Lebanon Sanitary Sewer Backup Prevention

Watchdog Indiana Home Page Watchdog Lebanon Home Page Lebanon Wastewater Treatment Plant Operation

NOTE: The Special Report on  this web page was compiled September 13, 2014.

Wastewater is delivered to the Lebanon Wastewater Treatment Plant by a sanitary sewer system that includes gravity fed pipes and pipes connected to lift stations.

Some Lebanon homes connected to the gravity fed pipes are experiencing sanitary sewer backups during significant rain events. Heavy rains when the ground is sufficiently saturated result in raw sewage backing up through the sanitary sewer system and being deposited on the floors in these homes.

The Lebanon sanitary sewer system has 17 lift stations, and those Lebanon homes that have a lift station between them and the Plant are not experiencing sanitary sewer backups during significant rain events.

Some homes and businesses throughout Lebanon have improper sump pump and other connections that are dumping rain water runoff into the sanitary sewer system. These improper connections are a major factor in overloading the sanitary sewer system during significant rain events, resulting in raw sewage backing up into some Lebanon homes.

The elimination of improper sump pump and other connections to the sanitary sewer system is an important first step in preventing sanitary sewer backups.

A crucial initiative pertaining to the elimination of improper sanitary sewer system connections is the Lebanon Utilities Sanitary Sewer Study in the Morningside and Edgewood neighborhoods. It is imperative that the 244 homeowners on the following streets be urged to participate in the Sanitary Sewer Study: Amber Lane, Brookside Drive, Edgewood Drive, Evergreen Road, the adjoining sections of Fordice Road and John Bart Road, Glendale Drive, Morningside Drive, Sunnyside Lane, and the adjoining sections of Fordice Street, Grant Street, and Washington Street (and the homes on Main Street between Prairie Creek and Oak Hill Cemetery).

A description of how the Lebanon Wastewater (Sanitary Sewer) Treatment Plant operates can be found online at http://www.finplaneducation.net/wastewater_plant_operation.htm.

The 48-inch concrete pipe through which wastewater enters the Lebanon Wastewater Treatment Plant extends one manhole south of Prairie Creek. A 24-inch concrete pipe coming from the east connects to the 48-inch concrete pipe at a gate valve about 125 feet south of Prairie Creek. Two 18-inch pipes, one coming from the north and one coming from the south, feed the 36-inch ductile iron pipe that comes from the west and is connected to the 48-inch concrete pipe that enters the Plant.

About one-third of the city’s downtown between Camp Street and Main Street is served by the east 24-inch pipe. The north 18-inch pipe serves about one-third of the city generally north of Camp Street. And the south 18-inch pipe serves the remaining one-third of the city generally south of Main Street (including the Lebanon Business Park).

Lebanon sanitary sewer backups result when the Wastewater Treatment Plant is overloaded during significant rain events. Storm water runoff from heavy rains is entering the city’s sanitary sewer system from the following identified sources:
(a) city sanitary sewer pipe leaks,
(b) city vertical manhole pipe leaks,
(c) home and business sanitary lateral pipe leaks,
(d) home and business basement sump pump connections to the sanitary sewer system,
(e) home and business crawl space sump pump connections to the sanitary sewer system,
(f) home and business downspout connections to the sanitary sewer system, and
(g) home and business foundation drain connections to the sanitary sewer system.

The following solutions have been identified to help keep raw sewage from backing up into some Lebanon homes during significant rain events:
(a) sanitary system cleaning and inspection,
(b) city sewer lining program,
(c) city manhole rehabilitation program,
(d) correct improper Memory Hall sanitary sewer connections,
(e) North Meridian Street Project Phase II,
(f) North East Street Project, and
(g) sanitary sewer study in the Morningside and Edgewood neighborhoods.

Details regarding these solutions are included in the following subsections.

