Sump Pump Inspection Program

The City of Cedar Falls initiated a city-wide sump pump inspection program that included all 3,489 owner-occupied homes built after 1969 with active sanitary sewer accounts. The objective of the program was to verify that sources of clear water were not directly connected to the sanitary sewer system.

During the program, 165 homes with direct sump/seepage/roof drain connections corrected their plumbing. An additional 82 homes with flex hoses and open pits corrected their plumbing. Rough estimates based on typical sump pump sizes indicated that these corrections could save as much as 1.6 million gallons a day of clear water from being treated at the wastewater treatment facility.

WHKS provided monthly reports detailing the inspection process and provided final reports documenting the findings of the investigations and the City’s long-term plan for inflow/infiltration control. WHKS scheduled all inspections with web-based and call-in scheduling systems.

The program included City Council sessions, certificate of compliance and ordinance consultation, and development of procedures for implementation.