DEKALB— Beginning May 12 and continuing until further notice, Precision Trenchless  will conduct sewer rehabilitation work in DeKalb. 

This work will be done between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Residents will receive notice 24 hours prior to the beginning of work.

A message from DeKalb Town Clerk Kelly Davis states that sewers “will be temporarily blocked off” during the installation period, and asks residents “limit your use of water.”

The announcement states that minimal use of the toilet or washing hands is acceptable, but heavy usage such as laundry, showering and running water for extended periods of time must be avoided “to prevent sewage backing up into your home or basement.”

The tentative schedule is: Monday, May 12: Tanner Street & U.S. Highway 11, Tuesday, May 13 county Route 17 to Wells Street, Wednesday, May 14 Caroline Street, Thursday, May 15 Gibbons Street schedule on Friday, May 16 to be determined.

The work will be completed using a special “no dig” method, which is used to repair old or defective sewers without the need to dig up the street for this phase of the work. Workers will use a flexible lining material and place it in the sewer pipe.

With Ultraviolet light catalyst, it will become a rigid reinforcement for the existing pipe and will last for more than 70 years. This process allows for repairs to be made with minimal homeowner/business disruption and a decreased inconvenience to your family and patrons.

Also note that any sump pumps or other sanitary cross connections should be disconnected from the system to prevent backup of sewage into your home.

Sewer cleaning work will be performed prior to the installation of the pipe liner. This will involve the flushing of the sanitary sewers with high pressure water. This operation in rare occurrences can cause back pressure resulting in either air or water surcharge in toilets and other plumbing devices.

It is recommended that all toilet seats be kept down if a pressure build-up causes a spray.

It is also recommended that you fill the traps on all drains (floor, sink, etc.) with water, prior to the above notice time, to reduce the likelihood of odors caused by the pipe- lining curing process.

In the unlikely event that you experience this problem,  open windows until the odor disappears.