The Differences between Sanitary and Storm Sewers

 


Leveraging more than 18 years of experience overseeing entire construction projects for major municipalities, corporations, and private properties, Giannetti Contracting Corporation specializes in underground pipe installation. Giannetti Contracting Corporation also manages the installation of a wide range of utilities for drinking water and wastewater. They additionally conduct emergency repairs to damaged municipal mains and complete reconstruction of sanitary sewers.

Sanitary sewers are networks of underground pipes that carry waste and sewage to wastewater treatment plants for processing. The pipes are connected to the areas in buildings where waste is likely to be disposed of, like bathrooms, kitchens, and other areas with plumbing systems.

Sanitary sewers are in contrast with storm sewers, which are found typically outside embedded in a curb. Storm sewers are designed to collect the runoff from rain showers and storms. Through an underground system of pipes, the storm sewers, also known as storm drains, are connected to pipes that guide the water out to bodies of water, like streams, rivers, and oceans.

Since the water in a storm drain is connected to an underground pipe system separate from that of the sanitary sewers, which goes to the water treatment plant, the water in a storm sewer goes out to natural bodies of water without getting cleaned.

For this reason, it is strongly advised not to dispose of any harmful substances like motor oil, paints, cleaners, or any other hazardous materials down the storm sewer; don't dispose of anything in the sewer at all. Anything placed in the storm sewers have the possibility of contaminating the water and harming the humans and animals that come in contact with it.