The Mitchell Creek Force Main conveys sewage to the London Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) with two duplex pump stations on the west side of London. Originally installed in the early 1980’s from just one pump station, the 10-inch force main was approximately 8,000 feet in length.
Through the addition of customers and the need to convey more flow, the two pump stations now pump flow from much of the north side of London and the I-75 Exit 41 businesses, including Flav-O-Rich Dairy. Much of the force main has been replaced with 12-inch pvc and it has now been extended all the way to the WWTP – approximately 20,000 feet total.
One small section of the force main remained as 30-year-old, 10-inch pvc and has experienced numerous breaks over the past several years including three in the Summer of 2011. The main cause of the breaks is believed to be the result of improper bedding and backfilling at the time of construction. The London Utility Commission wanted to replace this 3,400-foot section with 12-inch pvc, properly bedded and backfilled with crushed stone.
