Orangefield Water Supply Corporation customers having problems with sewer systems working during heavy rainfalls need to check their own equipment, said General Manager Joe Morton.
On Thursday, the corporation issued a statement saying “Due to heavy rains today, some sewer service could be interrupted. Please limit sewer use if flushing becomes a problem.”
The statement advised people not to try to flush toilets when the water was not going down the sewer lines. Continuing to try to flush would make the toilets overflow.
Morton said the corporation’s sewer system operates by the vacuum method. The waste water from a house is sucked into the main system. Cities like Orange and Bridge City have gravity flow systems with lift stations installed throughout the cities.
The vacuum system has to have a vent pipe outside in the yard. Morton calls it a “candy cane pipe” because it sticks out of the ground about two feet and bends over at the top. He said the bend is to prevent outside rain water from going into the sewer system.
However, customers sometimes break off the candy cane pipes in their yards by mowing over it, running over it or other ways. Morgan said customers, not the water corporation, are responsible for repairing the candy cane pipes at their houses. “It’s not our property and it’s not our equipment,” he said.
The pipes cost about $100 to $150 to repair, he said.
The corporation has sent letters to sewer customers explaining the possible problems with rain and flood water getting into the systems if the equipment is broken.
In the Thursday statement, the corporation advised people having trouble flushing toilets to run a small amount of water in a bathtub. When the sewer line was able to handle the toilet flush, the standing water in the bathtub would start draining.
Morgan said employees at the corporation are on standby 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They will come and check for customers. If a problem is with the corporation’s equipment or on the right-of-way, the corporation workers will fix the situation. The corporation has some “pods” in ditches that are part of sewer system. Saturday afternoon, some of the pods became covered in water, he said.
If the problem is with the customer’s equipment, they are responsible for the repairs.
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