Sewrage

sewarage (building maintenance)

1. MAINTENANCE
OF
SEWRAGE
SYSTEM

2. MAINTENANCE OF SEWRAGE SYSTEM
The faults in sewer system occurs due to defective system &misuse.
The main problems in sanitary system are as follows:
1. leakage of C.I pipes
2. overflowing Cisterns
3. blocked Waste Pipes
4. blocked drains & drainage
5. damaged or cracked China Ware.
MAINTENANCE OF SEWRAGE SYSTEM

3. LEAKAGE OF C.I PIPES:
The dampness near C.I fitting normally
occurs on roof due to leakage through C.I fitting.
It is also normally below the water closet
or the floor trap.
The defects occurs due to seepage of water
through the gap between the floor & the
‘P’ trap at the time of original construction.
MAINTENANCE:
This leakage can be repaired & plugged by applying a suitable sealant
in the gap.
The joints are filled with lead to close the gap in collar.
Collar can be utilized in forming lead joint on both sides of collar.

4. DEFECTIVE INSTALLATION Of TRAPS:
The maintenance problems of trap arise due to defective
design, inappropriate seal, & defective installations.
DESIGN DEFECT:
may be caused due to loose cover or improper
type of trap.
The proper trap has ‘U’ shaped pipe.
INAPPROPRIATE SEAL:
Water seal should be 38mm in two
pipe system 40mm in single
stack system.
Inadequate water seal create
leakage problems.

5. DEFECTIVE INSTALLATION:
Defective installation of trap is the main cause of leakage.
The defective floor installations can be summarized as:
Installation where trap is seated too deep from the floor level,
Installation where one or more pipe enters into floor trap,
Installation where trap is over flooded.
Water tight lead joint shall be provided for avoiding leakage.

6. OVERFLOWING CISTERNS:
Overflow from the cistern occurs due to a damaged
ball cock or due to blockage of the ball valve itself.
The ball may develop a crack or leak, which
results in filling of the ball with water & thus
resulting in ill functioning.
MAINTANANCE:
Leakage can be repaired by the replacement
of the ball or the puncture of the ball be
sealed after removing the leak water.
In case the ball is okay & the fault is in the
ball cock then the ball cock is adjusted by
bending the rod connected to the valve.
Fault can be due to the presence of some
grit in the valve, the grit can be removed.

7. BLOCKED WASTE PIPES:
Blocked waste pipe results in the slow emptying
of the fitting to which the waste pipe is connected.
MAINTENANCE:
Normally cleaning eyes / plugs are provided in the
pipe for cleaning & the same should be opened to
remove foreign matter.
To decrease the chances of the occurrence of this
defect, a strainer should be fixed at the entry point of
waste pipe. Flow should be checked in the waste pipe at regular intervals
Augers are used for cleaning the waste pipes.

8. CLOGGED DRAINS & LEAKAGE:
Drains may get clogged by large size objects
dropped in to them by accumulation of grease,
dirt or other matter.
MAINTENANCE:
If the obstruction is in the trap, the trap cover
can be removed & cleared.
If the obstruction is elsewhere in the pipe,
cleaning can be done by using extendable rods
attached with flushing rubber cups in front.
This rod should be moved to & fro in the clogged
drains & flushed with water.
If the clogging is more hard & difficult,
use augers with steel cable. (snake auger).
These augers may be run into drain partly to
break the obstruction & to hook on to pull out the obstructing objects.
Sand & dirt sometimes clog the floor traps & drain.
Remove the strainer & take out much of the sediment
around the floor trap manually & flush the drain with clear water.
If more pressure is needed, use garden hose to clean the clogging.

9. DAMAGED OR CRACKED CHINA WARE:
Damaged chinaware fittings give a very shabby look in addition
to the leakage problem.
Chinaware fittings can only be replaced if these are cracked.
Washbasins are mostly fixed on iron clamps embedded in wall
up to very small depth.
A slight displacement can break them.
The support angles should invariably be embedded adequately
(200-250mm) in the wall so as to make stable.
Whenever supporting fixtures are loose, these should be
immediately repaired & reset.

10. DEFECTIVE DOWN TAKE DRAIN PIPES:
Down take pipes should be non-perforated and non-leaking.
Metal pipes are favoured as these are non-perforated and
non-leaking, but these pipes
Remedial measures will consist of painting of the inside of
gutter and down pipes with bitumen paint.
In case of plastic pipe bowing during hot
season is a major problem.
If joints starts leaking, these need to be
repaired by using appropriate leak proof
sealing adhesive.

