An Evaluation of the Problems of Sanitary Sewer System Design

Author(s): John C. Geyer and John J. Lentz

Source: Journal (Water Pollution Control Federation), Vol. 38, No. 7 (Jul., 1966), pp. 1138-1147
Published by: Water Environment Federation
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25035590
Accessed: 19-01-2016 18:18 UTC

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/
info/about/policies/terms.jsp

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content
in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship.
For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Water Environment Federation is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal (Water
Pollution Control Federation).

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 131.94.16.10 on Tue, 19 Jan 2016 18:18:26 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 OF THE PROBLEMS
AN EVALUATION OF
SANITARYSEWERSYSTEMDESIGN
John C. Geyer and John J. Lentz

During the years 1959-1963 the De erage domestic wastewater flow are, as
partment of Environmental Engineer might be expected, approximately the
ing Science of The Johns Hopkins same and change very little through
University conducted an investigation out the year. The average wastewater
of problems related to the design and flow was found to depend on the eco
construction of sewer systems for resi nomic status of the neighborhood, and
dential areas. The communities of the factor by which the peak rate ex
Bradenton, Fla., Springfield, Mo., ceeds the average rate was found to
Anaheim, Calif., and Baltimore depend on the geometry of the sewer
County, Md., participated in the study. system. These findings are based on
Data were collected in order to de flow measurements in seven neighbor
termine: 1. maximum, minimum, and hoods in the four cooperating cities.
average per capita rates of domestic Figure 1 shows the relationship be
wastewater flow ; 2. rates of infiltration tween average per capita wastewater
and exfiltration in sanitary sewers, and flows and the average market value
the effect of sewer age on these rates; of property in a neighborhood.
3. the causes and frequency of clogging Average domestic wastewater flow
in sanitary sewers; 4. commonly oc rates start at approximately 0.02 gpm/
curring velocities of flow in sanitary cap (0.0012 1/sec/cap) for persons liv
sewers; 5. maintenance costs for sani ing in property having an average
tary sewers; 6. the effect of manhole market value of $2,200, and rise to
spacing on sewer system maintenance approximately 0.05 gpm/cap (0.003
costs; and 7. the costs of operation and 1/sec/cap) for persons living in prop
maintenance of sewage lift stations. erty having an average market value
of $22,000. Prices are 1963 dollars.
Results Figure 2 shows log-normal fre
quency distributions of the ratios of
Domestic Wastewater Flow
daily peak flow to average flow. For
Flow in a sanitary sewer is either each neighborhood, the fit was excel
the spent water supply of domestic lent. In the areas studied, the median
origin or the groundwater or rain value of the peak-to-average flow ratio
water which finds it way into the ranged from 1.6 for the largest area
sewer. Average daily domestic water to 3.3 for the smallest. The geometric
use, exclusive of outdoor uses, and av standard deviation was about 1.6 for
all distributions.
John C. Geyer is Professor of Environ
mental The Johns Hop
The report of the study (1) contains
Engineering Science,
kins University, Baltimore, Md. John J. numerous charts and equations that
Lentz is associated with Jerome B. Wolff $ can be used to estimate averages and
Associates, Baltimore, Md.
variations in the flow of spent water
The paper was presented at the 38th An
or domestic sewage. For use
nual Conference of the Water Pollution Con example,
trol Federation, Atlantic City, N. J., Oct. of the method produces the following
10-14, 1965. estimates for a 250-home development
1138

This content downloaded from 131.94.16.10 on Tue, 19 Jan 2016 18:18:26 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Vol. 38, No. 7 SEWER DESIGN 1139

6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
AVERAGE ASSESSED VALUATION OF PROPERTY -W-THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS

FIGURE 1.?Average per-capita domestic wastewater flow vs. average market

value of property.

