The two sewer trucks shown below are essential pieces of equipment in the maintenance of the City's sanitary sewer mains. You may have seen these trucks set-up in streets and intersections of Bozeman. We either flush the main with a high pressure nozzle (up to 3000 psi) to get sediment and debris stirred up and sent down the lines to our bigger transmission mains which lead to the Water Reclamation Facility. In other instances, due to the large trees that line many of our streets, we will root cut the mains. The root systems of these trees seek out moisture and can find it in the sewer mains. The roots intrude into the mains through joints in the lines. With a root cutting attachment we can flush and cut these roots back to allow the lines to flow freely. This is a year round preventative maintenance program to ensure clean, good flowing sewer mains.

 

 

A big concern with any water system is water loss. Leaks on water mains and services may take months to reach the ground surface, or may never get large enough to surface. It is important that we keep this in check and limit the amount of water we lose, because we are ultimately paying to treat and distribute that water. To limit the water loss, we have adopted a program to eliminate leaks in a more timely fashion.

The way we go about this is fairly simple. We have a device that enhances our ability to listen to leaks. Pictured to the left is our listening device. Essentially, we use it to listen to each and every fire hydrant in town. This will get us in the general ballpark for where a leak exists.

Once we find a leak we utilize more sophisticated equipment to pinpoint it. We will put sensors on water valves around the leak and input data into the leak correlator CPU. From there, it utilizes the frequency and amplitude of the sound through the pipe to determine where the leak is located on that segment of pipe. A picture of the equipment is shown below.

Ultimately, our goal with this is to reduce the water loss in our system and only treat the water that gets used. If you see someone out on the sidewalk with this equipment on their body listening to a fire hydrant, you now know what they are trying to do.

 

The City of Bozeman utilizes a Radio Read Metering System. The system has virtually eliminated the human error factor involved with manual reading. In the fall of 2012 the City installed 6 receivers throughout the City and MSU that collects meter reads every 24 hours. Newer meters will also report possible water leaks and backflow events.

During the warmer months, the City of Bozeman Water Department will flow fire hydrants. Each year this website will show the places we will be flowing fire hydrants. This flowing procedure is done annually through September to ensure serviceability and flows for fire protection. You may experience some pressure changes and discoloration of your water; however this is only a temporary condition which should clear up within a few hours. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the City Shops at 406-582-3200.

Flowing fire hydrants increases the velocity of the water in the mains. Water main valves are manipulated to move water in desired directions. The increased velocity and control of direction of flow is an effective way to clean water mains. In addition to cleaning water mains, much is accomplished by this annual program. Operators inspect the condition, accessibility and general location of the hydrant. Problems can be corrected and maps updated. Pressure data that is gathered can be used for future development and the design of fire sprinkler and irrigation systems.

Sewage is the used water and wastes discharged by a community. Sewage is collected from the drains of sinks, showers, toilets, laundry facilities, etc. Sewage comes from the drains in homes and businesses, into the sewer lines (or "collection system"), and is then transported to a sewage treatment facility.
What causes sewers to back up?

Sewer back ups are caused when the sewage collection lines get clogged. These clogs are often caused by fats or greases , paper, feminine sanitary pads or tampons, disposable diapers, cloth, wood, or any other materials that get caught in the line and plug it up.

Sewage back ups are very costly, messy, stinky, and pose a serious threat to the health and safety of people and animals. Infectious diseases can be transmitted from raw sewage resulting in serious illnesses or even death.

Only feces, urine, and toilet paper should be flushed down the toilet. Other drains should only be used to dispose of used water and soaps from washing or cleaning activities.

You cannot flush anything down the drain that could clog the sewer collection system or anything that could damage the sewage treatment facility. This includes:

• Flammable or explosive liquids, solids, or gases.
• Fats, oils or greases.
• Big chunks of garbage, sand, metals, wood, straw or grass, wastepaper, plastics, animal parts, glass, cat litter (including so called "flushable" cat letter), disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, tampons (including tampon applicators), other bulky so called "disposable" products, or similar substances.
• Corrosive substances that are either acidic or caustic.
• Any substance that is toxic to the treatment facilities or workers in the facilities.
• Dye wastes or tanning solutions.
• Anything radioactive.
• Septic tank pumpings, or materials from pit privies or cesspools

The above types of materials can cause clogs in the sewer lines or damage to the collection system or treatment facility. They may also pose safety threats to citizens and sewage plant workers. Some of the prohibited substances are not readily removed in the sewage treatment process, and therefore pose a threat to water quality when discharged with the facilities effluent. ("Effluent" means the treated water from a sewage treatment facility that is discharged into a stream, river, or groundwater.)

A sewage treatment facility is usually publicly owned, which means we all pay for the associated costs. Proper sewage treatment is vital in protecting everyone from water borne diseases and protecting the environment from pollution. This important job is not cheap! We all pay for it! By following the above guidelines we all contribute to protecting our community's investment and keeping costs as low as possible. Clogs in city sewer lines from grease or other materials cost money to be cleared out. This cost is passed on to everyone in the form of higher taxes and/or higher user fees.

Violations of the municipal code concerning prohibited materials in the sewage collection system could lead to prosecution and conviction of a misdemeanor.

We hope this guideline helps everyone prevent sewage backups! Please feel free to call our office if you have any further questions or concerns at 406-582-3120. Protect your health and our environment…only flush acceptable substances down the drain! Reprinted With Permission From Gallatin City-County Health Department