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Cecil Township Authority flags sewer defects, recommends smoke testing and budget planning
Summary
Engineers reported structural and maintenance defects across the municipal sewer system after CCTV and nighttime flow testing, recommending targeted smoke/dye testing, prioritized repairs and 2027 budget planning to reduce infiltration and treatment costs.
At the Cecil Township Municipal Authority meeting on June 16, the authoritys engineer summarized results of a CCTV inspection and a nighttime flow isolation study that together identified both maintenance and structural problems in the collection system and pinpointed areas with high storm-related inflow.
Mr. Lennon, the engineer, told the board the CCTV maps show red-flag defects under a NASSCO 1-to-5 rating system and that many problem spots are candidates for lining or targeted structural repair. "When I say peaky," Mr. Lennon said, "we saw short, storm-driven spikes in flow that point to surface inflow or tied-in catch basins rather than a sustained groundwater rise." He said some isolated focal areas measured about 15,700 gallons per inch-mile-day in the contractors cost-effectiveness analysis and that older portions near the former treatment plant showed roughly 7,500 to 15,000 gallons per day on repeat readings.
The engineer recommended a two-step follow-up: (1) run smoke and dye testing to identify direct surface connections and faulty laterals (best done in August–September after groundwater drops), and (2) compile full cost estimates so the authority can prioritize repairs in the 2027 budget cycle. Mr. Lennon said the contractor will supply missing CCTV footage and the staff will complete calculations and overlay the CCTV defects with the nighttime flow results to identify the highest-return projects.
Board members pressed on lining versus replacement and on easements; Mr. Lennon advised lining where feasible but said lateral connections and later-stage structural failures may require excavation and replacement. He also flagged routine maintenance items (tree-root intrusion, grease) that products such as periodic foam treatment or more frequent flushing can mitigate, but said those measures do not address structural collapses.
The authority will pursue smoke/dye testing, correlate flow events with regional radar and rain-gauge data, and return to the board with prioritized cost estimates for consideration during 2027 budget planning.
The engineer presented this material as part of the engineers report and the discussion spanned the meetings presentation and question period; the board did not take a formal vote on these recommendations at the June 16 meeting.
