While giving a report on Operations and Facilities division activities Monday night, Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft urged residents with sump pumps to make sure they’ve been switched over to “summer mode.”
Coun. Wiedenhoeft noted residents with sump pumps should check to see that they’re not discharging directly into the sanitary sewer system.
“This groundwater should be discharged onto your property, then travel along the ground onto the roadway and eventually discharging into the storm sewer system,” he noted.
“This groundwater doesn’t have to be treated at the sewage treatment plant,” he explained.
“The sewage treatment plant is nearing its hydraulic design capacity, which could mean a major capital expenditure funded totally by the community, thus the town would have to increase water and sewer rates to offset these costs,” warned Coun. Wiedenhoeft.
In the event of heavy rain or flood conditions, the town is greatly influenced by rain water going into the sanitary system.
The reason why is because many older homes in town have weeping tile connected to the sanitary sewer system while quite a few newer ones have sump pumps connected to the system for part of the year (winter).
The latter are supposed to switch their sump pumps to “summer mode” during the other part of the year.
In a related message, Coun. Wiedenhoeft also asked the public to ensure the trees and hedges on their properties which are parallel to the town’s sidewalk are trimmed back so that all impediments (i.e., branches) are no closer than six inches (150 mm) from the back edge of the sidewalk.
“This will ensure all citizens can walk safely and comfortably on the town’s sidewalks,” he said.
Coun. Wiedenhoeft also noted the Portage Avenue underpass project “is still moving ahead,” albeit slowly due “solely to the geotechnical information.”
Coun. Wiedenhoeft’s full activity report, as well as Coun. John Albanese’s Planning and Development report, Coun. Tannis Drysdale’s Community Services report, and Coun. Sharon Tibbs’ Administration and Finance report will be posted on the town’s website at www.fort-frances.com
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
