Sewer Main Cleaning
The Village of Pleasant Prairie is committed to providing our residents with uninterrupted sewer service. To accomplish this, we must periodically clean the sewer main that is located below the street.
Cleaning Sanitary Sewers - Keep those toilet lids down!
The Village of Pleasant Prairie has over 206 miles of sanitary sewer pipeline. Most of the lines are in the street. Some run through utility easements in grassy areas. Each year, Pleasant Prairie cleans approximately half of the Villages sanitary sewer lines. This routine maintenance helps to prevent blockages and backups.
Early spring through late fall is the season for sewer cleaning.
The sanitary sewer lines are cleaned using high pressure sewer cleaning equipment. A cleaning nozzle is propelled from one manhole to the next using water under high pressure. The nozzle is then pulled back to the starting manhole. As the nozzle is pulled back, water scours the inside of the sanitary sewer pipe. Any debris in the pipe is pulled back with the water. The debris is removed from the manhole with a vacuum unit. If roots are found, they are cut with a root cutter. This process is repeated on every sewer line cleaned.
What should I watch for?
During cleaning of sanitary sewer lines, air occasionally vents into a home through the sanitary sewer service line and ventilation system. When this happens, water in the toilet bowl can bubble or surge or, in rare cases, splash out of the bowl. Remember the water that could come from this type of incident is from the bowl itself. So, make it a habit of keeping your toilet lids down! The equipment used to clean the sewers requires water so if a hydrant near your location is used, the increased flow of water from the fire hydrant can stir the natural minerals in the water. This can cause some temporary discoloration of the water. If this occurs, run the cold water for a few minutes and if it does not clear, call the Public Works Department at (262) 925-6700, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
What causes the air to vent into my home?
The common causes of air venting into homes during sanitary sewer cleaning are:
- Air movement from normal cleaning operations
- Use of higher pressure needed when cleaning sanitary sewer lines that have a steep slope
- Sewer lines running close to your building
- A plugged roof vent
- The size and complexity of your home's waste and ventilation system
Since there is no crew dedicated to year-round cleaning of the sanitary sewer and the weather and emergency water/sewer line repairs play a large part in scheduling, it is not possible to create a schedule to notify every customer of when we will be in their area. So, to minimize water splashing out of your toilet bowl, make it a habit to keep the lid down.