City of Decatur Engineering Division
The 36-inch CheckMate valve being prepared for installation by a…
The problem with 175-year-old assets
Public Works is responsible for managing and administering seven operating budget divisions, six capital funds, and about 85 employees.
Our Streets and Sewers Section maintains 825 lane miles of streets and 381 miles of sewers, and responds to more than 2,500 citizen requests annually. Some were from business owners and residents complaining about the smell that occasionally wafted through downtown.
We’d replaced about 25 dilapidated sewer gas traps there and worked hard to keep inlet “half-traps” in good repair. But in a city that’s more than 175 years old, it’s very difficult to completely seal the sewer system.
We decided to eliminate the problem once and for all. We wanted an inexpensive green solution that would be safe for residents, employees, the community, and the environment.
Our Streets and Sewers Section and Engineering Division were tasked with finding it.
Next page: Four options for relief
