W I P E S A N D F O G – S H O U L D E P A L E A D T H E C H A R G E ?

WASTEWATER TREATMENT BEGINS WITH THE FLUSH

Discussion Points

What 2 Flush – Where’s the Calvary

Can The Grease – Where’s the Carrot

What happens in the Sewer System

Clogging Pumps and Equipment

The Vision

DC WASA Collection System

1800 miles Sanitary and Combined Sewers; 600 miles of Storm Sewers

9 Sanitary and 16 Stormwater Pumping Stations

12 Fabridams and Swirl Facilities

60 CSO Outfalls and 95 CSO Structures

What 2 Flush?

The 3 P’s – Paper (Toilet Paper), Pee and Poo

What else do people flush? Baby Wipes,

Floss

Diapers

Hygiene Products

WHY WIPES?

Consumer Wipes: Prevalence of Use

Bench Test

Toilet paper after 40 seconds versus a wipe after 16 hours

The “War on Wipes”

and Other Non-Dispersible Products

What 2 Flush – Who’s in the Discussion

Wastewater NACWA WEF APWA State & Local Associations

Prefers Standards vs Guidelines

Attempted Legislative Action in 4 States

WEF Survey Utilities to Capture Costs

Maine Wastewater Control Association – Joint Ad Campaign with INDA

Non Woven Fabric Industry (INDA) Kimberly Clark Proctor & Gamble

INDA Developed Flushable Guidelines for Manufacturers

Support Pilot Program in Maine

Joined Panel at WEFTEC Invited WW to World of

Wipes Conference

Campaign To Prevent Flushing Baby Wipes

http://saveyourpipes.org/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla

yer_embedded&v=8dMn6uQOg-4#t=0

www.nacwa.org/flushables

FOG MANAGEMENT

Food Establishments

Grease Abatement Systems

Grease Interceptors

Enforcement

TV Inspection

Asset Management (Tracking Frequency)

Public Outreach

FOG Issues

•FOG floats on top of water and emits toxic gases

Corrodes Sewers and leads to sink holes and failure

Odor Complaints proliferate

Utilities Spend $$$$$ money to combat odors

FOG ISSUES

Replace Lateral from Home to Street

Pipes Corrode

Sink Holes Occur where Pipes Collapse

Restaurants Do Not Manage Grease Traps / Interceptors

FOG ISSUES

DC Water FOG Facts

• Blue Plains processes 50,000 lbs/day of

FOG

• Hauling costs -- $6,400/month

• WASA crews spend 260 man hours per

year (equals two months)

• Grease-busting chemicals cost $55,000

a year

• CCTV Crew use

robotic camera to

survey pipes and find

obstructions

• Once found pipe is

either cleaned out or

replaced if there is

structural damage

What are we doing now?

Enforcing Proper Maintenance

AGENCY RESPONSE

Permits

Inspections

Non Compliance Notice

Written Warnings

LEGAL RESPONSE

Citations

Fines

Water Shuts

Lawsuits

Use Asset Management to Track Issues

Inspection Frequency

FY 2010 - # Locations

FY 2011 - # Locations

FY 2012 - # Locations

Monthly 21 21 17

Quarterly 13 13 13

Biannual 5 5 -

Normal Frequency – Once Every 25 Years

Pitfalls of Enforcement

Political ramifications regardless of locale

Restaurants Are Social Mecca’s

May Ruin A Business

U Street Corridor – FOG Problem Area

Sink Holes & Collapsed Pipes

14th & F Streets

Impact on Station & Process Equipment

Repairs Are Expensive

Few Alternative Sewers to Shift Flow

Bypass Pumping Costly

Repairs Made In Active Sewer Flow

If Able, Shut Down; Reduced Capacity Likely CSO DAM Failure

Corrosion Impact on Infrastructure

NACE International:

Estimates $38B in replacement costs in United

States annually in collection and distribution

systems due to corrosion

Water & Sewer Utility Agencies face the same costs

as the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina but on

an annual basis

Questions

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