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com March 2013 CE NEWS 1

PROJECT CASE STUDY
A 2011 report by the American Society of Civil Engineers
Failure To Act; the economic impact of current
investment trends in water and wastewater treatment
infrastructure cited studies indicating the countrys
sewer collection systems are in disrepair and treatment
capacity is inadequate. As a result, these systems discharge
an estimated 900 billion gallons of untreated sewage each
year into the environment. This troubling news comes at a
time when federal and municipal agencies are cash-strapped
and funding for major infrastructure projects is limited. In
2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
estimated a cost of about $91 billion to upgrade Americas
potable and wastewater treatment systems. However, only
$36 billion of this need was funded, leaving a $55 billion
funding gap.
Clearly, when it comes to fxing Americas water
infrastructure, money is tight and diffcult to obtain.
Therefore, municipal leaders must be prudent when
they have to spend public money on new sewers. For
civil engineers faced with replacing or installing a new
collection system, the options generally are limited to
gravity sewers, low-pressure sewers, or vacuum sewers. In
recent years, more engineers are turning to vacuum sewer
technology because, in many situations, vacuum sewers
may be less expensive to install and easier to maintain than
other options, including gravity sewers.
Installation-related costs
Depending on topography and soil type, excavation may
be very expensive. This is particularly true in coastal areas
Cost-saving options
in wastewater collection
Communities report economic and
environmental benets of vacuum sewer technology.
By Steve Gibbs
Projects
Alloway, N.J.; New Bern
and Oak Island, N.C.;
Fripp Island, S.C.; and
Jacksonville, Cedar Grove,
the Florida Keys, and
Groveland, Fla
Product application
AIRVAC vacuum sewer
systems can provide cost
savings during installation
and operation plus
environmental benets.
Vacuum sewer systems usually require a trench only 4 to 6 feet deep,
which can be dug relatively quickly and with smaller equipment while
keeping streets open.
AIRVAC vacuum stations are equipped with backup generators, so if power is
lost there is no disruption of sanitary sewer service.
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or other places where there are high water tables and sandy
soil. Installing collection lines for gravity sewers may
require deep trenching, perhaps 15 feet deep or more, and
you incur all of the related problems and costs associated
with digging that deep, including expensive dewatering.
Fripp Island, S.C., faced this issue a couple of years ago
when utility offcials began considering sewer options.
We quickly discovered that gravity sewers were going
to be expensive, said Ernie Wilson, director of the Fripp
Island Pubic Service District. They also would create a
lot of disruption to our roads and utilities because of all the
deep trenches that would be needed.
Deep trenches require larger excavation equipment, trench
reinforcing, and in situations where there is a high water
table, dewatering. The installation process takes longer
and is far more disruptive than with vacuum technology,
which usually requires a trench only 4 to 6 feet deep. These
trenches can be dug relatively quickly and with smaller
equipment, and the collection lines (typically SDR 21 or
Schedule 40 PVC pipes) can often be placed by hand. Also,
vacuum systems such as AIRVAC do not have manholes,
further reducing installation time. If an unexpected obstacle
is encountered underground, rerouting the line around or
beneath the obstacle is simple and rarely requires a change
order. All this means less work, less disruption, and less
risk for workers.
Installation of collection lines and construction of
lift stations can create enormous disruption within a
community. Streets and sidewalks must be torn up, utilities
and traffc rerouted, and commerce is interrupted. There
are also signifcant liability issues. In Alloway, N.J.,
engineers calculated that new collection lines would need
to be 22 to 24 feet deep. Such deep excavation would
have disrupted the community for months. They avoided
the issues associated with extremely deep trenches by
installing an AIRVAC system. Community life was
relatively uninterrupted by the new sewer project and the
sidewalks and streets that were affected by the work were
repaired quickly and easily.
With vacuum sewer technology, every house and business
must be connected to a valve pit buried near the street (see
Figure 1 on page 4). Often, a single valve pit will serve
two or three houses. The valve operates pneumatically; no
electricity is required. Installation is simple and several
installations can be accomplished in a single day.
Another signifcant cost issue is the number of lift stations
necessary to convey sewage. Cities built on fat terrain
may require many lift stations, each one a signifcant
capital investment in land, construction, and equipment. In
Oak Island, N.C. (pop. 7,800), engineers estimated they
would need 70 to 80 lift stations. The city decided to install
an AIRVAC sewer that needed only nine vacuum stations
to serve the entire community. The cost for vacuum
technology was approximately 25 percent less than the
cost of a comparable gravity system. Considering the cost
to purchase a parcel for a lift station, the cost savings may
be even greater for areas with high property values.
Operational cost savings
Faster, easier installation is a great beneft, but operational
costs have a greater long-term impact on a citys budget.
Therefore, it is important to consider the day-to-day costs
of operating and maintaining any sewer system.
Daily maintenance of a vacuum sewer is simple and
predictable. Workers visit vacuum stations on a daily basis
for a few minutes to check gauges and fuid levels. Among
other things, the gauges reveal pressure levels within the
lines and help detect if a rare leak has occurred. If so, the
leak can be isolated quickly and, because of the shallow
depth of collection lines, excavated and repaired, usually
within a few hours.