Lebanon Utilities launched a "Make Lebanon a No-Flood Zone" campaign on July 15, 2014. It was stated, "This campaign targets illegal sump pump connections that burden our system with an excess of water, resulting in flooding." The campaign will not actually impact the flooding problems experienced by some Lebanon neighborhoods during significant rain events – the flooding problems in these neighborhoods are caused when storm water runoff has no place to go because of clogged storm water drains and high water levels in Prairie Creek. The actual purpose of the campaign is to prevent sanitary sewer backups by keeping storm water out of the sanitary sewer system so the Lebanon Wastewater Treatment is not overloaded. The three current components of the campaign involve Phase II of the North Meridian Street Project, the North East Street Project, and a Sanitary Sewer Study in the Morningside and Edgewood neighborhoods.

To make sure the sanitary sewer lines are clean and flowing properly, Lebanon Utilities uses a vactor truck to clean the sanitary collection system by jetting water through the lines under high pressure to a manhole and then vacuuming out the collected debris.

All new lines are inspected, pressure tested, and videotaped with Lebanon Utilities camera equipment to make certain the lines are installed properly.

Lebanon Utilities has an ongoing Sewer Lining Program to install liners in old and deteriorating sanitary sewer pipes to keep rain water from leaking into the pipes. The city has 77 miles of sanitary sewer pipe, not including laterals located on customer premises. Camera equipment has been purchased to inspect and prioritize pipe sections for lining and/or repair. About $300,000 a year is allocated to the Program, and up to 3 miles of sanitary sewer pipes are lined in any one year.

Lining the sanitary sewer pipes is intended to fix the cracks and defects in the old clay pipes. The lining material is made of a single piece of cured-in-place poly pipe that goes from manhole to manhole. Once the lining is completed the pipes are a durable, smooth surface which allows the sewer to flow freely and stops rain water infiltration. The new poly pipe has no joints or offsets where tree roots and other debris can get caught and clog the system. 

The contractor installing the lining begins by cleaning the pipe. A camera is used to inspect the pipe, and pipe measurements are made. Once the pipe is prepared, it is blocked off and the wastewater flows are pumped around the area within the existing sanitary sewer framework. Lining the pipe consists of pulling a resin coated poly fiberglass from one manhole to another manhole. The material is filled with water which is heated to approximately 175 degrees Fahrenheit. This condition is maintained for two hours by circulating the water through a hot water heater. After the material is set the heat is turned off and the line is allowed to slowly cool to prevent cracking. Home laterals are cut in the liner after the liner is cured. Work also includes the provision of a pre-construction and post-construction video, the disposal of material from the sanitary sewer pipe prior to lining, and the control of traffic.

Lebanon Utilities has an ongoing Manhole Rehabilitation Program to install liners in vertical manhole pipes similar to what is being done for the Sewer Lining Program described above. About $80,000 a year is allocated to the Manhole Rehabilitation Program

Lebanon Utilities completed a dye test on August 7, 2014, confirming that rain water runoff from the west half of the Memory Hall Gym roof empties directly into the city’s sanitary sewer system.

Using the sketch dimensions from the Property Record Cards available on the Boone County GIS web site for 320 North Meridian Street, half of the Memory Hall Gym roof area is computed to be 6,425 square feet. One inch of rain is equivalent to 0.0833 foot. There are 7.48 gallons of water in a cubic foot. Therefore, the water runoff from one inch of rain from the west half of the Memory Hall Gym roof is 4,003 gallons (6,425 square feet X 0.0833 foot X 7.48 gallons).

Most of the new toilets listed on the Lowe’s web site are rated at 1.28 gallons per flush. What this means is that the equivalent of 3,127 toilet flushes is discharged from the west half of the Memory Hall Gym roof into the city’s sanitary sewer system every time it rains one inch.

