PUBLIC SAFETY
Re: Ed Turner v. City of Idaho Falls, Idaho, et al
Developer Says:
"One of the things that will erk the heck out of us is even duplication
of things that go beyond what you need."
We build a sewer lift station, we put two pumps in the dang thing." (Reference
Grievance Hearing April 26, 1996)
City Engineer says:
"I was accused of putting in two pumps in a lift station . . . . The state law and the ten state standards and the national law is two pumps minimum for domestic sewage in a municipal area."
(Reference Deposition Volume II December 17, 1997, page 0392)
Consulting Engineer says:
"The alternative of having sewage back up into homes would be catastrophic. The requirements for duplex lift stations are numerous throughout the United States and including the upper ten states of the Great Lakes and, I believe is a requirement of the Idaho Division of Environmental Quality. It is also a requirement of common sense."
(Letter dated July 10, 1996)
Idaho Engineer
7/10/96
Ed Turner, P.E.
RE: LIFT STATIONS FOR DOMESTIC SEWAGE
Dear Mr. Turner:
This confirms our conversation of this date.
I have been in the consulting engineering business for 21 years and have been involved in providing the design of sewage collection, pumping, and treatment systems for about communities throughout the state of Idaho including Spirit Lake, St. Maries, Plummer, White Bird, Princeton, Troy, Payette, Gooding, Twin Falls, American Falls, Soda Springs, Aberdeen, Tetonia, Last Chance, Idaho Falls, Menan, Mud Lake, St. Charles, Preston, Malad and a number of rural subdivisions.
As fundamental as a car with four wheels is a sewage lift station with two pumps for the fundamental purpose that you cannot stop people from flushing their toilets. If one pump goes out, you must have the other pump right there in order that you can fix the first one, or, prior to discovering there is a problem, the sewage is pumped. The alternative of having sewage back up into homes would be catastrophic. The requirements for duplex lift stations are numerous through the United States and including the upper ten states of the Great Lakes and, I believe is a requirement of the Idaho Division of Environmental Quality. It is also a requirement of common sense.
I support the City of Idaho Falls looking for ways to economize on development costs, but elimination of duplex lift stations for domestic sewage is not one of them.
Very truly yours,
Consulting Engineer