MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS

Abstract

A BASIC OVERVIEW OF THE U. S. GOVERNMENT'S INVOLVEMENTS IN DEVELOPING COUNTERMEASURES FOR COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW POLLUTION IS PRESENTED. STORMWATER FLOWS ALONE CAN SERIOUSLY AFFECT WATER QUALITY. SEWER SEPARATION IS VERY COSTLY AND SOLVES ONLY ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF THE PROBLEM. CURRENT APPROACHES INVOLVE CONTROL OF COMBINED OVERFLOWS, TREATMENT AND COMBINATIONS OF THE TWO. CONTROL CAN TAKE THE FORM OF OPTIMIZING TREATMENT WITH EXISTING FACILITIES, IMPROVING REGULATOR MAINTENANCE, CONTROLLING INFILTRATION AND EXTRANEOUS INFLOWS, SURFACE SANITATION, AND ADDING FLOW-INCREASING POLYMERS, AS WELL AS FLOW REGULATION AND STORAGE, USE OF POROUS PAVEMENT, AND VACUUM AND PRESSURE-TYPE SEWER SYSTEMS. SEVERAL OF THE TREATMENT METHODS ARE BEING EVALUATED. /DOT/