Inflow & Infiltration

To comply with Metropolitan Council Environmental Services Division (MCES) directives regarding I/I, the City inspects homes and businesses in Golden Valley to determine if roof drains, foundation drains, sump pumps, and other clear water sources are connected to the sanitary sewer system. The goal of this program is to reduce excessive flows that enter the sanitary sewer system so the City, and its utility customers, won't have to pay MCES surcharges.

Who Is Subject To An Inspection?

• All properties in Golden Valley that do not have a Certificate of I/I Compliance must be inspected and required to be in compliance before they can be sold. Please call the City at 763-593-3962 to verify that your property is in need of certification before beginning the I/I certification process.
• Property owners who apply for plumbing permits, variances, subdivisions, or other actions from the City will also be subject to an inspection.
• The City will conduct I/I inspections as part of its annual Pavement Management Program (PMP) the year prior to the street reconstruction.

Compliance

For properties that pass inspection, the City issues a Certificate of I/I Compliance to the property owner and keeps a copy on file at City Hall. Properties that don't pass inspection are issued a correction notice delineating the problems. Repairs should be completed within 180 days of the first inspection, and the City can grant an extension of another 180 days. If repairs are not completed within one year of the first inspection, the inspection becomes invalid and the process starts again, which includes paying the applicable inspection fee. The City issues a Certificate of I/I Compliance upon a successful re-inspection.

I/I Problem Spots

The inspection involves televising the sanitary sewer service out of the City sewer main (to identify cracks and leaks) and checking the sump pump discharge system and roof drains and leaders (to identify improper connections to the sanitary sewer system).

Roof Drains / Leader

Roof drains and leaders direct storm water from roof gutters to the ground through pipes and downspouts. Roof drains should not be connected to the sanitary sewer but should discharge to the ground outside of a building. If your roof drains are connected to the sanitary sewer, disconnect them, plug any open connections to the sanitary sewer using a non-shrink permanent material, and redirect the roof drains onto the ground outside the building.

Foundation Drains

Foundation drains are underground pipes that collect storm water from around the base of a building and into a sump basket, where it is then pumped outside of the building. Foundation drains should not be connected to the sanitary sewer. If your foundation drain system is connected to the sanitary sewer, correcting the problem could be costly. The process could involve excavation to disconnect the foundation drain from the sanitary sewer and installation of a sump pump system. The new sump system must pump directly to the ground outside of the building or be connected to the City's storm sewer system.

Sump Pump Systems

Sump pumps are designed to capture surface or ground water that enters basements or crawl spaces and pump it away from the house. The basic sump system includes drain tile, a sump pit, a sump pump, a float or switch, and a drain line. The sump pit extends below the slab and collects surface water that enters the basement/crawl space or groundwater that rises to the slab. Sump pumps should not be connected to the sanitary sewer. Sump pumps should drain into the City's storm sewer system through one of two methods: a direct connection (a pipe from the house to the main storm sewer line), if available, or directly onto the ground (preferably 20 feet from the house and not into a neighbor's yard).

Sanitary Sewer System

Wastewater from Golden Valley travels through the City's sanitary sewer system to the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is operated by the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services Division. MCES treats wastewater for communities in the seven county metropolitan area.

1. Verify Need For Certification

Call the City at 763-593-3962 to verify that your property is in need of certification before beginning the I/I inspection process.

2. Submit Application & Pay Fee

The application fee is $250 for residential properties and $750 (per building) for commercial or multi-unit buildings.

• Online
  Applications may also be submitted online and the fee paid by credit card:
  1. Visit ePermits and click "Apply for Permit."
  2. Homeowners do not need to create an account. Contractors must make an account.
  3. Scroll down to "I/I POINT OF SALE" and choose the type of inspection you need
  4. Fill in the information requested. When asked if a certificate has been issued for this property, answer no.
  5. Follow the instructions to submit the payment. Make sure you continue to process until you get a permit number that begins with GV_ _ _ _ _ _.
  6. Call 763-593-3962 to schedule the appointment.
• By Mail Or In Person 
  You can submit your I/I Compliance Inspection Application (PDF) and fee paid by check via mail or in person at the Public Works Department in City Hall.

Please note, water must be available at the property for the inspection to be completed.

3. Schedule Inspection

Call 763-593-3962 between 7 am and 3 pm to schedule an inspection. Provide permit number, if application was submitted online, and at least 24-hour advance notice.

