(Spirit Lake)– The Spirit Lake city council Tuesday discussed problems with ice dams on streets being created by sump pump discharges.
Councilman Steve Balm says sump pumps should be allowed to discharge into sanitary sewers during the winter. But City Attorney Earl Maahs says that would be in direct violation of an Iowa Great Lakes Sanitary Sewer District ordinance that strictly forbids such a thing. And Public Works Director Todd Dolphin says it flies in the face of what the city is trying to discourage…especially in the summer. Sump pumps illegally discharging into the sanitary sewer system have been cited for overloading the sewer during heavy rains in the summer, causing backups into some homes.
After considerable discussion, it was decided to ask those who are discharging sump pumps onto city streets to re-direct the water onto their lawns instead. The issue was referred to a committee for further review and a possible longer-term solution to the problem.
