Sewer

Appurtenances

Sewer appurtenances are

those
structures
of
sewerage system which are
constructed
at
suitable
intervals and other locations
along a sewer line to assist
in efficient operation and
maintenance
of
the
system.

Street inlets
Catch basins
Clean outs
Manholes
Drop manholes
Lamp holes
Flushing tanks
Grease and oil
traps
Inverted siphons
Strom regulators

Street Inlets
Street inlets are openings provided along the street to admit
storm water or surface wash and convey it into a storm sewer or a
combined sewer.
Three different types
Curb or vertical inlets
Gutter or horizontal inlets
Combination inlets

Maximum spacing of inlets on straight roads is 30 m.

Inlets are provided at street intersections.
The inlets are connected with nearby manhole by pipes.
These are concrete boxes with grating cover.

Gutter
inlet

Curb
inlet

Combination
inlet

Catch Basin or Catchpits

Catch basin is also an inlet
with a basin for the
purpose of collecting silts.
The outlet is usually
trapped to prevent escape
of odour from sewer and to
retain floating substances.
The settled matter is taken
out periodically.

Clean outs
A clean out is an inclined pipe with its one
end connected to the underground sewer
line and other end brought upto ground
level, with a proper cover at the top.
These are generally provided at upper
ends of laterals in place of manholes.
It helps in cleaning laterals through
forcing water jet.
For removing large obstructions, flexible
rod may be inserted.

Manhole
Masonary or RCC chamber
constructed on the alignment
of a sewer for providing access
to sewer for the purpose of

Inspection
Testing
Cleaning
Removal of obstructions from
sewer line.

It also helps in joining sewer

lines or in changing the
direction or alignment or both.

Location of manholes
Manholes are provided at every
bend, junction, change of
gradient or change of diameter.
On straight reaches, manholes
are provided at convenient
spacing depending on size of
sewer.
Spacing also depends on
nature of sewer cleaning
devices in use.

Size of sewer

Recommended
spacing (m)

Dia upto 0.3 m

45

Dia upto 0.6 m

75

Dia upto 0.9 m

90

Dia upto 1.2 m

120

Dia upto 1.5 m

250

Dia > 1.5 m

300

Dimension of manholes
Sl. No.

Depth

Min size specified

0.8 m or less

0.75 m x 0.75 m

0.8 2.1 m

1.2 m x 0.9 m

>2.1 m

Circular chamber with min dia of 1.4 m or rectangular

chamber with min dimension of 1.2 m x 0.9 m

Components of manhole
Top cover
Access shaft
Working
chamber
Bottom or invert
Side walls
Steps or ladder

Drop manhole
A drop manhole is a special
type of manhole on a sewer
line which is constructed to
provide a connection
between a high level branch
sewer to a low level main
sewer.
The construction of drop
manhole avoids unnecessary
steep gradient of branch
sewer thus reducing the
amount of earth work.

Lampholes
Lampholes are special
openings constructed to
join a hole in the sewer
and ground, for the
purpose of lowering a
lamp inside the sewer.
It serves the following
purposes
Inspection
Flushing in case of
emergency
Ventilation

Flushing tank
Flushing tank is a device or
arrangement which holds
water and then throws it into
the sewer for the purpose of
flushing it.
Sewer laid on flat terrain may
not produce self-cleaning
velocity and may get blocked
frequently; thus needs
cleaning.
It can be operated either
manually or automatically.

Oil and grease traps

Oil and grease traps are
specially built chambers
on to exclude grease and
oil from sewage before
they enter the sewer.
Such traps are located
near those sources, such
as automobile repairing
workshops, garages,
kitchens of hotels, oil and
grease industries etc.

Inverted siphons
When a sewer line dips
below the hydraulic
grade line, it is called
an inverted siphon.
Purpose is to carry the
sewer under the
obstruction such as
roadway, railway,
stream, river etc.

Storm regulators
These are constructed for combined sewerage
system so as to permit the diversion of storm water
when the discharge exceeds a certain value.
The excess water is diverted to a natural stream or
river.
Different types of storm regulator
Over flow weirs
Leaping weirs
Siphon spillways

Overflow weir / side flow weir

The object is to keep
the discharge to the
storm water down to a
predetermined
maximum and allow
the surplus to
overflow to water
courses.
The overflow weirs
may be single acting
or double acting.

Leaping weir
A leaping weir or jumping weir is a
special device by way of which
excess wastewater during storm is
allowed to escape to a watercourse
while designed flow is permitted to
flow to the intercepting sewer.
The arrangement consists of an
opening in the invert of the
combined sewer and through this
opening the normal flow is diverted
to the intercepting drain while the
excess flow leaps over the storm
drain leading it to a nearby stream.

Siphon spillways
The overflow weirs require
considerable length, resulting
in high cost of construction.
Siphon spillways, on the
other
hand,
are
very
effective since they have
high discharge capacity.
The spillway is very sensitive.
Automatic in operation and
diverts more flow in lesser
time.