Rapid Inflow and Infiltration Reduction Program
With excessive public and private Inflow and Infiltration adversely impacting its sewer system, the City of Lawrence faced a dilemma: remove the I/I or make costly upgrades to increase system capacity and treatment. The city determined that an I/I reduction program would be a more cost-effective alternative, eliminating the need for capacity improvements within the collections system and at the wastewater treatment facility.
In 2013, the city selected TREKK to implement its Rapid I/I Reduction Program. Through both public and private I/I reduction efforts, the program’s objective is an overall 35 percent reduction of I/I in a large portion of the city’s collection system over eight years.
On the public side, TREKK provides flow monitoring, smoke testing, manhole and CCTV inspections and rehabilitation design recommendations across the study area, which includes downtown Lawrence and neighborhoods surrounding the University of Kansas.
The private I/I program, branded as Ecoflow, works with property owners to identify and eliminate cost-effective I/I sources on private property - at no cost to the owner.
Thanks to extensive community education and communication outreach, TREKK’s friendly evaluation team has assessed more than half of the 8,800 properties in the nearly 5,300 acre area, leading to participation rates of up to 90 percent. The city continues to see a reduction in wet weather flows at the wastewater treatment plant as a direct result of this project.
Services
Wastewater
Asset Management/GIS