–The first round of inspections is nearly complete as the city of Algona is trying to find unauthorized connections to the sanitary sewer system, which can cause problems during heavy rain events. Emma Nollenberger is a Water/Wastewater Design Engineer with WHKS, and she gave the city council a presentation during a work session Monday afternoon.
Sewer inspections began this fall on the east side of Algona in an effort to find any unauthorized connections that can lead to sewage backups.
Ellenberger says they still have a handful of inspections to complete in this initial area.
This first round of inspections found some connections that will need to be removed.
Any residence with a violation was notified in writing, and Ellenberger says that they will remain in contact with property owners as they begin the process of removing those hookups.
City Administrator Jacob Tjaden told the council they will look into a possible cost sharing program once they have an idea how many residences have an unauthorized connection.