One of Johnson County Wastewater’s major investments to improve wastewater collection system performance is its Private Inflow and Infiltration program, now known as JoCo Inflow.
This voluntary program has helped thousands of Johnson County homeowners reduce the risk of basement sewer backups with no out-of-pocket expense to the homeowner.
Thousands of private sewer lines are connected to the wastewater system. For the system to function properly, those private connections must be properly configured and maintained.
Inflow and Infiltration occur when rain and groundwater enter the sanitary sewer system. This excess flow should go into the storm sewer system, so when it enters our sanitary sewer system, it overwhelms the system and results in issues for both private and public systems. This is a common theme for many wastewater utilities across the country, and addressing the excess wet weather flow requires public support and participation to mitigate the issue.
What causes Private Inflow and Infiltration?
Private I&I is caused by the connection of sources on private properties (sump pumps, downspouts, area/driveway drains, uncapped cleanouts, foundation drains) to the public collection system.
Private I&I reduces capacity in the sewer system. This can overwhelm the sewers with stormwater flow, which can lead to:
- Basement backups
- Sanitary sewer overflows to adjacent watercourses
- Increase treatment costs
What can I do to fix this?
Wastewater has implemented a 100% voluntary program called JoCo Inflow that will help remedy this problem at no cost to the homeowner.
The program started in 1983 and expanded in 1986, creating the first large scale private I&I removal program in the United States. Since then, we have inspected more than 55,000 properties and removed about 17,000 sources. Currently, Wastewater removes approximately 150-200 private I&I sources per year.
For more information or to sign up, visit the JoCo Inflow page on the County's website.