The gravity sewer system in Honea Path, South Carolina, dates back to the town’s inception. As the clay pipes in the system aged, rainwater infiltrated into the system, driving up treatment costs.

The town installed one E/One grinder pump at a problematic location in the late 2000’s with excellent results. Since then, Honea Path has replaced parts of its gravity sewer system with pressure sewer to address inflow and infiltration in the aging pipes. As the project expands, the town will eliminate a pump station and infiltration that currently costs as much as $87,000 per month to treat.

Pressure sewer offers flexibility and cost savings: the ability to provide service to a below-grade lot; and lines need not be a straight line. Honea Path has found that the cost for pressure sewer line installation is about 33 percent of the cost of a gravity sewer line.

Covalen works with a South Carolina community to replace aging infrastructure and reduce severe Inflow and Infiltration issues. The driver for this groundbreaking initiative was a 50% reduction in overall project costs to use pressure sewer instead of a gravity sewer replacement.

Adapted from E/One’s Case Study.