THE city’s sewer network will undergo plumbing inspections and smoke testing to locate sources of rain water flowing into the sewerage system over the coming months.
Armidale Dumaresq Council has engaged Regional Australian Infiltration Network (RAIN) to carry out the work.
“The sewer pipes are only small, with limited capacity to carry flows of wastewater from households and businesses,” the council’s network technical officer Mark Byrne said.
“The problem is that during wet weather, big volumes of rain water also get into the sewers. The pipes just can’t handle the volume of rainwater running in and this can lead to overflows of diluted sewage which are both unpleasant and a health risk. The extra water also adds greatly to the volume of sewage to be treated and this increases costs.”
RAIN did a small pilot study in Armidale last year and found almost a third of properties could be discharging rainwater into the sewers. The inspection work by RAIN is part of a pollution reduction program that the council is running to reduce blockages and address capacity issues with the sewerage system.
Over the next few months staff from RAIN will be inspecting council and residential plumbing in selected parts of Armidale. About 1250 properties are to be inspected and over 400 of the council’s sewer manholes. Residents will receive a notification flyer at least 48 hours prior to the start of any works.
Thge council asks for the patience and co-operation of residents during the study to make sure the work runs smoothly and efficiently.
For further information please contact Mark Byrne on 6770 3893.
