CMOM Programs
Utility failures are never
good news. That includes sewers. WPC is committed to
eliminating every sewer system failure possible, in turn
providing optimum customer value and protecting our community
and environment. To reach that ambitious goal, WPC has
implemented a series of intensive pro-active programs.
Together, the programs are called CMOM – short for
“Capacity, Management, Operations and Maintenance”.
WPC uses CMOM programs to keep an eye on conditions in its
sewers to prevent failures, as well as to correct problems
quickly when a failure does occur. CMOM has helped WPC
reduce sewer overflows substantially, to well below the national
average.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – the people who
wrote the book on CMOM – agree that WPC’s approach is working in
the right direction. In February 2007, EPA notified WPC
that it was meeting the guidelines for CMOM programs. WPC
had submitted its CMOM programs for EPA review in response to a November 2004 letter that EPA sent to every
significant
sewer system in the Wheeler Lake basin - Arab, Ardmore, Athens,
Decatur, Falkville, Gurley, Hartselle, Huntsville, Limestone
County, New Hope, Owens Crossroads, Priceville, Triana, and
Woodville.
WPC’s CMOM programs include a diverse set of tools for
monitoring, finding problems in, and improving the sewer system:
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Flow Monitoring
WPC has deployed a network of devices to measure flow at key
points in our sewers. By monitoring flow patterns, WPC
can detect potential problems and correct them before they
become real trouble.
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Smoke Testing
WPC finds pipe leaks hidden underground, as well as illicit
storm drain connections, through “smoke testing”. By
blowing a harmless mist (which has the appearance of smoke)
into sewers, WPC can locate hidden leaks and illicit
connections and take corrective action.
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Video Inspection
WPC gets the inside scoop on its sewers through video
inspection. Closed-circuit TV cameras mounted on
robotic crawlers are sent into and through the sewers.
Operators in specially equipped trucks view and record the
video, marking the locations of leaks, breaks, or other pipe
problems. WPC then determines an appropriate
corrective action.
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Root Control
Roots grow through cracks and clog sewer pipes, and are a
significant cause of overflows from our sewers.
Through a contractor, WPC uses a chemical foam to kill
intruding roots and prevent re-growth, preventing sewer
blockages.
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Sewer Rehabilitation
Repairing the problems found during other CMOM tasks is key
to WPC’s program success. WPC repairs leaks in pipes
and manholes with a variety of construction methods.
Some repair methods require digging up the pipe, but others
don’t – the pipes are repaired from the inside.
CMOM is a concept originally
developed by the EPA to help sewer systems reduce the frequency
of sewer overflows. CMOM was at originally proposed as new
federal legislation, but later evolved into part of the permits
that sewer agencies must obtain to operate sewer systems and
wastewater treatment facilities.
For more information on EPA's
CMOM initiative, visit:
