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Council hears technical debate on changing residential sewer laterals from 4-inch Schedule 40 to 6-inch SDR 26
Summary
City staff proposed changing residential sewer-lateral standards to 6-inch SDR 26 with gasketed joints; staff said the standard improves flexibility and reduces failures seen with glued joints, while public comment urged alternatives and questioned Metropolitan Sewer District practices and industry influence.
City staff presented a proposed amendment to O'Fallon's development code on July 10 to change required residential sanitary sewer laterals from 4-inch Schedule 40 pipe to 6-inch SDR 26 with gasketed joints.
Mr. Bender summarized the technical rationale: the change aligns O'Fallon with other sewer districts that use 6-inch SDR 26 laterals and allows gasketed joints, which provide flexibility against ground movement and thermal effects. "The exterior installation glued pipes are great for interior installations, but glued pipes on the exterior are not good...the gasketed joints gives them flexibility and we have had failures on the glued joints," Bender said.
Councilmember Keoughan, an engineer, asked whether increasing diameter would require a change in slope standards to avoid sedimentation and requested that staff confirm slope requirements. Mr. Bender said the diameter change would not change slope requirements but agreed to check the precise standard.
During public comment Arnie C. criticized the Metropolitan Sewer District's track record and recommended offering builders multiple options (Schedule 40 PVC, SDR 26 and SDR 35) rather than mandating a single product; he also urged more comparative study with neighboring municipalities. "We shouldn't be mirroring or mimicking what MSD does," Arnie said.
Keoughan pushed back during council remarks, defending SDR 26 as an accepted national standard and arguing it offers more flexibility than PVC. Mr. Bender clarified that SDR 26 is a thicker-walled pipe and described it as a standard "better than MSD." The public hearing was closed and council introduced Bill 77-70 for first reading to amend section 4.05.25 of the code regarding sanitary sewer-lateral development standards.
The transcript records technical discussion and public concern but no final ordinance adoption at this meeting; staff will return the bill for further consideration.
