Northlake WE P1-6-CS 961004
October 4, 1996
Caldwell & Darlene Colt
760 Cardinal
Coppell, Texas 75019
RE: Unauthorized discharge into the City's sanitary sewer system at
760 Cardinal & 756 Cardinal
Periodically the City smoke tests and televises its sewer lines throughout the City to determine
locations of inflow and infiltration. Infiltration is when a portion of the pipe is allowing water to
seep into the pipe through either cracks in the pipe or disjoining of the pipe. Inflow is a situation
where another system such as a storm sewer system, roof drainage, french drain, etc., has been tied
into the City's sanitary sewer system. Both inflow and infiltration into the City's sanitary sewer
system goes through a meter on the east side of Coppell that is monitored by the Trinity River
Authority (TRA). The TRA in turn then bills the City for all water that passes through the meter to
be treated by the TRA. Obviously, to hold cost down the City attempts to identify inflow and
infiltration and therefore eliminate the same because the City does not need to and should not be
paying for the treatment by the TRA of unpolluted water. During the course of smoke testing
and/or televising of the sewer lines in your neighborhood, it was noted that there was an inflow
connection into the City's sanitary sewer system. Quite possibly that connection is either a roof
drain or some other type of subsurface drainage system. Please be advised that those type of
connections are not authorized nor allowed by the City of Coppell.
I have included a portion of our Code of Ordinance that specifically points to the fact that roof
runoff and subsurface drainage is not allowed to be connected into the City's sanitary sewer system.
The City's goal is to eliminate the problem. Therefore, the City of Coppell respectfully requests
that any type of connections that you may have into the City's sanitary sewer system, other than the
normal waste line from your home, be eliminated. This would include any roof drains, french
drains, subsurface drainage, etc. on your property that may be tied into the sanitary sewer system.
To insure that this is brought about in a timely manner, I would request that you contact me no later
than October 18, 1996 to provide this office with a timeline of when the connection will be
removed from the City's sanitary sewer system.
Thank you for your consideration of this request. If you should have any additional questions
please feel free to contact this office at (972)304-3679.
Sincerely,
Kenneth M. Griffin, P.E.
Assistant City Manager/City Engineer
cc: Pete Smith, City Attorney
Clay Phillips, Deputy City Manager