Lake Street Alley Project

The Lake Mills Wastewater Utility has determined that to serve the customers in this particular area, because of the topography, the physical features of the earth, and the current design standards required that grinder pumps be installed at seven properties on Lake Street to be able pump sewage into the pipe of the downstream gravity pipeline.
The properties will be served by a low pressure system, which uses a grinder pump to grind the sewage from the building (much like a garbage disposal in a kitchen) and pumps the sewage through small plastic pipes to the larger pipes in the street (alley).
Low pressure systems are used in areas which cannot be served by gravity pipes. However, a grinder pump system does require the property owner to take a more active role than required by a property owner served by a gravity system.
The grinder pump can handle any wastewater that is normally discharged to the sewer from a kitchen, bathroom or laundry. A sewage holding tank will need to be installed and a sewage grinder pump installed in the tank. All of the wastewater from a building flows into the tank. When the tank fills to a pre-set level, the grinder pump automatically turns on, grinds the waste, and pumps it out of the tank via the sewer service pipe and into the public sewer system. The grinder pump normally will run for one or two minutes and automatically turns off when the tank is emptied. During a typical day the pump may turn on and turn off 20 to 30 times. The pump is powered by electricity and is connected to a control panel on the property. The property owner is responsible for the plumbing and electricity from the property to the public sewer system.
A property owner will be expected to install a grinder pump and hook up to the new system and this may cost them up to $6,000. The proposal is that the City provide for a 50% grant to help mitigate the costs to these properties. The motion authorizes staff to offer the grants.