
(courtesy of Michael Baker Jr., Inc., Moon Township, Pennsylvania) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
4.9 Modeling integration methods (Shamsi, 2005) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
4.10 Screenshot showing a sewer system model in GIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
4.11 Typical remote data collection arrangement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146
xxv
xxvi List of Figures
4.12 Decentralized monitoring network in South Bend, Indiana (Ruggaber et al., 2008) . . . . 149
4.13 Gateway nodes: pole (left) and manhole (right) installations
(Ruggaber et al., 2008) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
5.1 Sample scattergraph (Nelson et al., 2007) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193
5.2 Three components of wet weather wastewater flow (Lai et al., 2007) . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
5.3 Rainfall-derived infiltration and inflow RTK hydrograph (Lai et al., 2007) . . . . . . . .197
6.1 U.S. EPA wheel showing causes of SSOs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
6.2 U.S. EPA wheel showing causes of blockages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
6.3 Sanitary sewer overflow team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231
6.4 Sanitary sewer overflow flow estimation (cu ft × 0.028 32 = m3; ft × 0.3048 = m; gal ×
3785 = m3; 7.5 gal = 1 cu ft = 0.0284 m3; in. × 25.4 = mm; and
sq ft × 0.092 90 = m2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238
6.5 Example of a report that can be used to report overflows to federal and state
regulators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242
6.6 Sanitary sewer overflow reporting system for the department of
environmental quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244
6.7 Example of response decision matrix for an SSO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246
6.8 Sanitary sewer overflow cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269
7.1 Footing drain disconnection (Westmoreland et al., 2006) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .284
7.2 Private lateral defects (Bhattarai and Guthikonda, 2008) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286
7.3 Stream inflow source to sewer system (Enfinger and Cook, 2008) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .287
7.4 Permeable pavement cross section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .294
7.5 A rain garden constructed at an office building (courtesy of Dan Christian) . . . . . . .296
7.6 Street rights-of-way control—curb cuts and bio-infiltration area (Owen, 2007) . . . . .298
7.7 Baffle constructed under the Louisville, Kentucky, floatables control program
(Guthrie, Melisizwe, Sydnor, and Kraus, 2008) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .314
7.8 Static screen as constructed in the Louisville, Kentucky, floatables control
program (Guthrie, Melisizwe, Sydnor, and Kraus, 2008) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315
7.9 Plan and section views of typical in-line netting installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .316
7.10 Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, floatables control netting structure (courtesy of
Michael Lorenzo, HDR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .316
7.11 ROMAG screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .319
7.12 Screen room of the 5200-cfs Baby Creek CSO Control Facility, Detroit,
Michigan (courtesy of Tetra Tech) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .320
7.13 Tunnel components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .328
7.14 Sample basin configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333
7.15 Grand Rapids Market Avenue Retention Basin, Grand Rapids, Michigan
(courtesy of Tetra Tech) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333
7.16 Influent and effluent quality from Rouge RTBs (courtesy of Rouge data set,
C. Hufnagel personal files) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .334
List of Figures xxvii
xxix
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Preface
The purpose of this Manual of Practice is to provide the information necessary to
help managers and engineers understand and analyze an overflow problem (dry
weather, CSO, or SSO) and provide guidance in finding the best strategies to reduce
or eliminate it. It is also intended to serve as a planning guide in developing long-
term control plans for CSOs and SSOs.
This Manual of Practice was produced under the direction of Eric M. Harold,
P.E., Chair, and Sean W. FitzGerald, P.E., Vice-Chair.
The principal authors of this Manual of Practice are as follows:
xxxi
xxxii Preface
Introduction
1.0 INTRODUCTION
This manual summarizes practices to help managers and engineers understand and
analyze overflow problems (either dry weather or wet weather related) from a col-
lection systems perspective and the manual provides guidance on finding the best
strategies to reduce or eliminate them. Topics covered in this manual target the crux
of managing collection systems, that is, preventing and controlling overflows. This
chapter discusses the general purpose of the manual, outlines the intended audience
and end users, provides a broad background for sewer overflow issues and concerns,
and outlines the overall organization of the manual.
1
2 Prevention and Control of Sewer System Overflows
(continued)
4 Prevention and Control of Sewer System Overflows
(continued)
6 Prevention and Control of Sewer System Overflows
(continued)
8 Prevention and Control of Sewer System Overflows
(continued)
10 Prevention and Control of Sewer System Overflows
Water quality Legal term of art intended to describe the level of pollutants or other
constraints within a receiving water.
Water quality A law or regulation that consists of the beneficial use or uses of a
standard water body, the numeric and narrative water quality criteria that are
necessary to protect the use or uses of that particular waterbody, and
an anti-degradation statement (U.S. EPA, 2004) [40 CFR 130.3].
Water-quality- Effluent limitations applied to dischargers when technology-based
based effluent limitations are insufficient to result in the attainment of water quality
limitations standards (U.S. EPA, 2004) [CWA §302].
