I & I

August 2023 UPDATE:
 

Beginning on or about September 6, 2023, weather depending, representatives from Duke’s Root Control, Inc. (“Dukes”) will be evaluating the condition of the sanitary sewer system and private sewer service laterals. Crews will be evaluating the sewer mains and laterals through smoke testing, which is a process in which non-toxic, non-flammable liquid smoke is pressurized through the sewer mains. Defects within the system are noted for repair by the crews. 

This method of testing may require representatives from Duke’s to access manholes located within the Right-of-Way and/or utility easements, including those on private property, but within the utility easement. In addition, crews may be noting defects around certain properties. Smoke Testing does not impact any operation of the sewer and there will be no disruption of service at any point. 

All Duke’s representatives will have identification badges and will be wearing company uniforms at all times.

Please feel free to contact Duke’s at (888) 655-4085 or the Town of Avon Engineering Department at (860) 409-4322 at any time. 

A letter was mailed to all affected residents on Tuesday, August 15th. Please click on the following link for a copy of the letter: Town of Avon, Sanitary Sewer Smoke Testing

 

March 2023 UPDATE:

Next Phase of the Infiltration and Inflow Study of the Farmington Sewer Shed

Please be advised that the Town is about to begin the next phase of our Infiltration and Inflow Study of our Farmington Sewer Shed. This phase is called the Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Survey (SSES).Below are some project highlights:
  1. The project involves select neighborhoods and our main interceptor which conveys the sewer flows to Farmington – these neighborhoods were prioritized via the initial Infiltration & Inflow (I&I) project completed in 2019
  2. We will have letters/door hangers sent out to residents within the specific neighborhoods where we will be working.
  3. The project field work will primarily occur during the spring and early summer when groundwater is highest in both 2023 and 2024 and is somewhat weather dependent.
  4. Field work will include flow testing, manhole inspections, CCTV collection, and limited smoke testing and most of the field work will be performed at nighttime when flows from residences are typically low.
  5. Most of the system inspection lie within roadways, however there are portions of the system that run through private property.  The Town has easements over these areas providing legal access for the work.  Field workers will be respectful of property owners and will attempt to minimize impacts due to noise or other concerns.
  6. With very few exceptions, no field work will require field personnel to enter residences.  Whenever personnel are required to enter homes, residents will be notified in advance by Town of Avon staff so that a mutual meeting time can be established.
  7. All personnel working on the project will have proper identification and credentials.
  8. The area shaded in orange within the map indicates our Farmington sewer shed area.  Sewers and properties located outside of this shaded area are not included within the study.
  9. Questions or concerns may be addressed by either emailing Tim Foster, Avon’s Superintendent of Sanitary Sewers at TFoster@avonct.gov or by calling him at 860-409-4322.

September 22, 2022 UPDATE: Included here is a link to a presentation done by the Town’s consultant on the I&I and related project, the Sewer System Evaluation Survey (SSES).  The Town intends to move forward with the SSES as soon as reasonably possible within constraints due to weather conditions.  More information will be provided to residents as the project unfolds.

"Infiltration and Inflow" is clean rainwater and groundwater that enter the sanitary sewer system through leaks in the system or connections of things like sump pumps or roof leaders. I & I issues are bad for many reasons, including the cost to treat clean water, the effect it has on pump stations, the effect it has on the capacity of systems and the environment are a few. In order to minimize I & I in the part of Avon that flows sewers to Farmington, the Town embarked on a project in 2015 to identify the most significant leaks and find illicit connections in our collection system. The initial phase of the Farmington I & I Study is completed and has been approved by the CT. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

We are now working on the scoping aspects of the second phase of the I & I Study, known in the industry as a Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Survey or "SSES".  This phase, which we hope to begin in the Spring / Summer of 2022, further refines I & I sources to better find and mitigate clean water flows. More information will follow as we refine the scope and identify the specific areas of interest. Residents with questions are encouraged to contact the Engineering Department by email: tfoster@avonct.gov, or by phone: 860-409-4322.