The sanitary sewer system for the City of Indianapolis is aging and bursting at the seams. The main sewer arteries, known as "interceptors," need relief in areas that are growing or projected to grow in the coming years. Small diameter sewers in many neighborhoods need rehabilitation and repair.
Although sewers are often "out of sight, out of mind," we can no longer ignore these needs. Sanitary sewer overflows are a violation of the Clean Water Act and expose the city to costly fines and penalties from the state and federal governments.
The sanitary sewer system surrounds the pre-1970 city limits and extends to most of the Marion County borders. The sanitary sewer area covers 222 square miles, includes 24 major interceptors, and 2,100 miles of sewers. In these neighborhoods, sanitary sewers take sewage to the treatment plants and separate storm sewers take stormwater to retention ponds, rivers and streams.
As sewers age over time, pipes crumble, joints crack, manholes wear down and debris and invasive roots clog pipes. These degraded pipes allow in stormwater, which pushes the sanitary pipes beyond their capacity. As a result, raw sewage can back up into basements, through manholes and flows into waterways.
In some places, overflows have been designed into the sanitary system to relieve them when incoming stormwater overwhelms the sewers' capacity. The city has eliminated 13 of these "constructed" overflow points, but must eliminate the three remaining overflow locations by 2007.
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