in which houses are valued at $20,000 stormwater sewer system. Groundwa

each and in which the length of main ter may enter through leaks, cracks,
channel of flow is 5,000 ft (1,525 m) and open joints in pipe laid below
to point under design, and shape of the level of the groundwater table.
area is expressed by a Concentration Water percolating downward to the
* to
Index of 2 : water table also may contribute
groundwater infiltration. The sudden
Average annual flow 50 gpm (3 1/sec)
Peak flow 95 percent thawing of frozen soil releases water
of
days >60 gpm (4 1/sec) which enters leaky house connections
Peak flow 5 percent or is collected by foundation drains.
of days >120 gpm (8 1/sec) A typical of the entrance
example
Estimation of domestic wastewater of rainwater and groundwater into a
residential sanitary sewer in a humid
flows by the methods set forth in the
FHA region is shown in Figure 3. The
report cited above is justified
data on day-to-day variation of maxi
only if the amounts of groundwater
and rainwater the system are mum, average, and minimum flow and
entering
of rainfall are for the Pine Valley,
small. Unfortunately, this is rarely
Baltimore County, gaging area for
the case.
1962. Pine Valley is a 66-acre (27
Rainwater and Groundwater ha) residential subdivision containing
approximately 750 people living in
Rainwater may enter sanitary sew
roughly 200 homes valued at an aver
ers through roof, areaway, basement, age of $19,000 each.
and foundation drains con The curve for sew
directly daily minimum
nected to the sewer; through ventila age flow clearly shows the expected
tion openings in manhole covers; and variation of flow with changes in soil
through cross-connections with the moisture and groundwater. During
* the spring thaw, in March, April, and
Concentration Index is defined as the
of the total of sewer in the May, when the groundwater table is
quotient length
system divided by the length of sewer in high and the soil is full of moisture,
the main channel. the sewer flows are also high. At the

This content downloaded from 131.94.16.10 on Tue, 19 Jan 2016 18:18:26 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
1140 JOURNAL WPCF July 1966

m?fe 11 i
ijiHijiiiij
i r
11ui?iuniii)|ini|iH)|iin|ini(iin}iihinii(iiinii)i ?i i

*>-
qxPi 1 11}null ml i i ?fmfiiiimnliiiiliiitlniifiinhii?iimlnniiiii?nn? i i inn limit i 113
0.? 0.5 I 2 5 tO 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 95 98 99 99.5 99.9
PERCENTOF OBSERVATIONSEQUALTO OR LESS THAN CORRESPONDINGRATIO

FIGURE 2.?Comparison for all gaging areas of log-normal frequency

distribution of ratio of maximum daily domestic sewage flow rate to
average daily domestic sewage flow rate.

end of the summer, when soil moisture The influence of precipitation on the
and groundwater are depleted, sewer sanitary sewer can be seen most clearly
flows are low. In February, when the from the curve showing daily maxi
ground is frozen, sewer flows again mum sewage flows. Most of the peaks
are low. are attributed directly to rainfall.

Jon. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
T
252

PINE VALLEY GAGING AREA

1962

-l-T

FIGURE 3.?Rainfall and maximum, average, and minimum sewer flows.

This content downloaded from 131.94.16.10 on Tue, 19 Jan 2016 18:18:26 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Vol. 38, No. 7 SEWER DESIGN1141

(An occasional peak discharge oc Groundwater Infiltration and the

curred which was not associated with Groundwater Table
rainfall. Such occurrences most prob
In an effort to ascertain the source
ably resulted from construction activi
of the groundwater entering the sys
ties which then were being carried on
tem, observation wells were sunk to
in the area.) Because severe rain
the groundwater table in the Balti
storms usually the ground,
saturated
more County gaging areas. It was
sharp rainfall peaks usually were fol that it would be to
minor increases hoped possible
lowed by temporary
find a correlation between ground
in average and minimum flow rates.
water-table elevation and flow in the
The entrance of extraneous flows
sanitary sewer. Figure 4 shows some
varies greatly with climate. In arid
results for the winter of 1962-1963.
southern California, groundwater infil
The ground froze early and remained
tration poses no problem; in metro
frozen for most of the winter. Early
politan Baltimore County, as shown
in January, the minimum temperature
above, groundwater infiltration is most
rose above freezing for several days
severe following the spring thaw and
and there was some rainfall. The
gradually diminishes to a minimum at
4
ground thawed quickly. Figure
the end of summer. In Bradenton, in
shows the manner in which the flow
filtration is at its greatest during the
in the sewer and the level of the
summer season. In all com
rainy table at one observation
rates are associ
groundwater
flow
munities, peak well near the center of the gaging area
ated with severe rainstorms.
responded to this short warming pe
Groundwater infiltration and storm of flow in the sewer
riod. Increase
water penetration individually and was almost in the
immediate; change
can be so great in some sys
together
groundwater table took considerably
tems that careful estimation of do indicate that the
longer. The data
mestic or household wastewater flows
excess flow in the sewer probably was
is hardly worthwhile. Gaging records from the true ground
not derived
showed that springtime infiltration in
water body. On January 9, tempera
one study area amounted to 6.8 gpm/ to climb and
tures began swiftly,
in. diam/mile (0.1 1/sec/cm diam/km) reached a peak on January 10. Sew
or approximately 9,800 gpd/in. diam/ to rise sharply on
age flow began
mile. During a rainstorm in another a peak on
January 9, and reached
when the maximum rain
area, hourly
January 12. The groundwater table
fall was 1.14 in. (2.9 cm) and the to rise until
did not begin January
daily total rainfall was 1.66 in. (4.2 it reached a peak on January
10, and
cm), the flow in the sewer jumped thaw ended on
14. The abruptly
from 46 gpm (2.9 1/sec) before the 17 sewage
January 13, and by January
storm to 815 gpm (51 1/sec) during returned to its pre
flow had nearly
the storm. on
thaw level even though January
The highest flows during the period table was near
18, the groundwater
of study were not recorded because the
were washed out. Since peak elevation.
instruments of sewage
The immediate response
none of the study areas were exempt
flow to air temperature, as contrasted
from such washouts, this suggests that
with the more sluggish response of the
in all of the areas studied, numerous
groundwater level, suggests that wa
entry points to the sewer are available have
to rainwater and and
ter released by the thaw must
groundwater,
ex been picked up by foundation drains
that little serious effort has been
from the and house sewers before it
erted to exclude such waters leaking
sewer system. reached the water table, or at least

