Sump Pump Inspection Program Second, clear water that reaches the treatment plant way or storm sewer. This will minimize soil erosion treated unnecessarily. This increases the cost of at the foundation wall and re-circulation of the The Town of Fishers Public Works Department has treatment and adds to the wear and tear on groundwater to into the drain tile. The flexible hose initiated a Sump Pump inspection Program The goal equipment, reducing its life span. The added cost of and/or splash pad should be directed away from of the program is to reduce the amount of infiltration treating this clear water is then passed onto the structures toward the adjacent drainage way or ditch. and inflow of clear water into the customers. system by removing sump pump discharges from the What should I do? Town’s sanitary sewer system. Residents should What is the solution? ensure that their property is in compliance. · Disconnect sump pumps from interior Inflow water from sump pumps and gutters needs to sanitary plumbing drains that discharge to What is Inflow and Infiltration? be directed to swales and ditches, sub- the Town’s sanitary sewer system face drains, storm sewers, retention ponds and natural · Maintain positive drainage away from your Inflow and infiltration are terms used to describe the waterways. Sump pumps currently connected to the house foundation. ways clear water (groundwater and stormwater) enter sanitary sewer system must be disconnected and re- · Make sure discharges are not directed onto the sanitary sewer system. Infiltration occurs when routed to the storm water system. an adjacent property, sidewalk or street. groundwater seeps into the sewer pipes through cracks, leaky joints or deteriorated . Inflow What is a sump pump? · Ensure that the lateral form our house to the occurs when water is directed from sump pumps or mainline sewer is in good condition and not downspout drains into the sanitary sewer. A sump pump is a mechanical device located in a broken or cracked. sump pit in and crawl space areas. Its · Remember, the sanitary sewer system is Why is clear water a problem? purpose is to designed to manage normal flows of pump wastewater, not rainwater or water from Clear water entering the wastewater collection and accumulated sump pumps. treatment system create two main problems: clear water from building First, it consumes system capacity. An 8-inch foundation sanitary sewer can hand wastewater from drains and approximately 200 homes. Only 18 sump pumps will downspouts to consume the same capacity. If clear water is directed the stormwater into the sanitary sewer and the capacity is ultimately system. overwhelmed, sewers can back-up Sump Pump Discharge into houses and overflow from The sump removes water from the drain tile (a manholes causing perforated adjacent to the foundation walls the release raw designed to collect groundwater), which flows to the into the sump pit. Once the water in the sump pit reaches a environment. This certain level, the sump pump starts and pumps the creates health and groundwater through the discharge pipe. The sump safety issues that pump discharge is usually located at the side of the can be costly to house. The sump pump discharge should spill on to a resolve. splash pad or through a flexible hose to a drainage Benefits of Using Rain Gardens

Rain Gardens provide a number of advantages over routing clear water directly to a stormwater ditch or pipe.

Guide to Sump Pump Use

· Reduces the velocity of stormwater thereby reducing soil erosion and downstream flooding. · Traps nutrients for beneficial plant growth while reducing runoff of excess nutrients to the environment. · Attracts wildlife · Beautifies your yard and adds valve to your home.

For more information you can go to the Town of Fishers website (www.fishers.in.us) or contact us directly:

Rick Farnham Part of a town-wide program to prevent Assistant Director – Public Works Department sanitary sewer overflows and sewer Town of Fishers 10210 Eller Road backups by eliminating stormwater and Fishers, Indiana 46038 1 Municipal Drive 317-595-3281 (office) Fishers, IN 46038 groundwater from entering the sanitary 317-219-9611 (mobile) sewer system [email protected]

Town of Fishers Public Works Department