The City of Champaign is responsible for maintaining about 1.3 million feet of sanitary sewer lines. This task is managed by the Public Works Department’s Sewer Section, which aims to inspect 80,000 linear feet each year using a process called televising. The procedure involves flushing and vacuuming the sewer lines to remove debris before inserting a robotic camera that records the condition of the pipes on closed-circuit television. These recordings are then reviewed by both the Sewer Section and the Environmental Engineering Section.
During routine inspections on June 25 in downtown Champaign, crews discovered a severe blockage in a pipe near Neil and Clark Streets. Further examination revealed that an iron pipe segment, previously installed as a replacement, had separated. This allowed backfill from an earlier excavation to enter the sanitary sewer system.
The presence of backfill in the sewer line posed two risks: it could have caused blockages within the pipe and created a void in nearby soil, increasing the risk of a sinkhole forming at that location. Addressing this issue required temporarily removing the traffic signal pole and mast arm at the southwest corner of the intersection so repairs could be made safely over what was potentially unstable ground.
A contractor was hired to excavate and repair the damaged section of pipe, restore proper backfill, and complete necessary concrete repairs at the site.