This content downloaded from 131.94.16.10 on Tue, 19 Jan 2016 18:18:26 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 1142JOURNAL WPCF July 1966

of joints used were as follows: prior

to 1911, lime mortar; from 1911 to
1937, cement mortar; and from 1938
to 1960, bituminous hot-poured. After
1960, pressure joints began to be used,
but insufficient data were available
at the time the study was being car
ried out to evaluate the latter.
Stoppages caused by roots were
about 12/yr/100,000 ft (30 km) of
sewer for both lime mortar and cement
mortar joints and were about one
fourth this rate for hot-poured joints.
Work records attributing stoppages to
roots seldom specified the variety of
the tree to which the roots belonged.
Stoppages occurring as the result
of accumulation of deposits in the ab
sence of roots were examined from two
7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
points of view: first, to determine
JANUARY 1963
whether the steepness of the sewer
FIGURE 4.?Effect of winter thaw on exerted any influence on the
grade
sewer flows.
frequency of occurrence of sewer stop
pages; and second, to determine
before the water table became stabi
whether the quantity of flow, as meas
lized after the thaw.
ured by number of house connections,
Sewer Stoppages exerted any influence on the frequency
of stoppages.
Sewer maintenance records supplied
Table II shows the number of stop
by Springfield, Mo., Bradenton, Fla.,
pages which were caused by accumu
and Baltimore County, Md., were used
lations of deposits in the absence of
to study sewer stoppages. Data ap
roots. These occured in the infiltra
pear in Table I.
tion study areas of Springfield during
Because different types of jointing
the 5-yr period 1956-1960, in reaches
materials were used extensively in
of sewer laid within specified grade
Springfield, it was possible to examine
intervals.
the relative efficiency of these materials
in resisting root penetration. Examination shows low stoppage
Types
rates in sewers laid at grades within
TABLE I.?Sewer Stoppage Rates the range 0.51 to 1.00 percent, and at
grades greater than 2.00 percent. This
Stoppages/yr/100,000
(30 km) of Sewer
ft
may be due to chance or it could be
due to the individual operation of
Cause At the high flow
Bradenton,
Baltimore separate mechanisms.
Springfield, County,
Mo. Fla. Md. velocities associated with steep grades,
1959-1960 1960-1961 1959-1960 the kinetic energy during peak flows
Roots 8.05 17.27 0.99 may be adequate to suspend the sewage
1.16 10.12 0.58 solids and keep them in motion. In
Deposition
Cave-ins 26.73 the grade range between 1 and 2 per
Other and solids stranded at low
0.71
cent, sewage
unknown 1.73 12.10
flows may not be resuspended during
Total 10.95 66.22 2.88 peak flows. In the grade range of
0.51 to 1,00 percent, it is possible that

This content downloaded from 131.94.16.10 on Tue, 19 Jan 2016 18:18:26 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Vol. 38, No. 7 SEWER DESIGN1143

