Sewerage System

Dr. Sudipta Sarkar

Preliminary Requirements
It is meant for the transport stormwater and wastewater from the generation
point to the treatment plant. So it should be laid as deep as possible so that all
wastewater or storm water flow can be collected and transported.
Erosion and corrosion resistant. Should be structurally strong enough to resist
impact loads or overburden and live loads
Size and slope to be designed to carry the peak load as well as to carry average
flow in such a manner that the deposition shall be minimized.
Maintenance should be easy, economical and safe for the workers.
Aims of the design are: a) make the system operational and b) Economical to build
and c) make the system durable through out its entire design life

Layout of Sewer Lines

Steps followed for making the layout:
Selection of an outlet or disposal points

Fixing limits to the drainage area or zone boundaries

Finalizing the location of Trunk and Main sewers
Finalizing the location of Pumping stations wherever necessary

Trunk sewer is the sewer in the network

with the largest diameter that extends
farthest from the sewage outfall

All other sewers are considered as

branches

Trunk Sewer
Outfall

Whenever two sewers meet at a point, the

incoming one with larger diameter is called the
main sewer.

Nomenclature System Followed in Sewer Systems

Network

L.3.1

Trunk Sewer

Outfall
2

L1.R.3.1.2

L1.R.3.1.1

manhole
R.3.1

L2.R.3.1.1
R.3.2

L2.R.3.1.2

House
Most common location of laying sanitary
sewer is along the center of the streets

Sewer

The individual domestic connections

can be from either side of the streets

Street

Slope of the sewers generally follow the

natural slope of the ground or the street
House
For very wide streets the sewers are
laid on each side of the streets in the
curb or under the sidewalk

To avoid any contamination sewer

lines are never laid near to the water
mains. If it is unavoidable, the sewers
are encased in concrete or in

House

Sewer

Street

Sewer
House

Design Approach
1. On a map of the area locate all the sewer lines and measure the contributory
area to each of the sewer lines or points.
2. Also, draw the longitudinal section or profiles of the sewer lines. Mark on the
profile view the critical points such as basements of the low lying houses, levels
of existing sewers, disposal points, etc.
3. Design all the branch sewers, main sewers and trunk sewers, starting from
the farthest point in the network and based on the following considerations:
a) A self cleansing velocity is maintained at present peak flow
b) The sewer should run 0.8 full at the design ultimate peak flow
c) Minimum velocity of 0.6 m/s is obtained
d) Maximum velocity should not be beyond 3 m/s

Small Bore Sewer System

They are designed to carry only the liquid part of the domestic sewage generated
for off-site treatment or disposal
Solids are separated at a septic tank or at the
aqua-privies before the sewage reaches the
sewers
Sewer
Septic Tank or
interceptor tank

The advantages:
a) The sewer can have less velocity and flowrate
as it receives only settled wastewater
b) Economic as it requires less cost of
excavation, material and treatment
c) Upgradation from on-site treatment system to
conventional treatment system is easily done
d) Maintenance of strict sewer gradients is not
required as there is no self-cleansing velocity
requirement

Minimum diameter of the sewer pipes is recommended to be 100 mm

Small Bore Sewer System

The small bore sewer system outfall can be any of the following:
a)The conventional sewer system
b) Waste stabilization ponds
c) Any other low cost treatment systems followed by fish ponds or landbased disposal with precautions
Limitations:
a) Interceptor tank requires periodical cleaning and disposal of solids
b) Any illegal connection without any interceptor tank shall ruin the
system. So, strict vigilance is required.

Shallow Sewer System

These are modification of surface drain with covers and consist of a network of
pipework laid in the areas away from the places where heavy sewage loads are
expected.
Pipes are laid in flat gradients following the natural slope of the ground. The
minimum depth is 0.4 m

System contains:
a) House connections
b) Inspection
chambers
c) Laterals
d) Street-collector
sewers
e) Pumping stations

The laterals are minimum diameter 100 mm

The street collectors have a minimum diameter of 150 mm

Shallow Sewer System

Suitability of the system:
1. High density habitats such as slums or squatter settlements ( with population
density more than 170 per hectre)
2. Ground-condition is adverse and on-site disposal is not possible
3. Sewage has to be disposed of and minimum water consumption is 25 lpcd.
Limitations:
a) It is suitable when suitable ground slope is available
b) Unless flushed out at peak flowrates, there is a possibility of solids
deposition if there is not enough ground slope available
c) May require frequent cleaning

Example of a Profile of a Sewer Line

A view inside a sewer in London

Sewer Appurtenances
These are devices necessary (except pipes and conduits) for proper functioning
of the sanitary, storm and combined sewers

The appurtenances include:

1. Manhole
2. Drop Manhole
3. Lampholes
4. Gully-traps
5. Intercepting chambers
6. Flushing tanks
7. Street Inlets
8. Siphons
9. Grease traps
10. Side-flow weirs
11. Leaping weirs
12. Venturi flumes
13. Outfall structures

MANHOLES

Manholes are RCC or masonry chambers, constructed at suitable

intervals along the sewer lines, for providing access to the inside of
the sewers.
Helps in:
a) Joining the sewer pipes
b) Inspection and cleaning of pipes
c) Maintenance
d) Ventilation if manholes are perforated
Manholes are provided at every
transition points such as bends, junction,
change of gradient, or change in diameter Gutter
Between two adjacent manholes, the
sewer line runs straight with constant
slope or gradient

manhole

Sewer

Curb

Electric
cable

Water
main

Types of Manholes
A. Shallow manholes
Manholes with Depth less than 0.9 m
Suitable for branch sewers or places at no
heavy traffic
It is also called an inspection chamber

