Figure 2-21.—An inverted siphon.to convey domestic and industrial wastes and totransport them to a wastewater treatment plant. Thepurpose of these systems is to safeguard public healthby preventing disease-producing bacteria, viruses, andparasites getting into groundwater or drinking watersystems. A description of the various elements andstructures used in a wastewater system is as follows:1. SANITARY SEWER. A sanitary sewer systemcarries mostly domestic wastes but may carry someindustrial waste. These systems are NEVER designed tocarry storm water or groundwater. (To convey stormwater, groundwater, or other surface water to disposalpoints, a storm sewer system is designed andconstructed separately from the sanitary sewer system.)Sanitary sewer system piping includes the following:a. BUILDING, OR HOUSE, SEWER. Aservice-connection pipe that connects an individualbuilding to the wastewater system. These pipes are 4inches or larger in diameter and are commonly concrete,cast iron, or plastic. The building, or house, sewer is thesmallest pipe in a wastewater collection system. Allother pipes must be a MINIMUM of 8 inches indiameter.b. LATERAL SEWER. Piping that receivesdischarge from house sewers.c. SUBMAIN, OR BRANCH, SEWER. A pipethat receives waste from two or more lateral sewers.d. MAIN, OR TRUNK, SEWER. A pipe thattakes discharge from two or more submains or from asubmain plus laterals.e. INTERCEPTING SEWER. One thatreceives wastewater from more than one main, or trunksewer.f. RELIEF SEWER. A sewer built to relieve anexisting sewer that has an inadequate capacity.2. LIFT STATION. Most piping in a wastewatersystem consists of gravity pipes that are designed to flow2-20by gravity action at a rate of not less that 2 feet persecond. Where gravity flow is not practical or possible,a lift station, such as the one shown in figure 2-20, isconstructed to pump wastewater to a higher level. Fromthe lift station, the wastewater is pumped through a pipe,called a force main, to higher elevation gravity pipes.Unlike gravity piping, force mains always flowcomplete] y filled and under pressure.3. INVERTED SIPHON. Another sewer pipedesigned to flow full and under pressure is the invertedsiphon. These pipes dip below the designed gradient ofthe gravity pipes and are used to avoid obstacles, suchas open-cut railways, subways, and streams. Anexample of an inverted siphon is shown in figure 2-21.The inverted siphon may have one, two, or more pipesand is designed to flow at a rate of at least 3 feet persecond to keep the pipe(s) clear of settleable solids. Itshould have manholes constructed at both ends formaintenance.4. MANHOLE. A manhole is a concrete ormasonry structure used for inspection and maintenanceof sewer lines. Examples of manholes are shown infigure 2-22. The bottom portion of a manhole is usuallycylindrical and has an inside diameter of at least 4 feet.The upper portion usually tapers to the street or groundsurface and is fitted with a cast-iron cover. For propersewage flow, the bottom of the manhole slopes towarda built-in charnel that has a depth of three fourths of thediameter of the sewer pipe. For sewers up toapproximate] y 60 inches in diameter, manholes areusually spaced 300 to 400 feet apart. They are alsorequired at all locations where sewer lines intersect orwhere the sewer lines change direction, grade, or pipes i z e.DESIGNDesign guidance for wastewater systems iscontained in Domestic Wastewater Control,MIL-HDBK-1005/8.
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