TABLE II.?Stoppage by Deposits vs. Sewer

tity of sewage flow and the accompany
Grade in Vitrified Clay Sewers that existed in a
ing flow velocity
Springfield, Missouri, sewer throughout the time that a stop
1956-1960
page developed is clearly out of the
Length of question. Therefore, if flow magnitude
No. of 8-in. Stoppages
Grade Per 100,000 and velocity as stoppage-inhibiting in
Stop (20-cm) Ft (30 km)
(%) pages Pipe fluences are to be examined, some in
of Sewer
(ft)
direct method of estimating flow must
0.00 to 0.50 64,944 10.8 be used. Such an indicator is the
0.51 to 1.00 126,042 3.18 or housing units
number of dwellings
1.01 to 1.50 67,664 10.3
13.3
connected to the system above the
1.51 to 2.00 37,484
2.01 to 2.50 18,082 5.5 point of blockage. Figure 5 shows
More than 2.50 29,011 0 the cumulative frequency of stoppage
occurrence, on a percentage as a
basis,
Note: ftX.305 = m.
function of the number of dwellings
connected to the sewer. It is apparent
the flow depth, which increases as that the majority of maintenance diffi
grade decreases, is then enough to re culties caused by deposition occurred
duce stranding during minimum-flow at the upper ends of the sewer systems
periods. At grades less than 0.51 per studied.
cent, the velocity probably is no longer A great proportion of stoppages
sufficient to prevent sedimentation, which were due to causes other than
and stoppage occurs. roots and deposition occurred where
Determination of the rate and quan few dwellings were connected. Some

100

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
NUMBER OF DWELLINGS CONNECTEO TO SEWER AT
POINT OF STOPPAGES
FIGURE 5.?Frequency of occurrence of sewer stoppages caused
by accumulations of debris in the absence of roots vs. number of
dwellings connected to sewer at point of stoppage.

This content downloaded from 131.94.16.10 on Tue, 19 Jan 2016 18:18:26 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 1144JOURNAL WPCF July 1966

sort of food-processing enterprise was higher depth of flow in the trunk backs
involved in many of these stoppages. sewage into the branch lateral. Sedi
The remainder were fairly well dis mentation of sewage solids and solidifi
tributed among laundries, other com cation of kitchen grease form layers
mercial enterprises, dormitories, van of hard material as the rise and fall
dalism, and entry of mud into the line of flow in the trunk alternately fills
during its construction or during a and drains the lateral. This results
rainstorm. in the gradual buildup of a mass which
In an effort to determine the extent eventually causes blockage.
to which faulty design or construction Another situation which caused
was responsible for stoppages in blockages was a sharp change in grade
Springfield, each stoppage was located from a flat slope to a steep slope. In
on a map of the sewer system, and such cases, when accompanied by low
pertinent physical characteristics of discharge, the sharp drawdown appar
the system in the vicinity of the stop ently leaves materials stranded,
page were noted. eventually building up a mass suffi
Changes from a steep to a flatter cient to block a sewer.
slope were the most frequent offenders.
to Pumping Station Operation and
Such reductions in grade appear
Maintenance Costs
result in the reductions of the velocity
of flow to the point where sedimenta Operating and maintenance costs for
tion takes place with eventual stop 64 sewage pumping stations in 14 com
page of the sewer. munities were analyzed in detail. The
A second construction fault found amount of work required of a pump
frequently enough to warrant discus ing station, and hence its cost of op
sion occurs at junctions where the eration, is directly related to the

1.000

oO

?.0I0
Total Oynomtc Head Indicated At Follows'
X ? Total Dynamic Head -15 Feet Or Let*
( Minimum Observed Value - 10Feet )
GD- Total Dynamic Head - 16 to 35 Feet
? - Total Dynamic Head - 36 to 65Feet
A - Total Dynamic Head - 66 to 125 Feet
+ - Total Dynamic Head- 126 to 165 Feet
* - Total Dynamic Head - 166 Feet Or More
<Maximum Observed Valut -170Feet)

0.001
100
1,000 10,000 100,000
POPULATION- NUMBER OF PERSONS SERVED BY PUMPING STATION

FIGURE 6.?Annual sewage pumping costs as a function of size of

population served and total dynamic head provided.

