Environmental Effects and Economic Consequences of the Operation of Sewer Systems

In 2000 the Nordic Plastic Pipe Association (NPG) circulated a questionnaire to all Scandinavian municipalities (1000/252 replied) inquiring about the operating conditions of their sewer systems in plastics or concrete. Furthermore, a preliminary assessment had been carried out, summarizing the environmental effects and economic consequences of operational conditions focussing especially on deposits/blockages with sand, grease etc. as well as infiltration and exfiltration. The purpose of this project was to provide system owners and other parties with a basis of assessing the environmental effects and economic consequences of operational sewer systems in a local environment and inspire to continued optimising of the operation of municipal sewer systems. On the basis of this study – even though it demonstrated only a very limited number of problems with plastic pipes – it was decided to focus on the possibility of minimising the problems to obtain even better sewer systems with plastic pipes. Therefore the Nordic Plastic Pipe Association (NPG) published a leaflet – a guide giving advice on how to solve the problems described in the study, focussing only on plastic pipes.