Wastewater systems allow communities around the world to manage wastewater and keep public areas clean, healthy and habitable. Sewer pipes, the conduits for the removal of waste, are the most fundamental piece of this essential infrastructure.

Sewers are designed to endure a lot: collecting, transporting, sorting and processing human waste, debris, normal flow and, in some cases, rainwater and runoff. But they can only withstand so much over a period of time before they begin to break down. General wear-and-tear is one of the leading causes of sewer damage, but there are other common contributors, too.

Wastewater asset management is a practice many operators use to develop long-term plans for sustaining wastewater systems and services. 

A sewer lateral is the pipe connecting a home or business’ plumbing to the city’s sanitary sewer system. These pipes typically run underneath the house or business’ property before connecting with a larger pipe, called a sewer main, under the street or other nearby area.

A sewer rehabilitation plan identifies the work needed on a sewer system and outlines a strategy for how the work is to be completed. While putting a plan together can be time-consuming, it offers a great return on investment, ultimately saving a department time and resources.

The “cloud” refers to applications that run on the internet, instead of on a local computer or piece of equipment. Essentially, when something is running on the cloud it is stored on a remote server (usually multiple copies at multiple locations, actually).

Wastewater systems require routine maintenance and assessment. Yet completing visual inspections of many sewer assets — when accessible — requires dangerous confined space entry; in many cases, it’s impossible for human eyes to look directly on underground assets without digging up lines. Instead, personnel rely on specially designed cameras and equipment to assess the condition of otherwise out-of-sight operations. The equipment used depends on the utility’s needs and budget, but a range of modern technologies provide fast and efficient options for gathering information about a sewer pipe’s condition, while also increasing safety.

Manholes give personnel and equipment access to sewer lines for inspection, testing and cleaning. They are built in areas where there is a change in the sewer line direction, slope, elevation, pipe size and junctions. The circular, usually cast iron plates seen on roads across the country cover underground confined spaces that serve a fundamental role in the making and success of a sewer system.