FAQs
Sewer FAQ's
Sandy’s storm and sanitary sewer lines are separate systems. The wastewater treatment plant is designed to handle water we provide to the customer through the water meter.
NO!! Only the 3 P’s are allowed. Poop, Pee and Paper, (Flushable wipes are not paper and are very dangerous and destructive to our sewer system) reference SMC Sec. 13.12.080
Sewer lines are maintained by jetting (cleaning), enforcement of our FOG (fats, oils and grease) Program, CCTV and visual inspections, flow monitoring for inflow and infiltration, outreach of what is safe and what isn’t safe to flush or put down the drain. All these things help the city protect and maintain the sewer system for years to come.
The treatment plant was upgraded in 1998. It is capable of treating 1.25 million gallons per day during dry weather and up to 4 million gallons per day during wet weather. An activated sludge process is used followed by effluent filtration. Ultraviolet (UV) light is used to disinfect the treated wastewater eliminating chlorine disinfection, which tends to harm beneficial aquatic species.
NO!! It can damage the sewer system and treatment process. It is in violation of SMC Sec. 13.12.080
NO!! FOG's (Fats, Oil and grease) poured down kitchen drains accumulates inside sewer pipes. As the FOG's builds up, it restricts the flow in the pipe and can cause sewer wastewater to back up into homes and businesses. Sanitary sewer backups result in high costs for cleanup and restoration. FOG's can also impact the city’s side of the sewer system, manholes can overflow into parks, yards, streets, and storm drains, allowing FOG to contaminate local waters, including drinking water. Exposure to untreated wastewater is a public-health hazard. It is in violation of SMC Sec. 13.12.080.
YES!! Make sure to call 811 before you dig. Utilities may be just a few inches under ground.
Operation and maintenance of the sewer system. Making sure the wastewater reaches the treatment plant.
It could be a sewer manhole or a storm manhole. Both systems are not always located in the road. Sewer and storm systems work off gravity, so via a utility easement. A manhole may be in your back yard due to the engineering and design to achieve gravity flow to the next manhole.
Biological stages in wastewater treatment plants are not able to remove substances such as pharmaceuticals, PFAS, Trihalomethanes, Microbeads, Sodium and Potassium Chloride, halogenated compounds, and cyanides from industrial wastewater.
Call Public Works 9am-5pm at (503)-668-5310, if after hours, please call (503) 972-8193.
*Please provide the location of the manhole and any other helpful information.
Call a plumber. If the plumber determines that the back up was caused by an issue on the city’s side of the sewer system, please contact public works at 503-655-8211.
Most responsibility shifts from homeowner to the city when it nears the back of the sidewalk.
Oregon DEQ has mandated that Sandy discontinue wastewater effluent to Tickle Creek. Sandy is exploring all options for treatment and discharge of wastewater in it's effort to find the most fiscally responsible option.
In winter, treated water is returned to Tickle Creek (which goes into the Clackamas River). Higher winter flows from rain and snow increase the creek’s capability to accept treated wastewater without harming aquatic life. During the summer, the city produces highly treated “recycled water” that is used to irrigate plants at a nearby nursery. The city is proud to be conserving water resources through this longstanding, successful water recycling program. The effluent treated water meets DEQ permitted requirements when it is discharged into Tickle Creek.
The wastewater is treated at the city’s wastewater treatment plant located at 33400 SE Jarl Rd, Boring, OR 97009
Ryan Wood at: rwood@ci.sandy.or.us or Matt Degner at: mdegner@ci.sandy.or.us (503-668-5310)
The sanitary lateral is a shared line. The homeowner owns and maintains the segment from the home to the right-of-way. The City owns and maintains the portion from the mainline to the back of the right-of-way.
