FLOW TO THE PLANT

Below is a link to see the instantaneous flow to the plant.  The plant is designed to treat 8 mgd.  During dry weather, flows average about 4 mgd or less.  Wet weather events can result in flow rates drastically increasing.
“I&I” is a short acronym for a huge problem most sewer communities face, Infiltration and Inflow.  Inflow occurs when rainwater is misdirected into the sanitary sewer system instead of storm sewers.  Examples are: roof leaders, yard and area drains, manhole covers, and cross connections from storm drains. The remedy for inflow is to remove improper connections to the sanitary sewer system.  Infiltration occurs when ground water seeps into the sanitary sewer system through cracks or leaks in sewer pipes. The cracks or leaks may be caused by age related deterioration, loose joints, damage or root infiltration. The remedy for infiltration is repairing or replacing the leaking infrastructure.  Ignored I&I results in excessive flows in the sewers and into the wastewater treatment plant.  This becomes a very costly problem for all of us.
I&I affects the quantity of wastewater that needs to be treated, the capacity of sewer pipes, the wastewater treatment plant and ultimately, the rates businesses and residents pay to operate and maintain them.  The worst impact of I&I is the possibility of the excess sewage flowing out of the sewer pipe and into our environment.   The excess flow can also cause sewage to backup into residents’ homes, a nasty problem for homeowners.   I&I also takes up valuable capacity in the WWTP and may limit future sewer connections.  I&I adversely affects the nutrient loadings for the plant discharge.  If ignored, I&I could cost the Township $20 million or more. Dover Township, along with its joint member townships, has embarked on a program to minimize I&I.  Click on the link below to see the instantaneous flow rate.
http://doverwwtp.dyndns-office.com:8080/frmflowstatus.aspx