About 52 properties at risk of fine

 

The city of Albert Lea plans to begin charging residents who have water flowing from their foundation drains into the city’s sanitary sewer system or who have not allowed inspectors into their homes $50 per month beginning in January. 

Albert Lea City Engineer Steven Jahnke said approximately 52 properties across the city have either not had an inspection or have not come into compliance after having an inspection.

Jahnke, who noted the city has worked on the issue since 1999, said there were approximately 5,600 homes and businesses required to have an inspection, which had been reduced to approximately 105 by July. Since then, approximately half have been inspected as of earlier this month, he noted.

Jahnke said it is difficult to gauge how much water leaks into the city’s system by non-compliant homes.

“We can tell you we have seen a significant reduction in inflow and infiltration — clear water — entering the sewer as homeowners and businesses have come into compliance,” he said. “Although this reduction has not solved the problem, it has significantly reduced the frequency of sewer backups and having to pump out of the sanitary sewer to prevent basement backups.”

Jahnke said a “big portion” of remaining houses have not been inspected. If homeowners do not want city officials to enter their homes, they can hire a licensed plumber who can then submit a copy of the inspection to the city.

“They may be in compliance; they may not be,” Jahnke said of the homes that have not been inspected. “We just don’t know.”

To Jahnke, there are taxpayer costs to having water seep into the city system from basements.

“The costs of not completing this is sewer backups into basements, having to discharge wastewater from the sanitary sewer lines into the storm sewer system — lakes — during heavy rain events, increased wear and tear on pumps and motors, and having to treat additional wastewater at the wastewater treatment plant,” he said.

Jahnke said the two biggest reasons water from household basements leaks into the city system is because of beaver systems — a channel running around the basement — collecting water from walls into the sewer system and sump pumps that place water directly into the system.

He said expenses for coming into compliance range from running piping outside of homes to putting up sump pumps.

Sixth Ward Councilor Al “Minnow” Brooks, who voted against instituting the charge, said he only supports inspections being done on homes with direct tiling into the city’s sewer system. He said the city should not fine homeowners with water-proof systems that divert water into a single room.

He noted his interpretation of the program slightly differs from the city’s and said he does not believe beaver systems are direct connections to the sanitary sewer system.