DeKalb Watershed Management identify sewer line repairs, prepare to build new pump station

 The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management recently completed 400 miles of sewer pipe smoke testing, and identified public and private lines in need of repair.

The smoke testing of sewer lines is one type of required assessment outlined in DeKalb County’s 2011 federal Consent Decree. In this test, a nontoxic smoke is inserted in section of sewer pipe. If smoke escapes through the ground, it indicates a breach in the sewer pipe. In addition, the test also detects breaches in private laterals, stormwater tie-ins, and any other situation that allows either stormwater to get into the system or wastewater to leak out of the system.

As county officials continue testing and identifying repairs needed, they are also preparing to host a community open house to announce construction for the Honey Creek Pump Station and Force Main in the Stonecrest area. The open house will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 6 p.m., at the Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road, Lithonia.

The construction is a new phase of capital improvement projects under the federal consent decree. The sanitary sewer collection system in the Stonecrest and Lithonia areas is designed to move wastewater through a sewer pipe from a higher elevation to a lower elevation, increasing sewer capacity and reducing sanitary sewer overflows in the area.

Construction will take place throughout 2017 and will require intermittent traffic detours in the area as work progresses. Notices about traffic flow will be posted, advising residents and motorists of construction work and traffic restrictions. Flaggers will be present during single-lane closures.

For more information on the project status, contact projectinfo@dekalbcountyga.gov or call 1-800-986-1108.