The City of North Bend’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) has a new tool to check and maintain local sewer lines and it might sound a little creepy.
This portable acoustic device quickly assesses the health of pipe mains and locates blockages. Inspections take less than three minutes once the units are in place. The City advises residents that you may hear sounds coming from your sewer connection during the inspection. Residents have reported these sounds as a “creepy, beep-boop-bop” sound…perhaps a little “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
Unless there is an emergency, periodic inspections of this nature will remain within the City’s Noise Ordinance, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
How it works
The device uses a sound transmitter placed in one manhole and a receiver placed in a nearby manhole, sending sound waves down the sewer pipes. The transmitter sends acoustic signals to the receiver at various levels and pitches. If a blockage occurs, the signal degrades, triggering follow-up by WWTP staff.
The City thanks you for your patience during sewer line inspections. If you notice an issue in town, such as litter, roadway safety concerns, or other concerns that don’t require police assistance, please let us know by sharing it on the Report an Issue webpage.
[Information provided by the City of North Bend. Featured image WTP Operators Tom Glenn and Jacob Lewis operating the acoustic device to ensure proper flow throughout local sewer lines.]