This content downloaded from 131.94.16.10 on Tue, 19 Jan 2016 18:18:26 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Vol. 38, No. 7 SEWER DESIGN1145

weight of sewage to be pumped, and people are living

produces flow in the
to the height to which it must be house a rate approaching
sewer at
pumped. 6,000 gpd/cap (23 cu m/day/cap).
These costs were analyzed using the This is 10 to 20 times the per-capita
assumptions that the stations, once flow for which sanitary sewers usually
constructed, immediately were loaded are designed. Thus, it is evident that
to design capacity, and that they de a relatively small number of improp
preciated uniformly over a 20-yr pe erly connected downspouts will over
riod. Land costs, construction costs, load sanitary sewers during intense
power costs, and taxes foregone were rainstorms.
included in the overall annual operat Since it is usually impractical to
ing costs. Figure 6 shows the relation keep an inspector continuously at each
ship between cost and population size building site while underground pipes
for selected values of total dynamic are installed, other solutions must be
head. sought. Some obvious ones would be:
Sources of statistical variation
1. Discharge water from down
around the value obtained from the
shown in this figure may be spouts above ground onto splash plates
equation or channels.
into surface
attributed to differences in wire-to
2. Discharge rainwater drains at the
water efficiency in individual stations, street gutter and on completion of
which in turn may be traced to dif
construction blow smoke into the dis
ferences in station age, condition, over
or underloading, and water charge point or points and make sure
loading smoke issues at the top of all down
use rates of individual communities.
spouts.
3. Smoke test the sewer system and
Discussion
the house sewers in the same way that
Opinions relative to policies which house are smoke
drainage systems
either permit or forbid roof, areaway, tested.
and foundation drain connections to
sewers have varied. In areas In older areas where sewer diffi
sanitary
where is spread over a culties are being experienced it ap
development
period of years there is not, at first, pears that the only practical remedy
much pressure to prevent entrance of may be to use smoke to discover illicit
rainwater and How rainwater connections and where they
groundwater.
ever, if the main trunk sewers are not are discovered to disconnect the down
for from these spouts involved and discharge them
designed drainage
their be over onto the surface.
sources, capacity may
taxed well in advance of the date or Yards, driveways, patios, etc., should
load not be drained to the sanitary sewer.
population for which they were
designed. Communities are then put Keeping the drainage above ground
to great expense to build duplicate is the best protection. The most diffi
works, the need for which might have cult situation is a driveway sloping
been avoided by foresight and care. from the street down to a garage be
There is almost no excuse for per low ground level beneath the house.
mitting a homeowner or builder to Since pumping out the rainwater fall
connect rainwater to the ing on such driveways is often the
downspouts
sanitary house sewer. The seriousness only alternative to putting it into the
of the problem is indicated by a simple sanitary sewers, it goes to the sewer.
example. Rainfall rates of 3 in. (7.6 The disposal of rainwater falling
cm)/hr are not uncommon. Rain fall in basement entrances is another type
ing at this rate on the roof of a 30- X of problem. If this water must be
20-ft (9- X 6-m) house in which 4 drained to the sanitary sewer, then

This content downloaded from 131.94.16.10 on Tue, 19 Jan 2016 18:18:26 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 1146JOURNAL WPCF July 1966

