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Frequently Asked Questions
Service:
1. What if my sewage backs up in my basement?
2. I have an odor in my basement, what do I
do?
3. Who is responsible for the
collection systems in each municipality?
Inflow And Infiltration:
4. What are inflow and infiltration?
5. Why is Inflow and Infiltration water
problem?
6. What is a sanitary sewer?
7. What is a storm sewer?
8. What is an improper connection to the
sanitary sewer system?
9. What are different types of improper
sanitary sewer connections?
10. Where should the water from
downspouts, groundwater sump pumps,
and/or other clear water sources
be directed?
11. Why is it important for everyone to
remove improper connections?
12. How can overloaded sanitary sewers
cause basement flooding?
13. Do improper connections really contribute
large amounts of clear
water to the sanitary sewer system?
14. How does the Williamsport Sanitary
Authority identify the sources of
clear water entering the sanitary
sewer system?
15. What happens when you detect a leak or an
improper connection?
16. What can a property owner do to
minimize sewage backups in the
basement?
17. I've never had basement flooding due to
a sewer backup. Why should
I remove my improper connections?
18. Does the requirement to remove improper
connections pertain only to
certain sewer service areas?
Pretreatment:
19. What is the Pretreatment Program?
20. What can I safely pour down the sink or
into the toilet?
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ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Service:
1. What if my sewage backs up in my
basement?
Sewage backups may be the result of a plugged owner's lateral or a
blockage or surcharging in the main sewer. The Williamsport Sanitary
Authority (WSA) operates and maintains the sanitary sewers within the
City of Williamsport. In the event that a property owner has a sewer
backup, we request that you first call us to determine if the main
sewer line is blocked and is the cause of the problem. We will
promptly respond to your call, and if the problem is in the sewer
main, you will save the time and expense of having a plumber work on
the property owner's sewer lines or lateral.
The WSA cannot be responsible for work authorized by others that is
not useful in solving the owner's problem. We request your cooperation
in these types of situations.
Please note that the WSA is only responsible for sanitary sewers in
the City of Williamsport. If you live in a surrounding municipality,
please call the public works department of your municipality for
assistance.
2. I have an odor in my basement, what do I do?
In addition to sewer back-ups, you may experience different types of
odors coming from your sewer lines. Besides sanitary sewer line
backups it could also indicate the lack of a water trap on your
lateral or other potential problems such as broken
laterals or collapsed sewer mains.
3. Who is responsible for the
sewerage collection systems in
each municipality?
The WSA provides service to customers located within the City of
Williamsport and is responsible for operating and maintaining all
sanitary sewer lines within its boundaries. In addition, the WSA
serves as the billing agency for some of the outlying Boroughs and
Townships. Those communities, including Loyalsock Township, Old Lycoming Township,
Lycoming Township, Armstrong Township and the Boroughs of South
Williamsport and DuBoistown, are responsible for operating and
maintaining their own sanitary lines. The City of Williamsport is responsible
for storm sewers within the city.
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Inflow and Infiltration:
4. What
are inflow and infiltration?
Inflow and infiltration are terms used to describe the leakage or
introduction of groundwater and stormwater into the sanitary
sewer system.
Inflow is storm water that is discharged into the sewer system through
improper connections, such as downspouts and basement sump pumps.
(Discharges from sump pumps that pump only laundry water or other
sanitary wastes are sanitary sewage, not inflow.)
Infiltration is groundwater that enters the sewer system through leaks
in sewer pipes and house laterals.
All of this inflow and infiltration water is called "clear water"
(although it may be dirty) to distinguish it from sanitary sewage.
5. Why is Inflow and Infiltration water a
problem?
"Clear" water belongs in storm sewers or on the surface of the ground,
and not in the sanitary sewers. When clear water gets into the
sanitary sewers, it must be treated like sanitary waste. Too
much storm and clear water often overloads the sewers and causes sewer
backups when it rains. It also may cause overflows from the sewers to
streams.
6. What is a sanitary sewer?
A sanitary sewer is designed solely to transport wastewater from
sanitary fixtures inside your house or place of business. Sanitary
fixtures include toilets, sinks, bathtubs, showers and lavatories. The
sanitary sewer pipe carrying sewage from the house property is called
the owner's lateral, and the main sewer, usually in the street, is the
WSA public sewer main.
7. What is a storm sewer?
A storm sewer is a pipe designed to carry rainwater away. Storm sewers
are normally much larger than sanitary sewers because they are
designed to carry much larger amounts of water. Drainage ditches and
swales perform the same function in many neighborhoods. In the City of
Williamsport, the City, not the WSA, is responsible for the storm
sewer system.
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8. What is an improper connection to the
sanitary sewer system?
An improper connection permits water from sources other than sanitary
fixtures to enter the sanitary sewer system. Storm and other clear
water should be going to the storm sewer or allowed to soak into the
ground without entering the sanitary sewer.
9. What are different types of improper
sanitary sewer connections?
Some examples of improper connections include downspouts, groundwater
sump pumps, foundation drains, drains from window wells, and outdoor
basement stairwells and drains from driveways.
10. Where should the water from
downspouts, groundwater sump pumps,
and/or other clear water sources
be directed?
WSA Regulations and the City of Williamsport Plumbing Code require
this water to be discharged to storm sewers or aboveground drainage
ditches or curb areas.
11. Why is it important for everyone to
remove improper connections?
Removing improper connections will significantly reduce the flow of
clear water to the sanitary sewer system. This will reduce the
possibility of basement flooding due to overloaded sanitary sewers and
lessen the amount of water that has to be treated.
12. How can overloaded sanitary sewers
cause basement flooding?
The water level in an overloaded sewer is at a higher elevation than normal.
If the home has sanitary fixtures or floor drains that are below this
higher, overload level, water can flow backward through the sanitary
sewer lines into the basement.
13. Do improper connections really contribute
large amounts of clear
water to the sanitary sewer system?
Yes, and here's why: An eight-inch sanitary sewer can handle domestic
wastewater flow from up to 200 homes, but only eight sump pumps
operating at full capacity, or six homes with downspouts connected to
the sewers, will overload this same eight-inch line.
14. How does the WSA identify the sources of
clear water entering the
sanitary sewer system?
There are four major methods: dye testing, television inspection,
smoke testing and flow monitoring.
By flushing water and dye into a suspicious downspout or sump
pump, the WSA can determine sources of clear water entering the sewers
by the color of the water as it flows through the pipes.
By guiding portable television cameras through the sewer pipes, the WSA
can detect many more sources of clear water. Smoke testing for
improper connections may also be used. The smoke is kept from
entering buildings by the drain traps required on all sanitary
fixtures and drains. It will emerge from the sewer standpipe vents on
the roof of buildings - and from improper connections such as
downspouts. It may also emerge from holes in the ground that lead to
leaks in sewer lines.
By inserting special measuring devices into the sewer lines, the WSA
can monitor the water flowing through them. If the flow increases
during rainstorms, it is a sure sign of infiltration.
15. What happens when you detect a leak or an
improper connection?
If the leak is in the public sewer main, the WSA will repair it.
If the source of the clear water is in a private lateral entering the
public sewer, the WSA will notify the property owner. The property
owner should consult with a licensed plumber to determine the source
of the inflow or infiltration and to have the problem corrected.
The WSA will conduct a follow-up inspection. If the problem has not
been corrected, the property owner and the City plumbing inspector
will be notified by the WSA. This could result in further
investigation as a violation of the WSA Rules and Regulations.
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16. What can a property owner do to
minimize sewage backups in
the basement?
- Consult with a licensed plumber to review your
particular plumbing.
- Consider the installation of a backwater check valve in the
basement
sewer line.
- Consider the installation of a removable standpipe in the
basement
floor drain .
- Consider the installation of a
standpipe extension or a removable pipe cap on the washing machine
drainpipe.
The WSA does not recommend the use of blow-up or expansion type pipe
plugs for drains. The pressure in the sewer pipe can push them out.
17. I've never had basement flooding due to
a sewer backup. Why
should I remove my improper connection?
If your pluming pumps or drains clear water into the sanitary sewer,
it may well be the cause of flooding in your neighbor's basement. It
may also cause the sewer to overflow, polluting the storm drains and
streams.
18. Does the requirement to remove improper
connections pertain
only to certain sewer service areas?
No. PA Dept of Environmental Protection permits require the WSA,
as well as other local governments and authorities, to
stop the intrusion of clear water into all sanitary sewers.
Some old neighborhoods, however, have "combined" sewers, where
sanitary sewage and stormwater are handled together. These systems
were built in the days before sewage treatment plants when all the
water was discharged into the streams and rivers, causing
pollution problems. Today, all the combined WSA sewers flow into
sewage treatment plants. Under new Environmental Protection Agency regulations,
overflows from these combined sewers must be reduced to meet defined
water quality standards. In response, the WSA has implemented
combined sewer long-term control plans to deal with these wet weather
discharges.
Pretreatment:
19. What is the Pretreatment Program?
The WSA's EPA-approved pretreatment program controls industrial
discharges and protects the collection and treatment systems from
upsets, interference, hazardous materials, and contamination of the
final digested solids. Industrial users which discharge high strength
wastes pay an additional surcharge in addition to the normal flow
volume charges. The WSA is proud of its compliance record in meeting
state and federal discharge standards and its role in helping to
maintain the quality of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.
20. What can I safely pour down the sink or
into the toilet?
Before you think about what you can throw away, think about what you
are buying. Start by buying environmentally friendly products whenever
possible. Next, try to buy just what you'll need so you won't have any
or very much left over. Finally, call us to ask if the product or
material in question in dangerous to discharge to the sewer. In
general, it is unlawful to discharge flammable and toxic materials to
the sewers. These would include gasoline, paint solvents, and
chemicals. The safest course of action is not to put
any of these types of materials into your sink or toilet.
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