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West Haven staff outline lift-station upgrades and shift toward hybrid sewer cleaning strategy
Summary
Public works staff showed before-and-after photos of a recently completed lift station, described upcoming pump and VFD work, and recommended moving from annual acoustic-only sewer inspection to a hybrid model combining scheduled cleaning with acoustics to reduce risk of sewer backups.
Public works staff briefed the West Haven Special Service District on May 19 about completed lift-station work, upcoming pump and generator projects and a proposed change in sewer-maintenance strategy from acoustics-only inspections to a hybrid acoustics-and-cleaning schedule.
A staff member identified in the record as John presented before-and-after photos of the 4450 lift station and said the finished site “fits the neighborhood better” and that crews were pleased with the work. John described planned work at the 4700 lift station that will include pump changes and updates to variable-frequency drives (VFDs). He said the district plans generator replacement and to stage pump/VFD upgrades in the coming weeks.
On sewer maintenance, staff described a shift away from relying solely on acoustic inspection technology. Staff reported the district has used acoustics annually to inspect the full system, which reduced water and cleaning costs, but that recent acoustic findings and industry testing show increasing signs of obstructions and backups in some areas. Staff said the insurance trust monitoring acoustics in other jurisdictions has observed increases in backups and recommended a hybrid approach.
Staff outlined a proposed transition: in the next cycle the district would clean one-third of the system and acoustic-test the other two-thirds, then move toward a steady-state rotation of one-third cleaned and one-third acoustic (with the remaining third inspected as needed) so problem areas are not missed. Staff said the hybrid approach will increase near-term cleaning costs but should reduce the higher expense and resident impact of emergency backups. The district is also budgeting for more TV and cleaning work and is considering acquiring a flush truck to take on a portion of the cleaning workload internally.
Staff noted past backups have been costly; the speaker said earlier incidents averaged between about $11,000 and $15,000 per effected home in cleanup costs, and that preventing backups is a priority. Staff also said acoustic testing has helped identify problems in manholes and that a mix of inspection and cleaning would retain acoustic benefits while restoring regular cleaning cycles.
Board members had no recorded objections; staff said they will refine the hybrid schedule and bring cost estimates and an implementation plan to future meetings.
