How Do Sewer System Defects Cause Overflows?
Private sanitary sewer systems, the earliest of which were built in the mid 1800s, carry domestic wastewater away from private properties separately from stormwater. These systems have deteriorated over the years, are typically not maintained or replaced due to funding, and their ability to transport sanitary wastewater has been compromised due to population growth. As a result, these systems can experience separate sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) both on public and private property. SSOs are generally caused by infiltration that occurs when clean water such as groundwater enters the sanitary sewer through defects in the system or inflow from stormwater that enters the system through defects and illegal connections. SSOs can also be caused by inadequate pipe sizes when population growth exceeds the original design conditions. Dry weather SSOs can be caused by maintenance problems when debris, roots, or fats, oils, and grease block normal flow in the pipes. What Are the Results of Defec
