BACKGROUND

Rapid growth and more frequent heavy rains increased peak flows to Cranberry Township’s sewer collection system in southwestern Pennsylvania. Inflow and infiltration (I&I) were other culprits that pushed the system’s capacity past its limits. When heavy rains occurred, peak flows reached upwards of 16 million gallons a day (MGD), causing Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs).

Cranberry is a township of about 35,000 residents. On average, more than 4.1 MGD of wastewater flows through the sanitary sewer collection system to the Brush Creek Pollution Control Facility, which returns most of the treated wastewater to Brush Creek, where it eventually enters the Ohio River. A smaller amount of that treated water is redirected to nearby Cranberry Highlands Golf Course where it is reused for irrigation.

The Township’s Sewer and Water Division manages a collection system with more than 200 miles of gravity and force sewer mains, 5,770 manholes and four pump stations that transport about 4.1 MGD of wastewater.

SUMMARY

During 2023, three alerts prevented what could have been major SSOs and associated finds. In each instance the operations manager received an alert from SmartCover showing surcharging. Crews were dispatched to each location and cleared debris that was causing blockage, allowing the water levels to return to normal.

Data generated by the SmartCover monitors has helped Cranberry Township improve operations, including response times and cleaning schedules. The township also can strategically plan for capital improvements, such as slip lining/pipe rehabilitation. Several interceptors have been identified for slip lining beginning in 2024.

Interested in finding out how our SmartCover solutions can work for you? Reach out to sales@smartcoversystems.com or call (855) 291-1980.