Friday, March 13, 2009

It's the pits

I'm still amazed this morning about the meeting last night, re: the vacuum sewer system.

Sure, I look at the piece of paper they handed out showing details of the workings in the pits and I guess maybe - maybe - I would have believed it would work while encased in a block of ice.

Of course, I'm not an engineer ...

Anyway, here's Victor Tine's piece from today's Daily News.

The bit about the candy cane vents being too close to the pits is interesting ...

The way the vents are installed appears to make them more prone to funneling cold air into the sewer valve pits, causing the valves to freeze.


The pipe leading from the vent goes to the lower part of the pit, I guess that's the sump, where the waste collects. There is a barrier between the lower and upper parts ... cuz wouldn't it be a really stinky pit if it were all one open space, with no impermeable barrier between?

Not to mention a health hazard.

Anyway ... I was told the vents only suck air in when the pit is being evacuated.

I can't speak to how often every pit evacuates, but the one outside the cottage sucks it out once a day (I think this is the only house on the pit, though, because there is no house across from me and the only one next to me is on Old Point Rd.).

So that's it. Take it for what it's worth.

No comments: