SUBSTITUTE SERVICE LINEIMPROVES HEALTH & SAFETY OF

HOUSTONIANS

Presented by

Daniel P. Oefner, P.E.

Supervising Engineer

Houston Water

TODAY’S JOURNEY

• About Us

• Overview

• Program Details

• Case Study

• Future of Program

• Questions

ABOUT US

HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS ORG CHART

Director

Chief

Administrative

Officer

Communications

Chief Operating

Officer

Financial

Management

Services

Houston

Water

Capital

Projects

Transportation

& Drainage

Operations

Building &

Development

Services

Customer

Account

Services

HOUSTON WATER ORG CHART

Houston

Water

Wastewater

Operations

Drinking Water

Operations

NEWPP

Expansion

Project

Water

Resources

Business

Services

MaintenanceExecutive

SupportOperations

Collection

System

Analysis

Construction

Management

Plant

Operations

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

TRADITIONAL MAINTENANCE EFFORTS

• Hydraulic Cleaning and Televising

• Repairs (open cut and trenchless)

• Rehabilitation (pipe-bursting/CIPP)

• New Construction (Capital Improvement Projects)

MAINTENANCE CHALLENGES

Back-Lot Challenges:

• Poor access

• Structural insufficiencies

• Lack of adherence to current design standards

• Encroachments of buildings, pools, landscaping, etc…

SUBSTITUTE SERVICE LINE PROGRAM (SSLP)

The primary function of the SSLP is to decommission and

abandon aging back-lot public infrastructure that present on-

going maintenance challenges which threaten the health,

safety and welfare of the citizens of Houston.

SEWER DEFINITIONS (COH – IDM, CHAPTER 8.03)

Sewer Line:

A public sewer located within public Right-Of-Way or Permanent Access Easement (PAE) / Public Utility Easement (PUE) that

is maintained and operated by the City.

Service Lead:

The sewer pipe that connects a building sewer to a sewer line that is wholly located within the public Right-Of-Way or public

easement. Such a line shall never exceed 150-feet in length, for lengths greater than 150-feet refer to definition for sewer

line. No more than the equivalent of two single-family residences may be served at one time.

Building Sewer:

The sewer pipe that connects a building to a service lead that is wholly located within the private property. If routed through

another tract of land, it shall be located in a building connection easement. If located within a private easement, the City must

be included as a third party in the easement documents. It will be owned and maintained by the owner of the property being

served. Design shall adhere to the Design Manual or Plumbing Code, whichever is more stringent.

PROGRAM DETAILS

PROJECT PHASES:

1. Project Identification

2. Public Sewer Improvements

3. Private Sewer Improvements

4. Sewer Abandonment

PROJECT IDENTIFICATION (1 OF 4)

Customer Service Requests:

While responding to immediate customer service requests, repairs are performed and

potential projects are identified

Preventative Maintenance Program:

While performing routine system maintenance, locations are identified that cannot

be easily addressed under standard contracts and alternative methods are

considered.

Legacy Projects:

Consist of past mainline projects in which sewer leads were constructed, but not

hooked up.

PUBLIC SEWER IMPROVEMENTS (2 OF 4)

Community Outreach:

Reach out to property owners, HOA’s & City Council Members and manage expectations

(multi-year process).

Preliminary Engineering Design (Phase I):

Work with engineering consultant to design wastewater project, which may include

additional improvement collaborations from Drinking Water Operations, Street & Drainage, &

Others.

Final Engineering Design (Phase II):

Includes design of sewer lines, sewer leads and cleanouts to meet current COH design

standards.

Construction (Phase III):

Contract awarded to lowest responsible Bidder. Consultant assigned to manage project.

PRIVATE SEWER IMPROVEMENTS (3 OF 4)

Community Outreach:

Once again reach out to property owners, HOA’s & City Council Members to explain project

and obtain signed ROE agreements

Engineering Design:

Work with engineering consultant to design project, including manual, lot surveys, lot

sketches, site photos and abandonment exhibits

Bid & Award Project:

Typically package smaller projects (< 1M) to elicit more competition from smaller

contactors.

Construction:

Requires licensed master plumber to oversee project and comply with plumbing code

regulations.

SSLP CONSTRUCTION HIGHLIGHTS

i. Licensed master plumber to be responsible for all aspects of the work, including entire permit application process.

ii. Journeyman plumbers, tradesman plumbers, or apprentices may be used when supervised in accordance with state law.

iii. Property owners to be notified two weeks prior to work commencing and again no later than three days prior to work

commencing.

iv. Sanitary service operation is to be maintained at all times. Any service interruptions require 48 hour advanced notice.

v. SSLP lot design sketches are meant to be used as a guide. Contractor shall field locate proposed service connections

and make provisions as needed.

vi. Existing building sewers extending to the back-lot sewer shall be cut, plugged & abandoned.

vii. All disturbed services to be restored to their original condition or better within 72 hours upon completion of the

underground activities.

viii. All construction activities for each property to be completed within 5 days from the date of mobilization, to limit impact

to customer.

SEWER ABANDONMENT (4 OF 4)

Construction:

SSLP contractor to perform public sewer abandonment as designed within the private sewer

improvement plans provided by the design consultant.

As-Builts:

As-builts are submitted to City of Houston GIS Group to update the City of Houston

Geographic Information and Management System (GIMS)

CASE STUDY

CAMP LOGAN SEWER ABANDONMENT PROJECT

• Camp Logan was a World War I era army training camp.

• The Camp was located at the far west boundary of Houston in what is now called Memorial Park.

• To facilitate the camp a wastewater collection line was constructed to divert sewage around

Houston.

• The 21” clay sewer was quickly constructed in a straight diagonal configuration from Memorial Park

towards the southeast, at minimal shallow grades across undeveloped land.

• After WW I the camp was disbanded, but the Camp Logan sewer remained in service as adjacent

neighborhoods were developed and allowed to tie to this infrastructure.

• Since many lots were developed overtop the sewer without easements, maintenance became

increasingly difficult.

• Over the years since, many sections of the Camp Logan sewer have been abandoned, and this

segment represents one of the last remaining portions needing to be addressed.

LOCATION MAP

Project Location

Camp

Logan

6”

6”

6”

6”

6”

6”

6”

6”

8”

27

”

27”

30”

30

”

30

”

8”

8”

8”

36

”

SSLP LOTS

SSLP LOTS

SSLP LOTS

CAMP LOGAN SEWER ABANDONMENT PROJECT

FUTURE OF PROGRAM

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Substitute Service Line Program (SSLP) Expenditures

Expendatures Lots

Ex

pe

nd

itu

res

(M$

)

# o

f L

ots

THANK YOU

ANY QUESTIONS?