Sewer - This Page is Under Construction

We have completed hundreds of sewer connection plans in the Town of Chatham. It is about time that we add an informational webpage that shares our knowledge.

The basics overview for the property owner once the sewer is available.

  • We research the record information on your property including:
    Septic Plan, As-Built and / or Inspection Report
    Water Tie Card
    Record Utility Locations
    Other pertinet plans and documents.

  • We compile this information into a plan of your property along with property lines, topography and planimetry from in-house files.

  • We visit your site with you for an intial review.
    We take a look in the basement to measure the utility locations. We can recommend rerouting the plumbing in the basement or use the existing pipes.
    We then take a look outside and ask ‘What can the contractors break?’ The connection requires excavation and destruction. We work with you to choose the right location for the sewer connection that will minimize the damage you would rather not see.

  • Our field crew visits the site (exterior) to locate utilities, structures and other site details that are in vicinity of the proposed sewer service.

  • The property owner provides a floor plan of the house. These do not have to be perfect. If you need someone to complete the plans, we recommend JFW Photography https://www.jfwphotos.com/ as they can complete thorough floor plans for a reasonable fee.

  • We design the Sewer Connection Plan, submit the plan with Floor Plans to the Town of Chatham. We will submit the plan an your contact information to 3 contractors.

  • We are available for questions and guidance for the connection, but we step out of the way to allow your contractor and the Town Staff complete the efforts.

Sewer Basics - Gravity

Gravity connections are the preferable means to connect a property to the sewer. The pipe exitting the house is typically 4” pvc or cast iron. Outside and adapter is added to change the pipe to 4” or 6” sdr-35. At every change of material or direction, a cleanout is added. The cleanouts are sized the same as the pipes below and are installed to the surface. A cast iron cover is placed close to the surface that is easy to find when the line needs to be cleaned out. The sewer continues to the street where a cleanout is placed at the streetline. This represents the end of the private service and the start of the public service.

Replumbing inside is usually less expensive than trenching outside. When the sewer is on the wrong side of the building, the plumbers can make things work better.

Pump Systems or Force Systems are an option when they are needed. When the sewer main is not low enough or when the system uses a Low Pressure Force Main, the property owner will need to install a pump. With few exceptions, the pumps will be e-one or Environmental One pumps. The local distributor is FR Mahoney and Roger Ling ((508) 945-9052) stocks some cores for local servicing.
The e one is a good pump but there are limitations. FR Mahoney prefers to stck the 71 gallon pump chamber which has about 30 gallons of reserve when the power goes out. We typically specify he 151 gallon pump chamber but that is only so much better. An additional tank can be added but it must allow for the sewage to drain: a septic tank will not do.

Planning - Construction - Connection - Operation

Planning
GHD Inc. has been planning and designing the sewers in Chatham. They prepared an overview plan as part of the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan and are now fine tuning these into Construction Documents.

Construction
No, the construction phase is not fun. It includes road closures, detours, patched pavement and other disruptions. During this time, the contractor can be directed to place your stub or sewer service in an optimal location. We can help you locate the stub in a good location on your property with the calculation of the depth. These marks cannot always be followed by the contractors as there are other constraints that force locations.

Connection
Once the sewer is installed and the roads are repaved, the Board of Health will issue a demand that you connect. Hire an engineering firm to prepare a design. Then hire a contractor to make the connection and abandon your septic system.

Operation
Once connected, there are still things you cannot flush down the drain, there’s some maintenace and there are sewer fees.

My septic system is working fine. - That’s great but your septic fails to treat the nitrogen in the sewage to the levels needed for the salt water estuaries to be healthy. Among other things, this affects the bay scallops. If for nothing else, let us save those delicious shellfish.