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Understanding Sacramento's Sewer System Introduction Some of the most important services received by Sacramento County residents are virtually invisible. One of those is a transportation system which is thousands of miles long and serves the majority of the County's residents... yet most of us never give it a thought. For a quick guide to the Sacramento region's sewer services, click here. It is the community sewer system. Every day this system conveys an average of 165 million gallons of wastewater to the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant off Franklin Boulevard in Elk Grove. The operation of this pipeline system is a monumental task, and one which requires ongoing planning, maintenance, and coordination. How does the sewer system work? The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (SRCSD) provides wastewater treatment and large pipeline conveyance from three active contributing agencies - Sacramento Area Sewer District (SASD), and the cities of Folsom and Sacramento. West Sacramento will join as an actively contributing agency in January 2007, though Yolo County and West Sacramento representatives already sit on the SRCSD Board of Directors. The largest contributing agency is SASD, which includes most unincorporated areas of the county, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova and small portions of the City of Sacramento. The sewer system, which collects and conveys wastewater from these sources to the treatment plant, is constructed in three different "tiers" of sanitary sewer pipe size and function. Those tiers interconnect to form a complex underground system that intricately covers the County in a web-like pattern. It takes thousands of miles of pipeline to provide the extensive coverage needed to serve the Regional District. The smallest pipes, typically 12 inches or less in diameter, are known as "collectors." Wastewater from homes, businesses, schools in short, any buildingsenters the system via these collectors. That wastewater includes everything from bathwater to dishwater to every toilet flush. The entire County is crisscrossed with these small pipes. Each year more than 40 miles of collectors are added to the system. From the collector pipes, wastewater flows into a system of larger pipes called "trunk lines," which are 12 inches and larger. There are several hundred miles of these large-diameter trunk lines in County Sanitation District 1. Each of these lines carries more than one million gallons of wastewater per day. Finally, these trunk lines connect to a massive system of pipes and pump stations that carry wastewater directly to the treatment plant. Interceptors can be up to 10 feet in diameter. At times of peak use, the interceptor system carries as much as 400 million gallons of wastewater per day. What about stormwater runoff? One important element not managed through the sewer system is stormwater runoff. Throughout SASD service areas, stormwater and wastewater are kept separate. Wastewater is conveyed directly to the wastewater treatment plant through sanitary sewers. A separate, equally extensive system of pipelines carries stormwater directly into creeks, streams and rivers often without treatment. However, in some areas of the city of Sacramento, a combined stormwater and wastewater collection system exists. In this area, stormwater receives the same treatment as wastewater. Expansion As Sacramento County grows, the ability to provide high quality sewer service must also expand to meet community needs. Because of the expense of adding to the systems, sewer line expansion is carefully planned to accommodate community growth. Sewer needs are identified and appropriate designs are prepared based on approved development plans. To accommodate growth within the County, about 120 miles of new interceptors will likely be constructed over the next 20 years. The actual placement of these lines, particularly of very large diameter interceptors, is always a matter of neighborhood concern. It can be difficult to find ideal routes because options may be limited by such considerations as available rights-of-way, existing infrastructure, and other factors. Expansion routes are generally identified in the District's Master Plan. As a part of the detailed design process, extensive local notification takes place to encourage local comment on proposed plans. Detailed information about planned construction is always provided within affected neighborhoods.
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Revised: October 2, 2007
