Data-Smart City Solutions’ Post

👉 Sewer and drain businesses are often unsung heroes in the community for several reasons: ✨ Public Health Protection: By ensuring proper drainage and sewage disposal, they help prevent the spread of diseases and maintain sanitary conditions. ✨Emergency Response: They often respond quickly to emergencies like clogged drains, sewer backups, and flooding, which can cause significant damage and health hazards. ✨Environmental Preservation: Proper maintenance and repair of sewer systems prevent contamination of local water sources and protect the environment. ✨Infrastructure Maintenance: They play a critical role in maintaining and improving the essential infrastructure of the community, ensuring everything runs smoothly. ✨Preventing Property Damage: By addressing drainage issues promptly, they help prevent water damage to homes and businesses, saving property owners from costly repairs. ✨Community Safety: By keeping the sewer and drainage systems in good working order, they help maintain the safety and functionality of public spaces and roadways. ✨Supporting Everyday Life: Their work ensures that everyday activities like bathing, cooking, and cleaning can be done without interruption, contributing to the overall quality of life in the community. By doing these often overlooked yet crucial tasks, sewer and drain professionals provide invaluable services that keep communities healthy, safe, and functioning smoothly. Thank you Miller Sewer & Drain and for being a small town superhero! #strongertogether #shoplocal #community

It is widely believed, especially among WASH organizations, that the public generally isn't interested in wastewater systems. But the residents of Dennis, Massachusetts, just proved this wrong, as over 400 locals showed up for a special meeting to vote on a new sewer project! 🚰 Dennis voters unanimously approved the first phase of a $248 million wastewater treatment plan at a special town meeting last Tuesday night. The plan includes the design, permitting, and construction of a wastewater treatment plant and a sewer system.💧 The community asked important questions, discussed the plan, and supported it with the intention of saving future generations from dealing with sewage problems that will likely become more expensive to fix. 🛠️ Find out more about the meeting and the plan here: https://lnkd.in/g5BGANrR This kind of community involvement shows that many people do care about sewers, septic systems, and local water. So maybe we, as WASH professionals, should ask ourselves: why don’t the communities we serve show the same interest as Dennis residents?🤔 Perhaps it’s not that they don’t care, but that we need to do a better job of communicating and including them in decision-making processes. 🤝 💬 #Wastewater #Sustainability #CommunityEngagement #Massachusetts #CleanWater #SewerSystems

We have a #water question: If leak detection technology is so effective, why can't we find all the leaks in our water distribution system? Thoughts? #leakdetection #leaks #waterindustry #waterdamage #fixinfrastructure

The recent downpours across the Gulf states and central U.S. have led to serious challenges for our communities—flooding not only our streets but also seeping into our homes. As local officials work tirelessly on rescue and clean-up efforts, we know many citizens are deeply concerned about the sewage backups that have become all too prevalent. We stand with you. It's alarming and disheartening to see the water where it doesn't belong, especially when it’s in our personal spaces. It’s more than an inconvenience; it's a hazard to our health and property that requires fast action. That’s where Sewer Sentry comes in. Our patented Sewer Sentry System represents a beacon of hope—a groundbreaking way to help prevent these heartbreaking situations. With our technology, municipalities can: 🛑 Reduce Sanitary Sewer Overflow: Sewer Sentry's device is engineered to dramatically cut down the amount of stormwater overwhelming our sewage systems during rainstorms. 🏡 Protect Homes: By keeping excess water out of the sewers, we help ensure that it doesn't find its way back into your homes. 💰 Save City and Tax Dollars: Lowering the volume of stormwater in the system not only protects your properties but also potentially reduces treatment costs, wear and tear on city pumps, and energy expenses. 🌎 Support a Sustainable Solution: Sewer Sentry is all about longevity and effectiveness, with both cast iron and composite manhole cover options to withstand the elements. Communities like Bernice, Louisiana, and Walker, Louisiana, have already seen tremendous results—reduced overflows, saved money, and fewer disruptions to daily life. Let’s protect our city’s future together. To all our city officials, we’re here with a proven, cost-effective solution. And to our fellow citizens, know that there are options that can make a difference. Learn how Sewer Sentry can help: sewersentry.com #SewageBackup #FloodPrevention #CommunitySupport #SewerSentry #InfrastructureSolutions

Earlier this month, a sewer main pipe in Ossining broke, spewing ~1 million gallons of sewage daily into the Croton and Hudson rivers. This incident underscores the urgent need to invest in our aging infrastructure. But the pipe break was a drop in the bucket compared to ongoing sewage discharges triggered by rain: This year alone, 1 billion gallons of partially-treated sewage have been discharged from Westchester County into the Hudson and Long Island Sound. NYC dumps 21+ billion gallons annually into our waterways, equivalent to filling the Empire State Building 72 times 🤢 These overflows endanger public health, close beaches, disrupt recreation, and harm wildlife. Riverkeeper advocates for solutions like sewer upgrades and green infrastructure (such as green roofs) to help protect our waterways 🌊 #SewageOverflow #EnvironmentalHealth #InfrastructureInvestment #CSO

Just because something can be flushed down the toilet does NOT mean you should! Only flush the 3 P's: pee, poo, and paper (toilet paper). Avoid costly clogs in your home pipes, community sewer pipes, and water reclamation facilities. https://lnkd.in/d5NwBCm #wipesclogpipes

I'll be speaking with Mike Farwell on his show this morning at 10:00, talking about the flooding we saw last week, and how this can can be substantially reduced with simple, cost-effective best practices. For a start, enforcing our own sewer use bylaws which make it illegal to discharge rainwater or groundwater to the sanitary sewer. You can livestream through many apps - CityNews 570. I'll post it afterwards anyway. I will describe to the general public, in simple language, how their sewer works, and how to reduce the risk of flooding and backups at home. The Norton public education campaign (Norton Sewers are NOT Trash Cans signs along with public education) does precisely that, helping one homeowner at a time, with ongoing reinforcement. When homeowners start to voluntarily maintain their private lateral, private side infiltration is reduced, and it's a win/win/win for everyone. I am so grateful to have been given the gifts that allow me to help the residents in my community (and the residents of Ontario and Canada), directly and practically, every day. Just another day at the office! *I wasn't even out of the parking lot before I got the first call from a resident. A lovely lady in Cambridge says she always listens to me and learns so much. I gave her a few more pro tips :). She is ASTOUNDED that these illegal downspout connections continue to persist (me, too). Residents are ready and willing to make the adjustments necessary for climate change, now. #sewers #inflow #infiltration #flooding #bestpractices #publiceducation #ontariodownspoutdisconnectionday #rats #regionofwaterloo #cityofwaterloo #cityofkitchener #cityofcambridge

Ever had this happen? EWWWW! here are some simple steps to dealing with a POOPY situation!

With the rate of sewer backups rising annually, here are some of the most common causes you should watch for: 💧 Aging sewer systems breaking 💧 Vegetation and root blockages 💧 Sanitary main blockages If your property experiences water damage from a sewage backup, call us today at (703) 334-0410 for a free consultation! #WaterDamage #SewageBackup #WaterDamageRestoration #PuroCleanofSpringfield

👏 I am impressed with…. Scottish Water’s new initiative to tackle the sewage 🚽 blockage crisis by using… …wait for it… … pavements as a comms channel! 👏 Hard 👷♀️hats off to the person who thought up that simple but innovative idea. 💡 To encourage us to #BinTheWipes Scottish Water are equipping their teams with 🚧signage that educates the pubic. After clearing a blockage, they leave a stencil on the pavement that reads: 🚻 Another blockage cleared. Flushing wipes blocks pipes. Bin the wipes 🚻 The stats are 😳 eye-opening: wipes are found in 80% of the 100 blockages cleared daily, costing around £23,000 per day. Their sewer response teams clear about 36,000 blockages per year 📆 After participating in beach cleans across 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Scotland, I’ve seen the problem first hand: wipes and cotton buds everywhere! 🚫🚽 These items, wrongly flushed down our 🛑🚾loos, end up littering our beautiful beaches by the thousands. The ones that don’t end up on the beaches are causing the sewer blockage crisis so don’t forget to… #BinTheWipes Here’s my tuppence worth inspired by oor Rabbie Burns: But lo! A blight upon the land, From careless folk, a reckless hand. Wi’ heedless haste, they flush away, Wipes that should in bins decay. “Flushing wipes blocks pipes,” they warn, Yet still the sewers greet the morn. Wi’ clogs and muck, the flow is stayed, The price of folly dearly paid. In bonnie Scotland’s glens and lochs, A tale I tell of pipes and blocks. Where mountain streams and rivers glide, Our pristine waters take great pride. For every lass and every lad, By loch and glen, let’s make them glad. Protect our waters, clear and bright, And keep our Scotland pure and right. Let’s all do our part to support Scottish Water’s efforts by spreading 🎙️the word and making conscious choices in our daily routines. #BinTheWipes for a cleaner, greener 🌿Scotland! #FlushingWipesBlocksPipes Photo credit: Scottish Water