900X 800 mm

B. Normal or Medium manholes

Manholes with Depth 1.5 m
Heavy cover is provided at the top
May be either square or rectangular (1m X
1m and 1.2m X 1m

C. Deep Manholes
Manholes with Depth> 1.5 m
Heavy cover is provided at the top
Size in the upper portion is reduced by offset
May be either square or rectangular or
circular

Access shaft: Minimum size is

0.75 X 0.6 m
Steps or ladders: for accessing

Working chamber: Provides working

space for inspection and cleaning
operations, Minimum size 1,2 m X
0.9 m or 1.2 m dia; minimum height
is 1.8 m
Benching: concreted portion sloping
towards semicircular or U -shaped
bottom part of the main sewer, the
slope facilitates the entry of sewage
into the main sewer

DROP MANHOLE
It is used when a branch sewer joins a main sewer at a height more than 600 mm above the
main sewer or the drop is more than 600 mm.
Advantages: 1) Steep gradients in the branch sewer can be avoided ; 2) The sewage from
the branch sewers may fall on the person working; This is avoided.

Plug

Inspection Arm

FLUSHING MANHOLE

Provided where it is not possible

to gain enough flow so as to
maintain a self-cleansing velocity.
Often such condition is prevalent
at the beginning of the branch
sewers.
Generally provided at the head
of the sewers where enough
storage is provided to
generate a high velocity to
flush out the obstructions

Automatic Flushing Tanks

Curb Inlet
Gratings

Different Types of Street Inlets

GUTTER TYPE

CURB TYPE INLETS

COMBINATION

MULTIPLE TYPE INLETS

CATCH BASINS

A Type of Street Inlet

The basin helps in settling the grit,

sand, debris, etc. before the
storm water enters the sewer line

SEWER

Hood prevents the escape of the

foul gases into the sewer line and
network

Oil and Grease Trap

Generally located near the sources which can generate oil and greasecontaminated wastewater. Restaurants, garages, automobile repair workshops
Oil and grease in the sewer system can : a) sticks to the inner surface of sewers
and reduces the sewer capacity; b)entraps suspended matter, further reducing
the capacity; c) adversely affect the performance of wastewater treatment
plants

REGULATOR OR OVERFLOW DEVICES OR STORM-RELIEF WORKS

The regulators are provided to avoid overloading of sewers, pumping stations,
treatment plant or disposal arrangements by diverting excess flow to relief
sewers or overflow stream.

The overloading is caused by excess flow coming in a pipeline due to heavy

rainfall or excess stormwater. As they are not expected to carry huge pollutant
load, the excess stormwater can be safely disposed of to natural streams
without any treatment.
Three types of Regulator devices:
a) Leaping Weir
b) Side-flow or Overflow weir
c) Siphon spillway

Leaping Weir

INCOMING FLOW

Intercepting Sewer

Arrangement consists of an opening at the invert of a storm drain through which

the normal storm flow is taken into an intercepting sewer and excess flow leaps
over the combined sewer to flow to a neighboring stream

Overflow or Side-flow Weir

Excess water is allowed to overflow the
combined sewer in the manhole, from
where it is taken to another channel that
leads to stormwater drain or manhole.

The weir length has to be sufficiently

long for effective regulation

Siphon Spillway
Air Line

Spillway

Sewer

Receiving Stream

Different Cross-sectional Shapes of Sewers

Most widely used cross-sectional shape is a circular-section sewer.
The reasons behind the preferences are:
a) A circular section provides the maximum area of flow for a given
perimeter, therefore higher value of hydraulic mean radius.

A
P

1 2 / 3 1/ 2
V R s
n
It is the most efficient section, among all possible variations
b) It uses the minimum amount of materials for is manufacture, therefore it is
economical to use such a section
c) Manufacture is easy and convenient
d) Structurally more stable (without any corners, hence load is evenly distributed all
around
e) Chances of deposition is less

d/D

a/A

v/V

q/Q

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

0.9

0.949

1.124

1.066

0.8

0.858

1.140

0.988

0.7

0.748

1.120

0.838

0.5

0.5

1.000

0.500

0.4

0.373

0.902

0.337

0.3

0.252

0.776

0.196

0.2

0.143

0.615

0.088

Advantages of a circular sewer diminishes when the sewer is not running at least half-full
Lesser the discharge, poorer is the performance

OVOID OR EGG-SHAPED SEWER

At low discharges 2- 15%
higher velocities are available
for these type of sections
compared to Hydraulically
Equivalent Circular Sections

Standard Oval Shaped Sewers

d/D

v/V
Ovoid

New Type Oval Shaped Sewers

circular

0.25

0.7

0.698

0.20

0.61

0.62

0.10

0.4

0.44

0.05

0.25

0.29

Hydraulically Equivalent Section: Two sewers of

different shape (i.e. different sections) are said to be of
hydraulically equivalent when they carry the same
discharge when running full at the same slope.

Design of Ovoid-Shaped Sewers

1. Calculate the approximate diameter of a hydraulically equivalent circular sewer that
would carry the same discharge at the same slope as the ovoid-shaped sewer.
2. Top horizontal diameter of the Ovoid-sewer = 0.84 X Diam. of the circular sewer
3. Find out the other dimensions from the following figures, according to the type of
sewer to be designed

Horse-Shoe Type of Sections

Open-Drain Sections

A
R
P
1 2 / 3 1/ 2
V R s
n

Q A *V