2011 Stormwater Annual Report - Boston Water and Sewer ...

thorough as the sandbag method in finding illegal connections, their use enables theCommission to advance work progress downstream in some areas.2.6 CORRECTION OF ILLEGAL CONNECTIONSa. Corrections under BWSC ContractsThe Commission’s annual Capital Improvement Program includes funding for theelimination of illegal connections by a private contractor. Once an illegal connection isconfirmed, information about the illegal connection, including maps and record plans ofthe sewer and drains in the street, are forwarded to the Commission’s ConstructionDivision for correction under the Commission’s illegal connection repair contract.b. Corrections Required by OwnersIn some cases, the owner of the property is responsible for correcting the illegalconnection. For example, in some buildings only part of the plumbing (e.g. a washingmachine in the basement or one bathroom or toilet) is connected to an internal buildingdrain, while the rest of the plumbing fixtures in the building are properly connected to thebuilding sewer. Another example is where the plumbing in the building is at a lowerelevation than the sewer in the street. In those cases an ejector pump may be needed inorder to allow discharge to the sewer. The Commission will reimburse owners up to$7,500 to install an ejector pump.c. Corrections Requiring Engineering DesignsIllegal connection corrections that prove particularly challenging are those that require anengineering design to correct. If the correction involves reconfiguration of the sewerand/or the drain in the street, the Commission may take responsibility for the design andcorrection. But in other cases, where significant changes to internal plumbing orprivately owned infrastructure are necessary, the owner must cover the cost of the designand construction of the correction. These types of corrections can be very complex andmay require a long time to perform inspections, prepare designs and obtain permits fromother agencies.2.7 2011 ILLEGAL CONNECTION REMEDIATION SUMMARYIn 2011, sixty-nine (69) new illegal connections were identified, and seventy-two (72)illegal connections were corrected. Thirty-three (33) illegal connections remaineduncorrected at the end of 2011.The Commission estimates the wastewater removed by elimination of an illegalconnection based upon water use records for the property where the illegal connectionwas corrected. Average daily water consumption is calculated based on the previous 24month period, and 90 percent of the water use is assumed to discharge to the sewer2 - 18