It is illegal per current city ordinance for the Memory Hall Gym owner, Iron Men Properties, to discharge rain water runoff from the roof into the city’s sanitary sewer system. Lebanon Mayor Huck Lewis indicated during a June 27, 2014, phone call that efforts will be made to convince Iron Men Properties to disconnect the drains for the west half of Memory Hall Gym roof from the sanitary sewer system and connect the drains to the new storm water line that is being constructed. The city is working to design a way for the water runoff from the west half of the Memory Hall Gym roof to be properly connected to the new storm water line.

The August 7, 2014, dye test also showed that rain water from the east half of the Memory Hall Gym roof properly goes to a drain that is connected to storm water pipes underneath Meridian Street. However, there is a significant leak in this drain just below the ground at the northeast corner of the Memory Hall Gym.

A June 21, 2007, smoke test revealed that a sump pump area drain on the north side of the Memory Hall Gym is illegally connected to the city’s sanitary sewer system. It is not known if this illegal connection has been corrected.

Iron Men Properties must be required to promptly correct the illegal and deficient roof drain and area drain connections at the Memory Hall Gym.

Phase II of the North Meridian Street Project began early July 2014 and is scheduled to be completed early December 2014. The Project extends from Prairie Creek north of Fordice Street to Washington Street, with some construction planned along short portions of Fordice Street and Washington Street. The Project includes replacing the existing storm water pipes with new storm water pipes, increasing the size of the water main from 4 to 12 inches, removing trees, widening the road by 3 feet (when measured curb to curb), and constructing new curbs and gutters with underdrains.

Project plans also include the identification of basement sump pumps that are illegally connected to the sanitary sewer system. T-stubs will be installed at every other lot to which residents can properly connect their sump pumps. Residents with an illegal sump pump connection will be notified and given 60 days to correct the issue. In addition to properly connecting a sump pump to a T-stub, corrective measures can include diverting rain water into rain gardens and rain barrels.

The North East Street Project, which extends from Ulen Drive to Washington Street, will begin early July 2015 and is scheduled to be completed December 2015. The North East Street Project will be similar to Phase II of the North Meridian Street Project described above. Present plans include the identification of basement sump pumps that are illegally connected to the sanitary sewer system, and T-stubs will be installed at every other lot to which residents can properly connect their sump pumps.

Lebanon Utilities and Wessler Engineering will be conducting a Sanitary Sewer Study in the Morningside and Edgewood neighborhoods. This Study includes the inspection of resident sump pumps and the inspection of sanitary lateral pipes that connect homes to the city’s sanitary sewer pipes. Homeowners are responsible for the proper operation of both the resident sump pumps and the sanitary lateral pipes. Detailed information about the Study can be found on the Lebanon Utilities web page at http://www.lebanon-utilities.com/ww_projects.html.

There are a total of 244 homes in the Study area. The Morningside neighborhood includes Morningside Drive, Sunnyside Lane, Brookside Drive, and the adjoining sections of Fordice Road and John Bart Road. The Edgewood Neighborhood includes Edgewood Drive, Amber Lane, Evergreen Road, Glendale Drive, and the adjoining sections of Fordice Street, Grant Street, and Washington Street (and the homes on Main Street between Prairie Creek and Oak Hill Cemetery).

The residents of Morningside and Edgewood neighborhoods have been asked by Lebanon Utilities to please allow representatives of Wessler Engineering to complete a brief inspection of their home to verify if any sump pumps, downspouts, and foundation drains are connected to the city’s sanitary sewer system. The inspections will help the city address problems such as basement backups and manhole overflows, which can cause discharge of raw sewage into some Lebanon homes. Sewer backups are not occurring in the Morningside and Edgewood neighborhoods because each neighborhood has a lift station as part of its sanitary sewer system. However, sump pump, downspout, and foundation drain connections to the sanitary sewer system in these two neighborhoods can help overload the Lebanon Wastewater Treatment Plant during significant rain events – thereby causing raw sewage backups into some Lebanon homes in other neighborhoods that are connected to the Plant via gravity fed sanitary sewer pipes.

