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Wastewater Operations
General Overview
The City of Salem owns and operates approximately 230 miles of sewer pipe, providing service to approximately 9,300 customers. In partnership with the Western Virginia Water Authority (WVWA), the City's wastewater is sent to the Roanoke Regional Water Pollution Control Plant (RRWPCP). The WVWA operates the RRWPCP. For more information concerning how your wastewater is treated, please visit Western Virginia Water Authority (WVWA).
The City is currently under a Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Consent Order and is in the process of working to repair or replace much of its aging wastewater system. Our commitment at the Water Department is to comply with the Consent order and reduce sewage overflows within the City's wastewater system. This benefits us all by reducing inflow and infiltration (I and I), which in turn reduces the cost of wastewater treatment and the likelihood of a sewage backup into your home.
Wastewater Treatment
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Consent Order
The consent order is a special order issued to the City of Salem by DEQ.
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Inflow & Infiltration
Learn more about the management of wastewater.
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Sewer Backups & Overflows
A sanitary sewer backup happens when wastewater cannot exit the lateral and “backs up” into drain lines until it finds an exit.
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Fats, Oils & Grease (FOG)
Fats, Oils and Grease, known collectively as FOG, can clog pipes and can cause sewer back-ups.
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Pretreatment
Find out about water pretreatment.