sewer

County Sewer System, Manholes to be Renovated

By Katie Pyzyk

Arlington’s aging sewer lines will be getting some updating in the coming months.

The County Board has awarded a $1.92 million contract to AM-Liner East, Inc., to reline sewer pipes throughout the county. That contract includes work to a main line that runs along Four Mile Run Drive, from Columbia Pike to Walter Reed Drive.

A second contract, worth $360,000, was awarded to AM-Liner East, Inc., to rehabilitate sewer manholes. The work prevents water from seeping into the system and overwhelming the treatment plant, which could force a release of partially treated sewage into Four Mile Run.

The county has 13,000 manholes, and the ones receiving first attention are located in Crystal City. Evaluations and repairs on others will follow.

Arlington’s sewer system is made up of 465 miles of mains. Each year, the county’s Capital Improvement Program funds rehabilitation on about 1.5 percent of the system, which typically covers seven miles of pipe.

UPDATED: The Smell of Natural Gas in the Morning

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) Residents in some parts of Arlington woke up to the smell of sewer natural gas.

Many called the fire department to report the gas smell, which the county’s Department of Environmental Services says is an issue that Washington Gas is investigating.

According to DES, the smell was reported in Fairfax County, Northwest D.C. and as far away as West Virginia.

Sewer Work Prompts Numerous Fire Department Calls

By ARLnow.com

A pervasive chemical odor has prompted some residents in the neighborhood just north of the Washington Golf and Country Club and east of Glebe Road to call the fire department, thinking something was amiss, when in fact the odor is actually a byproduct of scheduled sewer work in the area.

Contractors working for the county’s Water, Sewer and Streets Bureau are relining the sewer pipes along the 4700 block of 34th Road North until about 8:30 p.m. tonight. Water service has been cut to a number of homes in the area to facilitate the work, which is being done without any excavation.

The sewer bureau’s contractors using “a trenchless technology known as Cured-In-Place Pipe,” according to county Department of Environmental Services spokesperson Myllisa Kennedy.

The odor is the result of the styrene resin that’s used to reline the pipes. Kennedy says the resin “is not harmful to pets or people.”

Here’s how she explained the process:

The process involves inserting a resin-impregnated felt liner similar to a sock into an existing sanitary sewer main through the manhole. Once the liner is in place, hot water is injected into the sock, and the heated water activates the resin material which is impregnated in the liner. As the resin is activated, it cures and forms into a solid plastic material which transforms the flexible liner into a rigid pipe which exhibits structural strength equivalent to a new sewer. Additionally, the new cured pipe provides a smooth and efficient flow channel which thoroughly renews the sewer without excavating the pipe.

Once the pipe liner has cured, a robotic tool is inserted into the new pipe and is remotely directed through the pipe to cut out the lateral service connections, and the new pipe is placed back into service. The entire process typically requires 6-12 hours. The County’s Capital Improvement Program funds the relining program to replace approximately 1.5 percent of the sewer system annually, about 7 miles of pipe.

Similar work will be performed on the 4700 blocks of 34th Street and Dittmar Road between Nov. 29 and Dec. 3 next week. Sewer bureau staff will hand-deliver notices to affected homes.

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Sewage Release Prompts Water Warning

By ARLnow.com

Update on 10/22 — The advisory has been lifted.

Raw sewage overflowing from a manhole near the Long Branch Nature Center has prompted county authorities to issue a warning about the water in the Upper Long Branch stream and in Four Mile Run from Glencarlyn Park to the Potomac River.

People and animals should avoid contact with both streams until future notice, the county said Friday night. Among the affected areas is the popular Shirlington dog park.

From a county news release:

ARLINGTON, VA – Arlington County advises residents (and their pets) to avoid water downstream of a sewage release in Upper Long Branch stream. The area to avoid begins near the Long Branch Nature Center and continues through Four Mile Run at Glencarlyn Park to the Potomac River. This precautionary measure follows the discovery of sewage discharging from a sanitary sewer manhole near the Long Branch Nature Center on Friday evening, October 15.

Residents are advised to stay away from the affected waters – and also keep their pets away until further notice, to eliminate the risk of exposure to untreated sewage. Residents should not fish in the streams or have any contact with the waters – including wading or swimming – until further notice from the County. The advisory to avoid all contact is considered an extra precaution until the discharge is stopped and to allow the effect of the discharge to be diminished by natural flushing of the streams. The recreational areas affected include the following parks adjacent to the streams: Glencarlyn, Barcroft, Allie Freed, Shirlington, Jennie Dean and Four Mile Run.

The Mother of All Potholes in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

It would swallow up a truck tire — maybe even a small motorcycle — if given a chance. This monster pothole, near Ballston Common Mall, is more than two feet deep, perhaps big enough to be classified as a sinkhole.

The pothole, which apparently extends into some sort of sewer line, is located in the turning lane of N. Carlin Springs Rd at the intersection with N. Glebe Rd.

An Arlington public works truck was on the scene earlier this afternoon, apparently waiting for some heavier machinery to arrive.

There are plenty of other potholes around Arlington, but this is probably the biggest. If there’s a suspension-twisting, tire-flattening pothole that you want to see patched, fill out this form on the county’s web site, or call 703-228-6570.

A county spokesperson says their crews are trying to take care of potholes within 72 hours but, due to the large number of potholes this year, meeting the 72 hour goal may be difficult.