Waters of the All waters that are currently used, were used in the past, or may be
United States susceptible to use in interstate or foreign commerce, including all
waters subject to the ebb and flow of the tide. Waters of the United
States include, but are not limited to, all interstate waters and intrastate
lakes, rivers, streams (including intermittent streams), mudflats, sand
flats, wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows, play lakes, or
natural ponds (U.S. EPA, 2004). (See 40 CFR §122.2 for the complete
definition).
Wet weather event A discharge from a combined or sanitary sewer system that occurs in
direct response to rainfall or snowmelt (U.S. EPA, 2004).
little or no precipitation has occurred. Dry weather SSOs typically do not occur due
to capacity-related causes; rather, they occur from maintenance- and construction-
related causes, system failures (electrical or mechanical), blockages, or vandalism.
A combined sewer overflow is the intentional or unintentional discharge of untreated
sanitary wastewater mixed with stormwater runoff or snowmelt that occurs when
the capacity of the conveyance system, a regulating structure, or the downstream
wastewater treatment capacity is exceeded. Combined sewer overflow discharges
during wet weather include a mix of domestic, commercial, and industrial wastewa-
ter and stormwater runoff. Wet weather CSOs are typically controlled overflows from
the collection system that have been strategically placed to discharge to receiving
streams when flows exceed, or nearly exceed, downstream capacities. A dry weather
discharge from a CSS occurs during dry weather conditions and, as such, is not part
of the design intent of a CSS. Dry weather CSOs typically do not occur from lack of
pipe capacity, rather, from blockages, maintenance- or construction-related issues,
mechanical or electrical failures, or vandalism.
For SSSs, because of the lack of specific regulations and guidance, current prac-
tices provide better measures for standardizing an SSO control approach. Chapter 3
of this manual provides a more detailed description of federal and state regulatory
initiatives. More recently, U.S. EPA and WEF cooperated to develop Guide to Managing
Peak Wet Weather Flows in Municipal Wastewater Collection and Treatment Systems (WEF,
2006) to document current practices and understanding in terms acceptable to both
the wastewater profession and those enforcing applicable regulations.
The Combined Sewer Overflow Policy (U.S. EPA, 1994) provides a national approach
for communities to address CSOs through the NPDES permitting program. Key asser-
tions of the policy are that CSOs are point sources subject to NPDES permit require-
ments, including both technology-based and water quality-based requirements of the
CWA, and that CSOs are not subject to secondary treatment requirements applicable
to POTWs.
The Water Environment Federation (2010) outlines several areas where climate
change can affect wastewater utilities. It suggests that the industry needs to perform
a comprehensive assessment of the potential range of effects and develop solutions
that will allow utilities to adapt to changes in precipitation patterns, drought inten-
sity and frequency, and sea level rise, and source water quality due to increasing
20 Prevention and Control of Sewer System Overflows
temperatures. Some of these changes to the hydrological cycle are described in detail
in this section.
Perhaps the most challenging effect of climate change on managing sewer over-
flows is the change in precipitation patterns. Precipitation, as a result of climate
change, is expected to change in intensity, duration, and frequency. In some parts
of the country, more frequent extreme rainfall events will alter boundaries of the
100-year flood plain, affecting development, transportation, and water and waste-
water infrastructure systems, and further damaging the already fragile relationship
between land and water ecologies. Sanitary sewer systems, storm sewer systems, and
CSSs will frequently be overtaxed. Additionally, local streams and rivers will experi-
ence increased erosion and decreased capacity for biohabitat.
Rising sea levels, estimated by some scientists to be 1 m or more during the next
century, will compound effects brought on by precipitation changes, increasing the
severity in coastal zones. Many coastal water treatment facilities (for drinking water
or wastewater) will require significant capital investment to protect against tidal
surges. Combined sewer systems and MS4s in coastal communities that are designed
to discharge into tidal rivers, streams, and bays may experience decreased discharge
capacity and overflow as a result of increased “pressure” (or “head”) from rising
tides.
Because the effects of climate change on water are uncertain and will vary
by region, wastewater utility managers face daunting challenges. Traditional
approaches that relied on historical weather patterns to manage source water sup-
plies, stormwater runoff, and wastewater conveyance and treatment will no longer
work. Chapter 8 provides more information on how utilities can plan for climate
change in the prevention and control of overflows.
6.0 REFERENCES
American Water Works Association (1999) Water Quality and Treatment, 5th ed.;
McGraw-Hill: New York.
Code of Federal Regulations Title 40 (2010) Office of the Federal Register, National
Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.
Random House (1968) Dictionary of the English Language; Random House:
New York.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1972) Clean Water Act, Public Law 92-500
(formerly the Water Pollution Control Act); U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency: Washington, D.C.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1994) Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO)
Control Policy; EPA-830/94-001; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
Washington, D.C.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1995) Combined Sewer Overflows: Guidance
for Long-Term Control Plans; EPA-832/B-95-002; U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Office of Water: Washington, D.C.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1996) U.S. EPA NPDES Permit Writers’
Manual; EPA-833/B-96-003; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of
Water: Washington, D.C.
22 Prevention and Control of Sewer System Overflows