The City of Cedar Rapids has reduced sanitary sewer backups by more than 80 percent — proof that its aggressive war on blockages is working.The Sewer Maintenance Division’s key weapons against blockages include a comprehensive preventive maintenance program (PMP) and a targeted capital improvement program (CIP) to upgrade the infrastructure.Cedar Rapids has a population of 125,000, but it has a large industrial base. The wastewater flow is 30 mgd, more typical of a city of 1.2 million. For years, the city took a reactive approach to blockages, which occurred at the rate of 500 to 700 per year.No longer willing
