Investigating Connection Between Drain Tile and City Storm Drain
We just bought a 1946′ rancher and want to do some major renovations.
The city doesn’t have clear records of a storm drain connection, but our downspouts all feed into the drain tile and do not daylight anywhere. The records on file with the city indicate that a storm drain connection was provided when the infrastructure was installed, but the modern system doesn’t have a serialized connection so they do not consider us connected for any new permits. To recitfy this we need a dye test done by the city to confirm that the connections is there and the system is functioning.
My question is, before I risk having this done and them deeming the connection inconclusive and/or abandoned, is there an easy way for me to investigate the state of this connection myself so that I can have some confidence before dealing with the city.
Thanks!
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Replies
Jason,
You can get a camera probe to survey the connection. The companies that repair perimeter drains also usually offer that inspection service.
+1 for a camera inspection. They’ll likely be able to locate the line for you too and mark the path it takes, which I’d recommend you have done too, then take some pics of the marks and keep those with your records.
A common misconception many people have is that MissDIG will mark EVERYTHING underground, which is not correct. First, missdig themselves don’t mark anything — they’re just a clearinghouse that notifies member utilities of locate requests so that those utilities can send their own crews out to mark their stuff. MissDIG doesn’t mark ANYTHING privately owned, unless you want to pay to be a member of the MissDIG system (minimum is usually 6 miles, and they charge by mileage). A lot of people think a call to MissDIG will get things like their parking lot lights or wires between their house and garage marked which is not correct.
That said, if the city doesn’t have records of your pipe, then it won’t get marked if you need to do any excavating down the road. You’ll need to keep your own records so that you know where your stuff is to make sure you don’t hit it if doing any work in the future.
Bill
The green thing to do is to break the connection between the storm water and the sanitary sewer systems if you have a way to drain the storm water to day light on your property.
If you and enough other can find it in your hearts disconnect your storm water the sewer district may be able to avoid building new larger treatment plant keeping your taxes down. Your low- lying neighbors may avoid having sewage back up in their basements when it rains. Also the treatment plant will be less likely to be overwhelmed and forced to discharge untreated sewage into the environment.
A smoke test is another way to prove the connection. This video shows how it is done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5rANaDEJm8&ab_channel=TwinHomeExperts
Walta
Walta,
Your assumption is that the municipality has a combined sewer system, something increasingly rare these days. Dedicated storm drains are a lot better option than adding to the surface or ground water in your area - something almost guaranteed to have negative affects on the properties nearby. That's why storm drain connections are usually required.
In DC the street storm drains go into the combined sewer (for now, they're spending billions to separate them). So dumping your stormwater onto the street is no different from dumping it down the drain. New construction is required to have a stormwater catchment on the property, essentially a dry well.
Malcolm the way I read the original question it seems very clear that it was at one point a combined system and now the city is trying to remove as many storm connections as it legally can now.
I agree more surface storm water runoff will go somewhere but the people that bought down by the creek are the ones most likely to have the sewer back up now and I would be much happier to have creek flood than the sewer backup.
There is a reason I always buy at the top of the hill and not down by the creek/lake.
Walta
Are there visible storm water catchments near-by? Stick a hose in the downspout and go listen at the grates on a calm, dry day. Might not be viable in your case, but worked for me.
Could also try compressed air or some other sound device that can cut through water trickle noise if there is any.
One of the small boat horns that uses canned air will carry a LONG way in a pipe, even a good-size sewer pipe.
Fun fact: you can even talk through long pipes if they aren’t too big and are one length without branches. My crews have done this with 500+ foot 1-1/4” conduit runs between manholes on occasion. The air horn will carry up to at least 1,500 feet or so. I’ve never had a conduit run longer than that that wasn’t broken up by manholes.
Bill
Just tapping on the pipe can travel surprisingly long distances.