With our AIRVAC system, you always know if you have
any infltration or exfltration because we have system
monitoring at the vacuum station, said Chuck Martin,
maintenance coordinator, JEA, in Jacksonville, Fla. In a
gravity system, you may have to run a camera in the sewer
main for days to fnd a leak. Gravity sewers tend to require
a lot of expensive maintenance equipment and a lot of
man-hours. It can be a big operation. Thats not the case
with vacuum systems.
With AIRVAC technology, utility workers rarely, if ever,
come in contact with sewage because vacuum sewers
are a closed system. For that reason, vacuum stations
are typically clean. And, because there are no manholes,
workers never have to venture into cramped spaces to
check sewer lines.
Safety and liability are areas of concern for every public
works director who has to send his personnel into a
sewer, said Thomas Voght, former Public Works director
for Cedar Grove, Fla. For gravity sewers, there are
Maintaining the pressure levels at a vacuum sewer station takes only a few
minutes each day.
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numerous dangers involved in routine maintenance and
repair work. Falling into manholes, working in confned
areas with the threat of hydrogen sulfde gas, the moving
parts and electricity associated with a lift station, traffc
hazards, contact with raw sewage, and many others. By
comparison, there are very few injury risks associated with
vacuum sewers.
With vacuum sewer systems, workers typically check valve
pits on a scheduled basis, but this is easy duty because the
valve pits are easily accessible, relatively maintenance
free and there is no danger of electrical shock. Valve pit
problems are rare, but if they do occur, they are easily fxed
using ordinary tools, usually in a matter of minutes.
Vacuum sewers also can reduce costs at the treatment plant.
Chuck Adams, operations manager for New Bern, N.C.,
said infltration was an enormous problem for his city.
With their gravity systems, a major rainfall event would
increase the burden at the treatment plant from its normal
3.5 million gallons a day (mgd) to 11 mgd. Since 1994, the
city has installed several AIRVAC systems that allow no
infltration. Imagine the treatment cost savings over one,
two or three decades.
Its important to note that AIRVAC systems have an
excellent record for durability and longevity. The frst
municipal vacuum systems in the United States are now
more than 40 years old and still going strong, with minimal,
easy maintenance.
Intrinsic benets
Saving money is wonderful; saving the environment
is even better. Vacuum sewers can help with both. As
an alternative to leaky sewers and septic tanks, vacuum
technology is an environmentally wise choice that pays off
in numerous ways.
The Florida Keys are a popular vacation destination
and much of the areas economy is based on tourism. In
the 1980s and 1990s, it was discovered that inadequate
wastewater conveyance and treatment were contributing to
a serious environmental problem the magnifcent coral
reefs and marine life in the area were being threatened by
high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous. The problem was
so bad that swimming became unsafe in some areas. Public
works offcials prioritized their problems and went to work
installing vacuum sewers in places like Key Largo and
Marathon. Today, the water in and around the Keys is much
cleaner. It is safe to swim, the aquatic life is thriving, and
the local public utilities have won environmental awards
for their work in creating sustainable water quality. They
also protected their most valuable industry tourism.
Additionally, places such as the Florida Keys and cities
along the Eastern and Southern coastlines are susceptible
The valve pit is easily accessible and designed so operators dont contact
raw sewage.
Vacuum sewer stations provide a clean, odor-free working environment.
4 CE NEWS March 2013 www.cenews.com
to hurricanes. When electrical power is lost during a storm,
sewer service also may be disrupted and lift stations can no
longer convey sewage. The result can be a serious health
risk to local residents.
We have 39 lift stations and just two generators for our
gravity sewer system. When there is a power outage,
keeping them running is tiring and stressful for the entire
staff. With the vacuum station, we have nothing to worry
about. The back-up generator kicks in and the system
continues to function normally, explained Robert Holland,
Utilities Superintendent for the City of Groveland, Fla.
AIRVAC systems are equipped with backup generators,
so if power is lost there is no disruption of sanitary sewer
service, and a single vacuum station can serve hundreds
or even thousands of homes. Also, hurricanes often
cause fooding and an infltration of stormwater and sand
into gravity sewer lines and treatment facilities. Closed
AIRVAC systems dont have this problem.
Modern vacuum sewer technology also can be a terrifc
selling feature for communities as they compete for
business and residents. AIRVAC sewers enhance property
values and can make your city more attractive to businesses
that appreciate reliable, environmentally responsible
public utilities.
Total cost effectiveness
Selecting a new or replacement sewer is a cost equation with
many variables installation, maintenance, manpower,
effciency, longevity, and economic development value.
When you consider all of these factors, vacuum sewer
technology becomes a cost-effective alternative. The proof
is already in the ground, as hundreds of communities across
the country have installed systems that offer evidence of
the immediate and long-term value of vacuum sewers.
Steve Gibbs is a freelance writer based in Memphis, Tenn., with more than 25 years
of experience covering public works and construction projects for regional and
national publications. This article is a compilation of project case studies highlighting
AIRVAC vacuum sewer technology.
Selecting a new or replacement
sewer is a cost equation with many
variables installation, maintenance,
manpower, efciency, longevity, and
economic development value.
See this sytem in action at www.airvac.com and learn how the AIRVAC Vacuum Sewer System works.
AIRVAC Vacuum Sewer System