11. SEWER
The under ground drains or conduits through which the
sewage is conveyed or carried are called sewers.
Sewage always is carried in closed drains or pipes so that the
foul gases and odour may not pollute the atmosphere.
SHAPE OF SEWERS
Rectangular
Circular made of brick or circular pipes
Semi elliptical
Horse shoe type
Basket handle type
Egg shaped or oval shape section.
Though every shape has its own advantage, and disadvantages,
but an egg shaped sections have been found more popular in
practice.

12. CHARACTERISTICS OF SEWERS
As sewage from industries having acids, alkalis and other
chemicals also flow through sewers, hence the materials of
sewers should possess the following characteristics
Resistance to corrosion and abrasion- the sewer material
should be resistant to chemical reactions and abrasion.
Durability- the material of sewers should be durable, so that
no frequent replacement of sewer is required.
Imperviousness- the material of sewers should be sufficiently
impervious.
Strength- as generally sewers are laid underground, hence
they are likely to be subjected to heavy loads. Hence, the
material should be strong enough to withstand these loads.

13. VENTILATION OF SEWERS
Sewer ventilation is essential due to the following reasons-
•Sewage flowing in the sewers contain organic and inorganic
matter which on purification or decomposition produces gases
like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen and
ammonia etc.
These gases like methane are very foul explosive and may
cause fatal accidents to the maintenance gang.
If the sewer is not properly ventilated the man hole cover
may be blown off.
These gases being light move upwards and cause
air pollution when they escape into the
atmosphere.
They also interfere with the natural flow of
sewer.
Hence sewer ventilators are provided along the
sewer lines at an interval of 80 to 150 m or so.
Ventilator shaft may be of cast iron, steel or
R.C.C. pipes of internal diameter ranging from
15cm to 25cm.

14. MAINTENANCE OF SEWERS
•For efficient and proper working of sewer lines, their proper
maintenance is essential.
•Maintenance of sewers mainly consists of removal of
stoppages, cleaning of sewers and other sewer appurtenances
and repair work.
•Maintenance of these sewers is costly which are laid on flat
slopes as they are more prone to heavily clogging and the self
cleansing velocity is not developed.
•Sewers which are laid to be clogged by the entrance of tree
roots through faulty joints are costly to maintain.
•Cleaning of clogged sewers due to silt, grease and oily
materials is one of the major problem of maintenance of sewer
line and is costly.
•The clogging mainly occurs in small sized sewers, where a man
cannot enter into them to clean.
•The clogging may be due to the deposition of sand, silt, grit,
and waste building materials and ashes etc.

15. •It may also be caused by the deposition of grease and oily materials contributed
by hotels, garages, soap industries etc.
•Odour in sewers is developed due to the decomposition of organic matter present
in the sewage.
•For good maintenance of sewer system, its up to date plans showing location of
manholes and other appurtenances, direction of flow, house sewers and grades of
sewer line etc should be available.
•Before starting actual cleaning and repair work, the inspection of the sewer line
and appurtenances must be carried out.
•In some cities inspection and repair works are carried out periodically as per
schedule.
•The period of inspection generally followed is as follwos-
Sewers on flat grades 3 months
Sewers not likely to be
affected by tree roots
3 months
Trouble free sewers 6 to 12 months
Intercepting sewers 1-4 weeks
Flushing tanks 1 month
Storm water overflow During rains only

16. CAUSES OF DAMAGE TO SEWERS
Main causes of damages to sewer are as follows:
•Use of poor quality materials and bad workmanship.
•Settlement of foundation due to low bearing capacity of soil.
•Excessive super imposed loads and faulty design.
•Small soil cover on the crown of the sewer to withstand the shock,
impact, vibrations due to moving vehicles.
•Explosion inside the sewer due to improper ventilation of the explosive
gases developed inside the sewer.
•Abrasion of sewers due to grit, sand etc. flowing with the sewage and
corrosion of sewer pipe due to corrosive gases which eat away the
sewer material resulting in its breakage.
•Breakage due to old age etc.

17. PROBLEM OF SEWER MAINTENANCE
The major problems the maintenance of sewers occur due to
clogging which is cause due to the following reasons-
•Deposition of silt, grit or other such material cause stagnation
of sewage causing to decomposition of organic matter present
in the sewage, producing poisonous gases and unpleasant odour
in the sewer.
•It may also be caused by the deposition of grease and oily
materials contributed by hotels, garages, soap industries etc.
deposit on the side of the sewer, reducing its cross section,
which in course of time clog the sewer.
•Penetration of roots through faulty joints or cracked sewer
joints chock the sewer.
•Stagnation of sewage in sewers due to improper working of
pumping units leads to the settlement of grit and other
materials and dumping of soil waste in the man hole clogs the
sewer line.