Water department watches down-in-the-sewer videos

Footage reveals problem spots in need of repair

— Technology helped the Decatur Water Department get to the bottom of overflowing sewer pipes.

Storm water leaking into sewer pipes caused manholes to overflow in the past and caught the attention of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality last year.

AC & T Sewer Rehab of Little Rock took video footage of 7,300 to 7,400 feet of sewer lines in the heart of Decatur between Aug. 12 and 16, city utilities director James Boston said.

The company found four to five major problems that can be fixed to significantly reduce the possibility of another manhole overflow, he said. While it’s possible, if not probable, that the manholes will still overflow during major flooding events like the one last April, the problem should be curtailed, Boston explained.

The company will be putting the footage on CD and has marked all the problem areas so they will be easy to find.

“They really went out of the way to make sure we got a quality product,” Boston said.

Examining the sewer line with video cameras also shows the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality that the city is making progress in taking care of the issue of overflowing sewer lines. While some of the repairs may take a while, work on the four or five areas which can be immediately improved has already begun. One problem area south of town was repaired last week and another repair was planned for Tuesday.

“It is imperative for the town to grow to get these problems taken care of,” Boston said.

News, Pages 7 on 08/24/2011