What's the problem with ALPUC sewer mains?

The sewer mains were originally constructed with flimsy thin plastic walls filled with lightweight concrete, with the sections glued together at the ends with half-moon shaped thin plastic fittings. Much of it was improperly bedded like our water mains, and the glue deteriorating, the system of mains is deteriorating.

We also have problems with the laterals. The laterals were not capped properly to prevent underground water from flowing into them. You may already know that sewer laterals are the “stems” used to connect new homes to our sewer mains. Alpine Lake has nearly as many sewer laterals as it has lots. The laterals were constructed simultaneously with the sewer mains 30+ years ago. They serve a very useful purpose. In many cases it would be nearly impossible to connect a home directly to some of our sewer mains. They are underground as far as 30 feet, FAR deeper than ALPUC’s crew can reach with our excavation equipment.

The BIG problem with our system of mains is that it takes on thousands of gallons of ground water when there are periods of rain, especially heavy rain, or when there is significant snowmelt. This is referred to in the industry as and Inflow and Infiltration (I & I) problem.