Sewer in Cemetery 2

[cieg22]

I swear this is a real question and not an elaborate PR hoax for the latest Evil Dead movie...

I'm trying to find guidelines for clearances between sanitary sewers (gravity or forced) and graves. The sewer would run parallel to the graves.

I've been scouring state regs, but I'm drawing a blank.

Anyone?

Thanks.

 

[RWF7437]

My best guess, based on what little you've told us, is that the sewer will have to be located in an easement. In my part of the world the minimum width of the easement would have to be 15 feet with the sewer centered in that width. If the sewer is very deep, say 10 feet or more, the easement might have to be wider.

good luck

 

[Hoagie]

Interesting problem. If no regs exist, then I would engage the problem in terms of excavation/constructability.

No matter what offset you choose, the owner of the cemetery should be informed.

The gravesites can't be disturbed, obviously. The gravesites assume a 6-ft depth. Applying an (excavation) safely slope of 1.5 H:1V from the bottom of excavation to existing grade yields a 9-ft offset. I think this is a safe 'envelope'...and won't offend neither the living nor the dead...

 

[TerryScan]

For what it is worth, also consider the age of the cemetary. A nearby cemetary runs nearly to the roadway. Utility work was designed to squeeze between the road (actual paving not just ROW) and the graves.

Regardless of careful planning, remains from a few unmarked graves dropped into the trench from the sides during excavation. (This was a rather old cemetary where I understand it is not uncommon to have some unmarked graves)

 

[davefitz]

Just a hunch, but a gravity sewer may also suffer infliltration from groundwater- and in a cemetary environment that groundwater may have traces of formaldehyde. So, depenging on effluent permit requirements, testing for formaldehyde might be something to consider.

 

[eea]

Without specific regulations, I would adopt the easement & excavation approach already presented. I assume you are running along side rather than through the cemetery? I have a fair amount of VA cemetery experience and can offer that those facilities provide for right of way along internal roadways and burial areas.

Unmarked graves can be located in advance; any suspicion of such should be investigated by an archeologist. You'll probably get a hit on your State clearance databases when you apply for a permit anyway. My firm has done unmarked grave recovery using GPR and other techniques for a number of State DOTs. Nothing spells bad PR than what TerryScan described.

 

[bimr]

Don't know of any regulations that prevent the installation of sewers or force mains in cemeteries.

As others point out, you should have an easement that will allow maintenance using construction equipment in the future.

The force main option will take up less space. You can dig closer to the smaller diameter force main without risk of collapsing the pipe. Minimum clearance for excavation to the buried force main is estimated at 6”. Minimum clearance for excavation to a sewer is estimated at 24“

 

[ACtrafficengr]

I wish I could find it online, but a verbal description will have to suffice.

Charles Addams (originator of the Addams Family) had a cartoon where a workman digging a very long trench in a cemetary is saying to a passerby on the adjacent sidewalk, "Goodness, no, it's for a new water main!"

"...students of traffic are beginning to realize the false economy of mechanically controlled traffic, and hand work by trained officers will again prevail." - Wm. Phelps Eno, ca. 1928

"I'm searching for the questions, so my answers will make sense." - Stephen Brust

 

[cieg22]

Thank you all so much! I really appreciate your responses -and the absense of gratuitous zombie jokes (don't get me wrong, AC, I'm a huge fan of the Adams family)