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ISHPEMING -- Ishpeming is bypass-pumping a sanitary sewer manhole into a storm water manhole to address an overflow water issue within the city limits.
According to a city of Ishpeming Facebook post, the city began implementing the health safety protocol due to water infiltration of the sanitary sewer system on Saturday.
"The sanitary system is currently overwhelmed by significant increases from ground saturation caused by the rapid melting of the snowpack from the storm occurring on May 1," Ishpeming officials said on Facebook. "When this happens, the rainwater, also known as clear water, infiltrates into the sanitary system through cracks in pipes, manholes and basement stormwater sump pumps and can result in sewer backups on some occasions, as well as additional costs of treating extra water."
The pumping to solve the issue is occurring at a rate of approximately 500 gallons per minute from the sanitary system to the storm system as a system relief measure intended to allow the remainder of the sanitary system to return to manageable pressure and capacity levels, according to the post. Water from this procedure is flowing into Carp River and will be monitored by staff on site.
"With the amount of snowfall and rain the area has received over the last week, there have been a number of Upper Peninsula communities that have experienced hydraulic issues, both in their collection systems and at treatment facilities," Ishpeming said.
Residents experiencing an unusual or concerning condition, including a sewage backup, are asked to contact the city's public works department by calling during normal business hours at 906-485-1092 or outside of normal business hours at 1-888-223-2734.