In conjunction with the home inspections by Wessler Engineering, Lebanon Utilities will provide a free inspection of the home’s sanitary sewer lateral (valued at about $250). To be inspected, the sanitary sewer lateral must have an accessible exterior cleanout through which a specialized camera can be inserted. The sanitary sewer lateral inspection will determine if there are openings where ground water can leak into the lateral and enter the city’s sanitary sewer system during significant rain events.

Morningside and Edgewood neighborhood residents have been asked to please schedule their home inspection by E-mailing Nancy Hanley at NancyH@wesslerengineering.com or calling 317-788-4551 (ask for Nancy). The inspections will begin on September 2, 2014, and will end on October 30, 2014. Inspections will be scheduled on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon.

Once scheduled, a two-member inspection team (one male, one female) from Wessler Engineering will inspect the home’s downspouts, foundation drains, and sump pumps to determine whether they are properly connected. The inspection will last approximately 20 minutes and involves an inspection of plumbing configurations in your basement or crawlspace. The inspection team will have Wessler Engineering shirts and arrive in a Wessler Engineering vehicle for identification. Residents are urged to notify the Lebanon Police Department if individuals come to their home who are not properly identified. A photo listing of all Wessler Engineering inspectors can be found on the Lebanon Utilities web page at http://www.lebanon-utilities.com/PDFs/WesslerSumpPumpInspectors.pdf.

Sanitary sewer laterals will be inspected by Lebanon Utilities employees. They will be identified by their Lebanon Utilities clothing as well as the Lebanon Utilities vehicle. A photo listing of the Lebanon Utilities crew members can be found on the Lebanon Utilities web page at http://www.lebanon-utilities.com/PDFs/LebanonUtilitiesWWCCrewMemebers.pdf.

The Study will also include inspections to determine if drain tiles from nearby farm fields are connected to the city’s sanitary sewer system.

Results of the inspections, including photos and still shots from camera footage as needed, will be provided in written reports to homeowners. Homeowners will be asked to have a plumber clean out and repair any leaking laterals. If an improper connection to the city’s sanitary sewer system is discovered, the homeowner will be notified and asked to correct the issue within 60 days. If the improper connection is not corrected within this timeframe, the homeowner may be subjected to penalties.

Homeowners are asked to please contact Robert Waples, Lebanon Utilities Water/Wastewater Manger, at 765-482-8843 with any questions about the Study.

5. Proper Storm Water Management: Morningside & Edgewood Homeowners

Lebanon City Code 55.023(E) provides, "No person shall hereafter connect or reconnect roof downspouts, footing drains, areaway drains, driveways, parking lots or other sources of surface run-off or groundwater, to a building (or house) lateral sewer or building (or house) drain which is in turn connected directly or indirectly to the sewerage system." Therefore, Lebanon homeowners and businesses are in violation of the City Code if their sump pumps, downspouts, or foundation drains are connected to the city’s sanitary sewer system.

Lebanon Utilities suggests the following solution for a sump pump that is improperly connected to the Lebanon sanitary sewer system in the Morningside and Edgewood neighborhoods:

(a) Connect a 1.5-inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe to the sump pump pit (the pipe costs about 60 cents per foot).

(b) Run the 1.5-inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe through the foundation wall of the house.

(c) Extend the 1.5-inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe into the yard ten to twenty feet away from the foundation.

(d) Connect the end of the 1.5-inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe in the yard to a 4-inch bushing (the bushing costs about $17).

(e) Attach the 4-inch bushing to a 4-inch pop-up emitter with elbow (the pop-up emitter costs about $33). The pop-up emitter should be positioned so that the pumped water does not pond on streets and sidewalks – ponding water can create problems such as freezing and attracting insects.

The "Proper Sump Pump Connection" listed next depicts a typical 4-inch pop-up emitter with elbow, 4-inch to 1.5-inch bushing, and 1.5-inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe.

