Title
Proposed Sanitary Sewer Backflow Preventer Program
Brief Description: Staff will be present to discuss a sanitary sewer backflow preventer program, as requested by Council.
Body
Legislative History
None.
Purpose & Explanation
During the August 8th storm, approximately 70 residential single-family homeowners in Hudson reported sanitary sewer backups in their homes. To mitigate the possibility of future sewer backups, City staff researched the feasibility of a Sanitary Sewer Backflow Preventer Reimbursement Program. A backflow valve, also known as a backwater valve, or sewer backup valve, is a one-way device installed on the sanitary sewer pipe connecting a home to the County sewer system. When properly maintained by the owner, it prevents sewage from flowing back into the house from the sewer mainline, especially during heavy rainfalls that can overwhelm a sanitary sewer network or other unpredicted failures in the sewer system.
If approved, this temporary reimbursement program would reimburse eligible homeowners for purchasing & installing a backflow valve on their sanitary sewer lateral in their basement, which would improve the protection of their homes from sewage overflow.
Further, Summit County requires any new backwater valves to be installed inside the structure within the basement, for easy maintenance by the owner. Houses with no basement would not be eligible.
The City staff contacted several local plumbers to review costs associated with backflow preventer installations. The estimated cost for the purchase and installation of a gate-style backflow valve is approximately $10,000 per household, plus County permitting fees. The actual installation cost may vary based on factors like the preventer type, accessibility, size of sewer line, and any necessary basement renovations that may make it difficult to install the device. The administration requests that we do not pay for any cost above the backflow device and the installation in an open basem...
Click here for full text