STRATEGY 3: Maintain the Collection and Wastewater System to Minimize Service Disruptions

Maintaining the sewer systems in order to minimize service disruptions is a coordinated effort between a number of Fort Wayne City Utilities Departments including Water Pollution Control Maintenance, Stormwater Maintenance, Water Pollution Control Plant, Water Pollution Control Engineering and Stormwater Engineering. Three objectives were developed to carry-out the strategy of maintaining the sewer system to minimize service disruptions:

• Keep the sewer system clean;

• Keep the mechanical facilities operating properly;

• Keep the sewers operating properly and structurally sound.

Accomplishments

Inspection and Cleaning
While progress is being made, Fort Wayne City Utilities must do more to meet these objectives. The current programs which keep the sewers clean are divided into two areas: inspection and cleaning.

Inspections are made reactively by investigators in response to calls and complaints from customers. Increasingly, inspections are done proactively through a planned and coordinated Sewer Evaluation Program. Current proactive inspections include the evaluation of sewer lines 8-15". Enhancing the program by inspecting lines with diameters larger than 15" will allow WPCM staff to clean lines found to be obstructed prior to receiving a complaint. Results of the inspections are tracked and coordinated through a database system known as the Infrastructure Management System (IMS).

Cleaning is done reactively, usually by line flushing, and proactively through the degreasing and root removal programs. Sewer lines in many areas of Fort Wayne, especially areas with high concentrations of restaurants, develop a grease buildup that reduces the diameter of the sewer line and thus its capacity. By revisiting known trouble spots on a regular basis to remove grease, these situations can be addressed before pipes are blocked with grease. Fort Wayne has many beautiful trees. But all the growth above ground is equaled or exceeded by root growth below ground. Sometimes, tree roots grow into sewer lines causing obstructions and reducing capacity. Water Pollution Control Maintenance tracks areas where root growth in sewers is frequently the cause of sewer problems. Those areas are visited on a regular basis and roots are cut out.

Operation and Maintenance
The current programs to keep the mechanical facilities operating properly are both reactive and proactive. Repairs to CSO outfall structures such as the pipes, covers on the ends of pipes known as flapgates, regulators that determine when CSOs happen and lift stations are primarily reactive. Proactive inspections are infrequently scheduled and less frequently accomplished. However, as a result of the Combined Sewer System Operational Plan, standard operating procedures have been developed and are being implemented. CSO outfalls and flapgates will be inspected on regular working days. Regulators and lift stations will be inspected monthly. 

Sewer Structure
The program to keep the sewers operating properly and structurally sound is currently limited to a policy that does not allow new sewer connections in areas lacking adequate capacity. Sewer repairs identified by inspections and complaints will continue to be completed.