Proper Sump Pump Connection

4-Inch Pop-Up Emitter With Elbow

4-Inch to 1.5-Inch Bushing

1.5-Inch Schedule 40 PVC Pipe

Many homeowners will want to hire a plumber (at a probable cost of about $500) to correct an improper connection to the city’s sanitary sewer system.

Morningside and Edgewood homeowners can refuse to have the city inspect their sump pump connections and sanitary lateral pipes because the Fourth Amendment of our United States Constitution, which is enforceable in the states through the Fourteenth Amendment, prohibits "unreasonable searches and seizures" without a "probable cause" warrant. With certain carefully defined exceptions for emergency situations, a search of private property without proper consent is "unreasonable" unless it has been authorized by a valid search warrant. However, the planned inspections address such a significant public policy concern – the potential health hazards presented by the raw sewage that backs up into some Lebanon homes during significant rain events – that it is expected all good Lebanon neighbors will want to voluntarily make certain they are not contributing to the Sewage Treatment Plant overloads that are causing the raw sewage discharges.

The inspections of sump pump connections and sanitary lateral pipes in the Morningside and Edgewood neighborhoods are uniquely important in that they will help a great deal to determine to what extent homeowners throughout the city are contributing to the Sewage Treatment Plant overloads during significant rain events. In spite of the fact that Lebanon Utilities has completed the sewer lining and manhole rehabilitation programs in the Morningside and Edgewood neighborhoods, both lift stations in these neighborhoods are still experiencing high sanitary sewer flows during significant rain events. The percentage of Morningside and Edgewood homes identified during the inspections with improper sump pump connections and leaky sanitary lateral pipes can be extrapolated over all the city’s 5,500 residential sanitary sewer customers to get a good estimate of the extent of the problem. If a high percentage of Morningside and Edgewood homes have improper sump pump connections and leaky sanitary lateral pipes, then inspections can be effectively planned elsewhere in the city to further help alleviate the raw sewage backup problem caused by Sewage Treatment Plant overloads during significant rain events.

It is assumed that the water flow from a typical sump pump used in a basement or crawl space is 50 gallons per minute. On May 13, 2014, the Lowe’s website listed 19 sump pumps whose water flow specifications ranged from 29 gallons per minute to 120 gallons per minute – the average sump pump water flow specification was 60 gallons per minute (the median water flow specification was 61 gallons per minute). Eight of the sump pumps were 0.33 horsepower, with an average water flow specification of 55 gallons per minute and a median water flow specification between 40 and 50 gallons per minute.

The information in the Notes listed next was provided by Bob Waples (Lebanon Utilities Water/Wastewater Operations Manager) in 2014 during an April 22 tour of the Lebanon Sewage Treatment Plant, a May 14 discussion at the Lebanon Municipal Building, a May 16 phone call, a May 16 E-mail exchange, and an August 14 phone call.

Note 1. The average wastewater flow into the Lebanon Sewage Treatment Plant is 2.4 million gallons per day. The Plant can properly treat 3.3 million gallons per day of raw sewage.

Note 2. The peaking factor capacity for the Plant is rated at 8.6 million gallons per day. What this means is that 3.3 million gallons of raw sewage and 5.3 million gallons of rain water runoff can be properly treated by the Plant daily in accordance with state standards.

Note 3. The actual amount of effluent that flowed through the Plant during the April 3, 2014, significant rain event was 10.5 million gallons (1.9 million gallons more than the rated maximum peaking factor capacity of 8.6 million gallons per day).

Note 4. The capacity of the Plant’s Equalization Basin to store overflow influent from the Head Works building during a significant rain event is 750,000 gallons. All overflow influent more than 750,000 gallons flows through the Equalization Basin into the Chlorine Contact Tank and out through the Dechlorination Tank into Prairie Creek. State standards for proper treatment are met by the combined flow into Prairie Creek from the overflow influent and the normally treated wastewater.

