City of Waltham, MA
Sump Pump Amnesty Program
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the Sump Pump Amnesty Program?
The Sump Pump Amnesty Program is to help single family
homeowners who have a sump pump connected to the sewer system. The Amnesty Program will allow property
owners to keep their sump pump but disconnect it from the sanitary
sewer. The sump pump will be re-directed
to an on-site infiltration system or a storm drain or swale. Any homeowner’s sump pump connected to the sewer
system identified after the amnesty period and not listed
in the Amnesty Program, will be potentially subject to penalties,
fines, and all costs associated with correcting the sump pump system. Therefore,
your timely cooperation with this program is imperative.
2. Why is the Sump Pump Amnesty Program important?
Participation in the Sump Pump Amnesty program will
reduce sewer system backups and overflows.
Parts of the City have been subject to frequent sanitary sewer backups
and overflows which are a public health
risk and harm the surrounding environment.
The City is working with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection (MADEP) to improve the sewer system. Sewer backups and overflows lead
to higher sewer bills and reduced property values. Eliminating
these sanitary sewer backups and overflows
is beneficial to the community and
environment.
3. How can sump pumps cause basement flooding?
Overloading the sewer system from sump pump discharges
can lead to sewer backups and overflows.
The sewer system capacity is for wastewater flows only, and the addition
of outside water sources can cause the sewer system to backup and/or
overflow. When the sanitary sewers are
overloaded, the water level in the manholes and sewers rise. When it rises
above the level of your basement floor, the sewers can backup into your
basement. See the drawing of “Sump Pump
Incorrectly Discharging to Sanitary Sewer".
4. Who is paying for the Sump Pump Amnesty Program?
The City has appropriated funds for this project. MADEP is providing a low interest loan to the
City for this work. With your willing
participation in the amnesty program, the City has made it a priority to assist
its proactive residents by implementing
this Sump Pump Amnesty Program, AT NO
COST to the single family homeowner, as part of the overall
program to improve the sewer system.
5. What is the schedule for the Sump Pump Amnesty Program?
The City is currently undertaking an assessment of the
sump pump connections within the City of Waltham. A permanent solution
for correcting these connections will be developed
on a cluster or
neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis, and it is intended that construction
contracts will
be prepared, publicly bid and awarded.
The preferred method for correcting a sump pump discharge is to an
on-site infiltration system as shown in “Sump Pump Correctly Discharging to
On-site Infiltration Basin (Option A)” or, if this is unsuitable, to a storm
drain or swale as shown in “Sump Pump Correctly Discharging to Storm Drain
(Option B)”. Construction will likely be
phased over a three year period.
6. How does the Sump Pump Amnesty Program work?
The City urges all homeowners to call its sump pump amnesty program consultant, Environmental
Partners Group, Inc., (EPG) at (617-657-0200) or the Waltham
Engineering Department (781-314-3830) to schedule
a free property visit and sump pump assessment.
Evening appointments are available. You can
also email us to schedule a home assessment at walthamsumppump@envpartners.com. We will visit your home, assess your sump pump system, and
if you are connected to the sewer system, discuss alternative
methods for redirecting your sump pump discharge pipe. After assessments are completed and solutions
identified on a cluster or
neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis, it is intended that construction contracts
will
be prepared, publicly bid and awarded.
Construction will likely be phased over a three year period. Work to correct your sump pump system will be AT NO COST TO YOU and will be
completed by a professional contractor in accordance with applicable plumbing codes.
Construction work will be overseen to ensure compliance
with the design and the plumbing
code.
7. How do I sign up for a free home assessment?
Contact the sump pump amnesty program consultant, Environmental
Partners Group, Inc., (EPG) at (617-657-0200) or the Waltham
Engineering Department (781-314-3830) to schedule
a free property visit and sump pump assessment.
Evening appointments are available. You can
also email us to schedule a home assessment at walthamsumppump@envpartners.com.
8. Where should my sump pump discharge to?
A properly
installed
sump pump discharges to an on-site infiltration system or to a storm drain or
swale. See the drawings “Sump Pump
Correctly Discharging to On-site Infiltration Basin (Option A)” and “Sump Pump
Correctly Discharging to Storm Drain (Option B)”.
9. What does an incorrect sump pump connection look like?
See the drawing of “Sump Pump Incorrectly Discharging
to Sanitary Sewer". Previous home
builders, plumbers,
or homeowners may have incorrectly
connected your sump pump discharge pipe to the sewer system. This Amnesty project provides an opportunity
to fix this for single family homeowners.
10. What is a sanitary sewer?
Sanitary sewers collect wastewater generated (for
example toilets, showers, garbage disposals, washing machines) from residences
and businesses by a system of manholes, pipes, and pumps. Wastewater from Waltham is ultimately
discharged into the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) system.
11. What is a storm drain?
Storm drains collect rainwater and snow melt from
streets, sidewalks, yards, and other outdoor areas. The storm drain collects the water and
usually discharges to a river, stream, or pond.
Since this water is relatively clean, it requires minimal treatment
before discharging to it’s final location.
12. Do sump pumps connected to the sewer system really cause
a problem?
Yes. An 8-inch sanitary sewer can accommodate waste flows
from up to 200 homes, but the inflow from eighteen sump pumps, operating at
full capacity, will overload this same eight-inch line.