the system should be designed to re inspection, to enter sanitary sewers

ceive it. Where the practice of drain in large but unknown quantities.
ing basement entrances to the sani Situations vary so widely from place
tary system is permitted, care must to place that realistic estimates of
be exercised to see the yard surface rainwater and groundwater flows in
and roof drainage does not find its sanitary sewers must be based on indi
way into the inlet provided to drain vidual studies of conditions, practices,
the basement entrance. If basement and experience in each locality.
entrance drain connections are in
pro To minimize leaks, all sewers,
hibited the builder or householder can house should be in
cluding sewers,
either avoid building exterior entrances construction and all
spected during
below ground or else provide appropri sewers should be leak tested.
ate shelters over them. leak testing of sanitary
In-place
The use of foundation drains is sewers may be accomplished in various
necessary or is at least a worthwhile Tests may be made
ways. by filling
precautionary measure in many parts sections of the sewer and its man
of the country. If there is no way holes with water and observing the
to discharge these drains at the sur rate at which the water level falls.
face or to connect them to storm If house connections are not tested
water sewers, only two alternatives should be built of cast iron or
they
appear to be available. One solution other root-proof, Old
leak-proof pipe.
is to install a sump pump and the sewers or those already in service may
other is to connect the foundation be inspected for inward flow by use
drains to the sanitary sewer system. of lights and mirrors or television
Care must be exercised to see that designed for the purpose.
equipment
surface water does not readily find Such tests are significant only if made
its way down to the foundation drains. at the times when rainwater or ground
Settlement of backfill outside founda water is entering.
tions prevents surface drainage away
from the building and opens cracks Conclusions
down which rainwater flows to the
Findings of the Residential Sewer
foundation drains. Cases are known
age Research Project are as follows:
in which the splash blocks at the foot
of downspouts have settled to the point 1. Domestic wastewater flow, origi
that they tilt backward to the founda nating within dwellings and other es
tion. Rapid surface drainage away tablishments, closely follows the water
from buildings is very desirable, par use rate observed during periods when
ticularly where foundation drains are lawn sprinklers are not in use. Since
connected to sanitary sewers. patterns of water use within the house
Problems related to roof, area, base remain fairly uniform throughout the
ment entrance, and foundation drain year, flows of domestic wastewater are
age have been discussed because, un about the same the year round.
less entrance of water to sanitary sew 2. The flow of stormwater and
ers from these sources is prevented groundwater is often many times
or properly designed for, problems greater than the domestic wastewater
surely will develop. Solutions not only flow. The peak flow in sanitary sewers
will be expensive; they will be politi can be estimated only if extraneous
cally difficult. It is a waste of time flows are held under control by the
to make accurate estimates of domestic exercise of care in the construction,
sewage flows if rainwater and ground testing, inspection, and maintenance of
water are permitted, as the result of both public and private sewers. Ad
poor design, construction, testing, and ministrative support which is both

This content downloaded from 131.94.16.10 on Tue, 19 Jan 2016 18:18:26 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Vol. 38, No. 7 SEWER DESIGN1147

strong and well informed is required properly installed, will be much su

if the necessary actions are to be perior to mortar-type joints.
taken. Corrections are most difficult 5. Stoppages due to accumulations of
for those portions of the system which deposits in the absence of roots oc
are found on private property. Here, curred most at the upper
frequently
poor construction of house sewers and ends of systems where few dwellings
illicit connection of area drains and contributed flow. Structural faults
roof leaders are persistent problems. which caused deposits were sharp de
Experience indicates that where regu creases in grade, sharp increases in
lations are backed up by indifferent by comparatively
grade accompanied
enforcement, the amounts of storm low flows, and junctions at grade
water and groundwater entering sani which produced backwater in a sewer
tary sewers may be relatively large. carrying little flow. For stoppages
Under these conditions any attempt to attributable to miscellaneous causes,
improve the accuracy of estimates of slug discharges of grease from res
domestic wastewater flow is a waste of taurants or mud from construction
effort. sites were the most prominent. Up
3. In most areas the causes of to the maximum manhole of
stop spacing
page in sanitary sewers are, in order 825 ft (250 m) studied by the project,
of frequency: roots, accumulation of manhole spacing seemed to exert little
deposits in the absence of roots, and influence on the cost of relieving a
miscellaneous other causes. However, sewer stoppage.
in areas having cohesionless subsoil,
entrance of sand through breaks in
Acknowledgments
the pipe may be a more frequent cause
of stoppage. It is not possible to com The support of the Federal Housing
ment on pipe size as a causative factor Administration through its Office of
except to point out that very few Technical Studies and the cooperation
stoppages occurred in pipes 12 in. of the communities which participated
(30.5 cm) or more in diameter where are gratefully acknowledged.
cave-ins were not a factor.
4. Bitumastic hot-poured joints are Reference
better at resisting root penetration 1. Geyer, J. O, and Lentz, J. J., "An Evalu
than either cement mortar or lime ation of the Problems of Sanitary
mortar Data are not Sewer Final Resi
joints. yet avail Design." Rept.
dential Research Project to
able on the ability of plastic and other Sewerage
Federal Housing Administration. De
newer-type joints to resist root pene partment of Environmental Engineer
tration. It is reasonable to expect ing Science, Johns Hopkins Univ.,
that these newer jointing systems, if Baltimore, Md. (1963).

NOTE: THIS YEAR THE ANNUAL

AWARDS BANQUET ISTHURSDAY
EVENING, SEPTEMBER29.

This content downloaded from 131.94.16.10 on Tue, 19 Jan 2016 18:18:26 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions