Beginning the week of January 8, a contractor will be working on the sanitary sewer lines in the area south of Nelson Street and north of Martin Street between E 5^th Street and W 4^th Street. Residents on the east end of the project were notified on January 4^th. More residents should receive notifications 24-48 hours before work begins. If you were not home, the contractor left a door hanger at your residence.

Work is anticipated to begin on Monday, January 8^th, 2024, near East 5^th Street and continue west. The contractor is expecting to be completed with all work before Friday, January 12^th, 2024. The snowy weather forecast for early in the week may cause delays in the schedule. Work will be completed between the hours of 7am and 5pm. The contractor has requested that during the hours they will be working in your area, please do not use lots of water (i.e. taking a shower/baths, running the dishwasher, or using your clothes washing machine).

The contractor provided a couple of tips to reduce the risk of sewer odors and toilet water that could come from your toilet or drains during this process.

Unpleasant Odor?

This is due to a dry p-trap in toilets, sinks, or other drains that aren’t used frequently. The solution is to ensure the p-traps are filled with water by running your faucets for about 30 seconds and flushing the toilet. This will fill the traps with water and block the odors from emitting through the drains.

Gurgling or Overflowing water from toilets?

Air-pressure is required to clean the sanitary sewer before and after lining. The pressure can cause water to gurgle and, in some cases, overflow the toilets. It is recommended to place plastic wrap over the toilet opening between the top of bowl and the toilet seat. Then lower the seat and toilet lid over the plastic wrap. Cover the toilet lid with an old towel and something heavy (that you don’t mind getting wet), especially if you have experienced pressure on your sewer lines in the past. If you have additional old towels, place them around the base of the toilet as an extra line of defense.