SUM Sewer Saga

Hello All,

If you have not heard yet, water is running through the pipes at SUM again!

The saga began on Feb. 14 with a phone call notifying me that a toilet was backing up in the adult/handicapped restroom. As parishioners were flowing into the church for Ash Wednesday services, a sewer company was trying to stop the water flowing out from the toilet.

The company snaked more than 200 feet of the line before hitting the blockage. The inability to clear the blockage was an omen for what was to come.

A second company attempted to fix the problem the next day. The blockage was, in fact, cleared, but the root of the problem was determined to be much worse (not to be confused with the roots that had been growing into the church’s other sewer drain). Like the numerous plans that were crafted in the following months, the sewer line was crushed, as determined by a camera sent through the line.

If the crushed line had been located beneath the lawn, this would have been a much easier fix. However, as many of you know, the pipe was crushed beneath Hopmeadow Street, which meant the Trustees needed to involve the local and state governments to find a solution, albeit at our expense.

No one wanted to tear up the street. Doing so would have been disruptive and expensive.

Following the recommendation of the City, the search began to find a company that would line the existing pipe. No company in New England was willing to attempt the repair, but a company in Ohio agreed to do the work. Despite best efforts, the damage to the pipe was too extensive, and a liner could not pass under the street.

At this point, the Trustees began working with a local contractor. Initially, part of Hopmeadow St. would need to be cut into to make the repair. Because of the timing, repairs could not be attempted until mid-April at the earliest.

During a conversation with the City, it became known that there was an unused sewer pipe running under Hopmeadow St. that was a mere 10 feet north of the collapsed line. The City approved the plan to tie into that line.

The solution seemed so easy. It was too good to be true.

The contractor discovered that the light pole was installed through the lateral line that connects the church to the line beneath the street. A workaround was created. Then, it was discovered that the depth of the lines had a two-foot discrepancy. As we all know, sewage doesn’t run uphill.

Thankfully, the contractor suggested using a pump system to move the sewage as necessary. The Trustees voted in favor of having a pump system built, and the contractor was notified.

Before the City would approve the plan, the contractor had to dig into the line again and jet it. Eventually, the City signed off, and the contractor ordered the pump and installed it. The electrician hooked up the system, and water began flowing again.

Thank you all for remaining patient through this ordeal. The Trustees sincerely hope there will be no more plumbing issues in the immediate future.

- Gene Esch, Trustee Chair