Note 5. Storm water leakage during a significant rain event into the city’s sanitary sewer system through damaged sanitary sewer pipes, manholes, and sanitary sewer laterals can generate significant flows. Typical flows from storm water leakage can be 1.5 million gallons in eight hours or less, 1.7 million gallons after ten hours, 1.9 million gallons after twelve hours, and 2.5 million gallons after 24 hours.

Estimates of how long a typical sump pump operates during a significant rain event range between a total of two hours and ten hours within a 24-hour period. The two sets of calculations listed next cover this range of estimates. Since Lebanon Utilities has about 5,500 residential sanitary sewer customers, the calculations show that the Sewage Treatment Plant is likely to be overloaded if just 4% to 19% (or 212 to 1,059) of Lebanon homes have sump pumps improperly connected to the sanitary sewer system.

10.50 million gallons per day actual maximum treatment capacity (see Note 3)
+ 0.75 million gallons in the Equalization Basin (see Note 4)
11.25 million gallons per day Plant capacity
- 2.40 million gallons per day average daily wastewater flow (see Note 1)
- 2.50 million gallons storm water leakage into the sanitary sewer system (see Note 5)
6.35 million gallons from sump pumps

One sump pump operating ten hours =
(typical sump pump water flow) (60 minutes / hour) (10 hours) =
(50 gallons / minute) (60 minutes / hour) (10 hours) = 30,000 gallons

Number of sump pumps = (6,350,000 gallons) / (30,000 gallons per sump pump) = 212

10.50 million gallons per day actual maximum treatment capacity (see Note 3)
+ 0.75 million gallons in the Equalization Basin (see Note 4)
11.25 million gallons per day Plant capacity
- 2.40 million gallons per day average daily wastewater flow (see Note 1)
- 2.50 million gallons storm water leakage into the sanitary sewer system (see Note 5)
6.35 million gallons from sump pumps

One sump pump operating two hours =
(typical sump pump water flow) (60 minutes / hour) (2 hours) =
(50 gallons / minute) (60 minutes / hour) (2 hours) = 6,000 gallons

Number of sump pumps = (6,350,000 gallons) / (6,000 gallons per sump pump) = 1,059

BOTTOM LINE: It is reasonable to conclude that basement and crawl space sump pumps connected to the city’s sanitary sewer system contribute significantly to overloading the Wastewater Treatment Plant during a significant rain event.

When the Lebanon Wastewater Treatment Plant operates under normal conditions – without a significant rain event – wastewater flows into the Plant at the rate of 2.4 million gallons per day (or 1,667 gallons per minute). About one-third of the total wastewater (800,000 gallons per day or 556 gallons per minute) flows through each of the east 24-inch pipe, the north 18-inch pipe, and the south 18-inch pipe) that delivers wastewater to the Plant.

When there is a significant rain event, storm water leaks into the city’s sanitary sewer system through old clay pipes at the rate of 2.5 million gallons a day (or 1,736 gallons per minute). Because there are clay pipes throughout all of the sanitary sewer system, about one-third of the total storm water leakage (833,333 gallons per day or 579 gallons per minute) flows through each of the east 24-inch pipe, the north 18-inch pipe, and the south 18-inch pipe.

IF NO STORM WATER ENTERS THE CITY’S SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM THROUGH IMPROPER BASEMENT SUMP PUMP AND OTHER CONNECTIONS, then 1,135 gallons per minute (556 wastewater gallons per minute under normal conditions plus 579 storm water gallons per minute from sanitary sewer clay pipe leaks) will flow through each of the east 24-inch pipe, the north 18-inch pipe, and the south 18-inch pipe during a significant rain event.

