Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority
Project RENEW™ is Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority’s multiyear, citywide capital improvement project to renew the aging infrastructure of our sewer system. Our priority is to protect your health and quality of life. Project RENEW is about safeguarding your right to quality water, quality pipelines and a great quality of life. Sewer lines have a finite life span. They don’t last forever and eventually have to be repaired or replaced. That is why Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority (LRWRA) has proactively implemented Project RENEW to improve the reliability of the sewer service line infrastructure. During this multi-year project, default pipelines throughout the entire City of Little Rock will be replaced. This will ensure that citizens have access to Quality Water through Quality Pipelines, thereby securing a Quality Life.
You can’t live a day without reliable sewer lines. Your quality of life would be greatly impacted by a lack of reliable sewer services. The city’s sewer service lines are more than 70 years old. As a sewer line ages it may deteriorate past the point where it can structurally support the loads imposed on it. This can lead to a line collapse, which may disrupt sewer services for residents and businesses. Residents have a right to a reliable system, and RENEWing the sewer service lines protects that reliability. Quality pipelines keep storm and ground water out of sewer service lines, reduce backups into homes during rain events, and reduce overflow into streets and private yards.
Pipe Bursting is a method of pipe rehabilitation. A new plastic pipe of equal or larger diameter is inserted into an existing pipeline by bursting open the existing pipe and pulling or pushing the new pipe into the old pipe. The new pipe is simultaneously inserted into an enlarged hole created by the expander. This reduces the length of time it takes to complete the project and causes less disruption in customers’ wastewater services.
There will be additional construction traffic and some noise. Also expect minor traffic delays in getting around actual personal property. Heller Construction Inc. is the contractor for Project RENEW. They have a long history of working with Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority and an excellent track record of working with and satisfying property owners.
Not all residential property will be affected by the renewal. If the contractor has to access a resident’s property, all restoration to the property will be done with materials equal to what was damaged. Contractors provide a maintenance bond for one year after completion of the work. LRWRA will maintain an onsite inspector while the contractor is working on the project.
As a homeowner, you have a role in helping us maintain the flow of sewer services lines. You are responsible for maintaining service lines leading from your home to the sewer tap.
If during our pipeline renewal projects, LRWRA finds that you have a defect line that needs to be replaced, we can help. Because we’re dedicated to ensuring you have access to Quality Water and Quality Pipelines, we have a program that can help you maintain a Quality Life. You may qualify for a reimbursement for pipeline replacement under the enhanced Sewer Service Line Replacement Program (SSLRP). Under this program, qualified LRWRA customers will be eligible for up to a $2,500 reimbursement. The enhanced program supplements the current $1 a month program by doubling the amount of money available.
There are several testing procedures taking place across Little Rock under Project RENEW. These tests and why they are important to the water reclamation process are listed below.
Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority (LRWRA) conducts smoke testing during capital projects in to determine if there is Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) on existing mains. This is a large scale endeavor covering multiple sewer lines and the associated service lines. LRWRA does NOT conduct smoke testing on individual Property Owners sewer service lines. Smoke testing can help locate improper connections to the system and areas where unwanted water is entering the system.
Sewer Integrity Testing consists of blowing a harmless colored vapor into the sanitary manholes and observing the points where the smoke exits. The smoke is expected to exit from manholes, the sewer stack at the top of your house, catch basins and downspouts. The smoke should not enter the home if it is properly plumbed and the drain traps contain water.
An LRWRA contractor will issue notices 24 – 48 hours before testing to give you an opportunity to pour water in sink drains, tubs and toilets to fill the traps (especially in unused areas of a home such as a guest bath.) The contractor will also be marking and taking photographs in the work areas. Some sewer lines and manholes may be located on your property. Crews will need to access the manholes but will NOT need to enter your home.
Smoke will NOT enter your home or business unless you have substandard plumbing or dried up drain traps.
Door hanger notices will be distributed to homes 24 - 48 hours in advance of work by the contractor. The fire department will also be notified of all areas where testing will be occurring.
Little Rock Wastewater has a Capital Improvement Project, called Project RENEW which is aggressively addressing the need to seal the sewer system to keep ground and rain water out. The information gained from testing will be used to improve the sewer services in your area.
Call us first. This could be an indication of faulty plumbing or dry traps. If smoke can enter through faulty plumbing, the potential for sewer gases to enter also exists.
For more information on Sewer Integrity Testing, call
501.688.1490
For more information on acoustic inspection, call
501.688.1470
LRWRA is responsible for maintaining 1,400 miles of sewer system, 32,000 manholes and more than 200,000 residential sewer line connections. Acoustic inspection uses sound to locate and characterize pipes based on the sound of flowing water. It is becoming a standard in managing infrastructure due to its cost savings potential. This method can help prioritize maintenance needs by avoiding needless cleaning of relatively clean pipes or repairs to pipes with only minor issues.
You will see LRWRA employees and vehicles which are clearly marked working at manholes in your neighborhood. Sound waves will be sent from a transmitter in one manhole to a receiver in a nearby manhole using a Sewer Line Rapid Assessment Tool, used to assess any blockages in the line. The sound waves can be heard outside the manhole; but, are not loud or disruptive. If a manhole is located on your property, the crews may need to access the manhole; but, will not need to enter your home. The actual test will take about five minutes and traffic interruptions will be minimal.
In order to efficiently maintain and clean the 1,400 miles of sewer system, LRWRA’s goal is to complete annual preventive maintenance on all residential sewer lines in the system. The inspection will target overflows relating to broken lines and blockages such as those caused by a buildup of roots and grease. The results of the inspection will determine the priority for cleaning.
Doing your part to preserve our shared system and protect the future of the One Water we all share can start with participating in one of the FREE programs we offer, or by taking advantage of our reimbursement program that saves you thousands on replacing faulty private sewer lines that can impact the lines around you.
LRWRA offers FREE programs designed to protect the investment you’ve made into your home and the investment we’re making into protecting communities and the environment. These programs also help save ratepayers money on repairing and cleaning up after costly backups into homes or sewer releases into our environment.
Take a look at the free and easy programs we offer to help you do your part in maintaining the system.
