WALL LAKE, IOWA – MARCH 28, 2011
For the last six months, Kenny Harms has had a contract with the City of Wall Lake, Iowa to conduct inspections and repairs of the city sewers. He appeared at the march 28, 2011 Wall Lake City Council meeting to review the projects in which he was engaged for both completed and ongoing, and for the council to consider renewing that contract.
The projects of note for the previous year were:
1. Inspection of the storm drains by the school.
2. Cleaning of the line connecting the Hayloft to Main Street.
3. Inspection of the drain at the pool.
4. Cleaning of the line from where the Hayloft’s line connects with the Main Street line to where the Main street line connects at the south manhole.
5. Inspection of the line in the vicinity of the lift station near Frederickson’s house.
- The issue with this line, (and this is the line featured in the video,) is that there is a lot of infiltration of clear water in this line. Sanitary sewer return line feature water that is, unsurprisingly, cloudier.
6. Inspection of lines in the vicinity of the lift station at Cookies.
7. Inspection and cleaning of the line running away from the manhole near the nursing home that appeared to have some blockage.
8. Cleaning of grease build-up in lines serving the nursing home.
9. Is trying to track down the source of infiltration/ location of a line cutting across the property in the vicinity of the nursing home.
Harms pointed out that very little money has thus far been spent on finding instances of storm water infiltrating the sanitary sewer and that 95% if it has been spent on cleaning of lines. Harms indicated that the city has about $2,400 left remaining on his contract.
Wall Lake City Council person John Morrow was particularly interesting in knowing if Harms could use his equipment to discover if people are using sump pumps. Harms indicated that it is possible to park the camera at someone’s outlet and see what kind of output they are producing. An occasional gallon and a half of the product of a toilet flushing looks a lot different than the continuous on and off clear water output of a sump pump.
Harms went on to point out that as the city installs new water meters, the city has the right to inspect homes for a sump pump. What harms told the council to look for is a pump that isn’t hooked up permanently.
Taking that thought and expanding on it, Morrow suggested to the council that other cities have ordinances in place that call for the routine inspection of homes for sump pump equipment. According to Morrow, these ordinances allow the cities to tack on an extra thirty bucks a month to the bills of those residents who do not allow their homes to be inspected and suggested that perhaps the council could consider enacting such a law in Wall Lake.
The council took no action regarding this item, but Harms was instructed to get together with the city clerk to work out he needs from the city to continue his work.
Following is a record of the dates and charges for Mr. Harms’ services
032811WLCCDOC0006
At the end of the meeting, Harms played the following video for the council.
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