Information about the carrying capacity of sanitary sewer pipe constructed so there is a decline of one foot per 100 feet of pipe can be found online at http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/sewer-pipes-capacity-d_478.html. The carrying capacity is 9,700 gallons per minute for a 36-inch sanitary sewer pipe; 2,396 gallons per minute for a 24-inch pipe; and 1,168 gallons per minute for an 18-inch pipe.

The conclusions listed next can be made IF NO STORM WATER ENTERS THE CITY’S SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM THROUGH IMPROPER BASEMENT SUMP PUMP AND OTHER CONNECTIONS.

(a) Residents in the city’s downtown between Camp Street and Main Street should not experience raw sewage backups into their homes because the east 24-inch pipe will not be overloaded during a significant rain event. The 1,135 gallons per minute flowing through the east 24-inch pipe is somewhat less than the 2,396 gallons per minute carrying capacity of the east 24-inch pipe.

(b) City residents north of Camp Street and south of Main Street may continue to have raw sewage backups into their homes during significant rain events IF THERE IS NO LIFT STATION BETWEEN THEIR HOMES AND THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT. The 1,135 gallons per minute flowing through the north 18-inch pipe and the south 18-inch pipe is very close to the 1,168 gallons per minute carrying capacity of the 18-inch pipes. The 18-inch pipes would be susceptible to becoming clogged by surges of water during particularly heavy rains.

SUMMARY: It is a vitally important first step that all improper basement sump pump and other connections be removed from the city’s sanitary sewer system. Then, if homeowners north of Camp Street and south of Main Street continue to have raw sewage backups into their homes, Lebanon Utilities can plan to construct a minimum number lift stations that are carefully placed within the sanitary sewer system so as to eliminate the backups. A new lift station costs $300,000 to $800,000 depending on the service territory and depth.

Should individual homeowners and businesses pay to correct their own improper sump pump and other connections to the sanitary sewer system? Or, is the occurrence of raw sewage backups into some Lebanon homes during significant rain events an important enough matter of public policy that the City of Lebanon should pay to correct the improper connections?

Some may believe that Individual Lebanon homeowners and businesses should have home and building maintenance and improvement as part of their normal budget. Therefore, individual homeowners and businesses should be required to pay to promptly correct their own sump pump and other connections to the sanitary sewer system that are not in accordance with the current Lebanon City Code 55.023(E).

Others may believe that the health hazards presented by the raw sewage backups into some Lebanon homes during significant rain events is an important public policy matter that the City of Lebanon should pay to correct.

The Lebanon City Code 55.023(E) that mandates proper sanitary sewer system connections was passed by Ordinance 79-5 on March 12, 1979. Some Lebanon homes and businesses may have improper connections that pre-date the Ordinance. Also, some current homeowners and businesses may have unwittingly purchased their homes and buildings without knowing there were illegal sanitary sewer system connections. Furthermore, the families of those 43.6 percent of Lebanon school children on free or reduced price lunches may not be able to afford to pay a plumber as much as $500 to correct their improper connections.

If there are 500 basement sump pumps throughout the city that are improperly connected to our sanitary sewer system, and it costs $500 for a plumber to correct an improper sump pump connection, then it would cost $250,000 to disconnect all the basement sump pumps citywide from our sanitary sewer system. It might cost another $50,000 to correct all the improper business connections to our sanitary sewer system. Thus, if the city spends $300,000, raw sewage backups should be prevented during almost all significant rain events.

The Lebanon City Council could allocate an amount not to exceed $300,000 to eliminate most raw sewage backups into Lebanon homes. Homeowners and businesses could ask Lebanon Utilities to inspect their sanitary sewer lines. If an improper basement sump pump or other connection is found, Lebanon Utilities could have the improper connection fixed at its expense and be reimbursed by the city through the city council claims process.

Lebanon appears to be managing its 2015 city budget to maintain cash balances of $1.6 million in its Rainy Day Fund and $3.8 million in its General Fund. Spending $300,000 to eliminate most raw sewage backups into Lebanon homes would be less than six percent of these total cash balances.

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