During last month’s Regular Meeting of the Cape Charles Town Council, Steve Bennett once again brought up the issue of water infiltration at the wastewater plant, which continues to produce more water than wastewater.
The real issue is that somehow, stormwater is entering the wastewater treatment collection system.
As Bennett has been bringing up for over two years now, we still don’t know why this is.
The wastewater industry calls this the “I/I problem” — inflow and infiltration. Infiltration can occur when sewer pipes – particularly the old red clay or orangeburg pipe made of wood pulp and asphalt that no longer meet code – are below water level or the water table in heavy rains. The older pipe is more permeable, so stormwater can make its way into the sewer line and significantly increase the volume of water delivered to the wastewater treatment plant.
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A good place to start may be the Library. The sewage smell in the lobby is down right toxic. What would it take to replace the plumbing in that building to properly vent the gases? If not for the poor library workers, DO IT FOR THE CHILDREN.