Hickory finds woes with sewer system

Smoke testing finds several problem areas

By Matthew Piechalak

Underground smoke testing intended to find broken water pipes and rotted pipe joints in Hickory Hills is nearly complete, according to the city’s public works director.

The city has been working for nearly two years to determine where there are illegal hookups and breaks in the water distribution system, said Hickory Hills public works director Larry Boettcher. Smoke testing has been used throughout the city to find areas that need repairs. About 90 percent of the testing has been completed, Boettcher said Tuesday afternoon.

“We’ve identified major [problem] areas that [water] goes to the lift stations,” Boettcher said. “The other areas remaining just drain to the other side of 88th Avenue.”

The city has spent about $25,000 this year on underground smoke testing between Kean and 88th avenues, and 95th Street to the north end of the city, Boettcher explained. Smoke rising up from the ground pinpoints areas with broken pipes or broken joints, he said.

The city is still waiting to receive a report on exactly where problems exist, but there are “several,” Boettcher said without giving specific locations.

“There are quite a few in the main lines, but also on the private [residential] service lines,” Boettcher said.

The next step is to send camera systems through the water mains to document what must be fixed, Boettcher said, adding that the city will go out for bid for that early next year. After an assessment, the department can determine what kinds of repairs need to be made, he added. Boettcher did not provide an estimate on the cost of the camera testing.

“The repairs have to be made based on what is seen [on the cameras],” he said. “Backing up and trying to find where the bad pipe is will take several years.”

The city began the first phase of smoke testing last year to narrow down problems in both commercial and residential areas. Hundreds of homes were inspected to determine if sump pump connections were illegally or improperly connected to storm sewers.

The inspections — which several residents objected to — were part of an initiative to find out where stormwater is entering the sanitary sewer system. Sanitary sewers transport wastewater from homes, and when stormwater infiltrates the sanitary sewer system backups can occur, creating sewage- laden floodwaters.

The search began in fall 2007 after the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) reported overflow problems in the city.

“We initially went through to do smoke testing for the entire town to identify areas with problems,” Boettcher said. “We found quite a few bad connections.”

Boettcher, in response to residents’ complaints, gave an updated report on the smoke testing at last Thursday’s City Council meeting. Many of the flooding problems in Hickory Hills originate from either downspouts that deposit stormwater into sanitary sewers, or improperly connected sump pumps, he explained.

This is part of the November 19, 2009 online edition of The Reporter.

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