Will Marin Sewage Spills Lead To Water Conservation?
Just when we got used to longer showers and unlimited irrigation, will Marin homeowners be asked to conserve water again?Not just to conserve water, as important as that environmental issue may be, but to reduce the amount of sewage generated.
In Marin, California over 5 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into San Francisco Bay in January, with smaller amounts during other winter storms.
Sewage spills into the San Francisco Bay during the winter are not uncommon.
The main culprits are inflow and infiltration.
Inflow is rainwater that is directly discharged into sanitary sewers, sometimes through improper connections, including drainage from foundations, streets, window and stairwells, and roof downspouts.
Infiltration is rainwater that falls to the ground and then enters the sewer through cracks or leaks in the pipes, loose joints, or the dreaded root intrusion.
When these combined flows of sewage and rainwater exceed the capacity of pipelines and treatment plants, flows are released to the Bay untreated, resulting in environmental contamination.
Public water conservation ethics change somewhat during the rainy portion of the year.
Without thirsty landscaping to deal with, water bills plummet.
My theory is that, with water plentiful, faucets flow freely, showers are longer, and most of us don't think about water usage (and hence sewage discharge) during the winter.
Who would when it's flooding out there?But will the latest spills change attitudes? While there seems to be plenty of blame to go around, will there come a point where Marin residents are asked to change their property, and behavior, to minimize sewage discharges during peak winter storms?For example, there are things Marin real estate owners could do to reduce infiltration and inflow, including:
There are also things residents could do to generate less sewage, such as:
In the long run, the root causes of the sewage spills need to be addressed.
Operator errors need to be minimized, old leaking sewers repaired or replaced, and systems expanded to handle the total flows expected.
In the end, the amount of rainwater leaking into the public sewer lines probably far exceeds homeowner inputs.
But this is still Marin, where environmental ethics run strong.
It would not be surprising if homeowners were asked to at least consider reducing their contribution to infiltration and inflow, and to reduce their generation of sewage during winter storms, to do our environmental part if you will,reducing or preventing sewage spills.
In Marin, California over 5 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into San Francisco Bay in January, with smaller amounts during other winter storms.
Sewage spills into the San Francisco Bay during the winter are not uncommon.
The main culprits are inflow and infiltration.
Inflow is rainwater that is directly discharged into sanitary sewers, sometimes through improper connections, including drainage from foundations, streets, window and stairwells, and roof downspouts.
Infiltration is rainwater that falls to the ground and then enters the sewer through cracks or leaks in the pipes, loose joints, or the dreaded root intrusion.
When these combined flows of sewage and rainwater exceed the capacity of pipelines and treatment plants, flows are released to the Bay untreated, resulting in environmental contamination.
Public water conservation ethics change somewhat during the rainy portion of the year.
Without thirsty landscaping to deal with, water bills plummet.
My theory is that, with water plentiful, faucets flow freely, showers are longer, and most of us don't think about water usage (and hence sewage discharge) during the winter.
Who would when it's flooding out there?But will the latest spills change attitudes? While there seems to be plenty of blame to go around, will there come a point where Marin residents are asked to change their property, and behavior, to minimize sewage discharges during peak winter storms?For example, there are things Marin real estate owners could do to reduce infiltration and inflow, including:
- Disconnect downspouts that discharge to sewers and direct this flow away from the foundation to landscaped areas if possible, making sure this won't cause a new problem, like flooding your downstream neighbors,,
- If you have a sump pump that discharges to the sewer, reroute the discharge to landscaped areas,
- Install secure covers on any belowground sewer cleanouts and,
- Promptly repair leaks in pipelines, valves, etc.
,
There are also things residents could do to generate less sewage, such as:
- Implement water conservation measures such as low flow toilets and shower heads,
- Install instant (point of use) hot water systems that reduce the discharge of cold water while lines heat up,
- During and shortly after big storms, take shorter showers, or otherwise reduce water use, and,
- Schedule clothes washing or other high water use activities until after big storms, and only run full loads.
,
In the long run, the root causes of the sewage spills need to be addressed.
Operator errors need to be minimized, old leaking sewers repaired or replaced, and systems expanded to handle the total flows expected.
In the end, the amount of rainwater leaking into the public sewer lines probably far exceeds homeowner inputs.
But this is still Marin, where environmental ethics run strong.
It would not be surprising if homeowners were asked to at least consider reducing their contribution to infiltration and inflow, and to reduce their generation of sewage during winter storms, to do our environmental part if you will,reducing or preventing sewage spills.
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