• The appointment will take approximately one and one-half hours for residential properties and a minimum of three hours for commercial or multi-unit properties.
• A responsible adult must be present at all times during the inspection.

4. Prepare For Inspection

Before the inspection, the property owner must do the following:

1. Make sure the water is turned on at the property. The inspection cannot be completed without water.
2. Locate the 4-inch diameter vertical wastewater pipe that runs down through the basement from a bathroom above. This pipe will have an access point called a cleanout. Cleanouts are usually located on the pipe between approximately 6 inches and 2 feet from the basement floor.
3. Make sure the cleanout cover is in working condition before the inspection can be performed. To ensure the cleanout cover is in working condition, the cover should be loosened and removed, then reinstalled so that a watertight seal is achieved.
4. Make sure the floor area around the cleanout is clear (a 5-foot radius).
5. If there is a cleanout cover located on the floor in the basement, this cover should be in working condition. The inspector may need to gain access to any cleanout covers located in the basement floor, but the inspection cannot be performed through this type of cleanout. Even if the property owner has a cleanout cover located in the floor that is easily accessible and used for sewer cleaning, the inspector must use the cleanout in the vertical 4-inch diameter wastewater pipe.
6. If you have a sump pump, make sure it is accessible for inspection.
7. Make sure the sump pump discharge piping is visible.

5. Wait For Review

Allow up to five working days for the City to review the inspection video and issue a compliance certificate or correction notice. If problems are found:

• You will receive a correction notice from the City identifying the problem(s). Repairs should be completed within 180 days of the first inspection, and the City can grant an extension of another 180 days. If repairs are not completed within one year of the first inspection, the inspection becomes invalid and the process starts again, which includes paying the applicable inspection fee.
• Correct the problems (getting the correct inspections for the work done along the way) and call the Public Works Department to schedule another I/I inspection. [Inflow & Infiltration Contractor List]
• If your property is then found compliant, you will receive your compliance certificate. If the property is not compliant after two inspections, an additional application fee ($250 for residential properties; $750 for commercial properties) may be charged.

Sump pump systems are designed to capture surface or ground water that enters basements or crawl spaces and pump it away from the house. Cross connections (when sump pumps discharge into the sanitary sewer system) are against City ordinance and pose economic and environmental problems.

Homeowners use sump pumps in their basements to battle moisture and flooding issues. The basic sump system includes drain tile, a sump pit (which extends below the slab and collects surface water that enters the basement/crawl space or groundwater that rises to the slab), a sump pump, a float or switch, and a drain line. The drain line should direct sump water out of your house and onto your yard (see illustration at bottom of page).

What Is a Cross Connection?

When a sump pump is connected to a sanitary sewer line, it is called a cross connection. Often, this is a hose leading from the sump to a laundry tub or a floor drain. Water that goes down any drain in your house leads to the sanitary sewer system and eventually ends up at a wastewater treatment plant, where it is treated before being released back into the environment.

Cross connections are a significant cause of inflow and infiltration and must be fixed before a home can be sold in Golden Valley.

Why Is This a Problem?

Sump pump water is what engineers call "clear water," most often rain water, ground water, or snow melt. This water flows directly into area streams, ponds, and lakes. Water from sinks, showers, tubs, toilets, and washing machines is wastewater and must be treated before it is discharged into the environment.

Clear water, such as that from a sump pump, overloads the sanitary sewer system. During the rainy season (March through October), this clear water increases the flow through Golden Valley's sanitary sewer system one to two times the usual amount, primarily because of cross connections.

Since sanitary sewer rates are based on the number of gallons that flow through the City Sanitary Sewer System, treating clear water is costly to everyone.

Redirecting Your Sump Pump Connection

Sump pumps should drain into the City's storm sewer system through one of two methods:

• a direct connection (a pipe from the house to the main storm sewer line), if available
• directly onto the ground (preferably 20 feet from the house and not into a neighbor's yard)

Steps for Sump Pump Inspection

1. Verify Need for Certification

Call the City at 763-593-3962 to verify that your property is in need of certification before beginning the sump pump inspection process.

2. Submit Application & Pay Fee

The application fee is $75 for residential properties.

• Online
  Applications may also be submitted online and the fee paid by credit card:
  1. Visit ePermits and click "Apply for Permit."
  2. Homeowners do not need to create an account. Contractors must make an account.
  3. Scroll down to "I/I POINT OF SALE" and choose the type of inspection you need.
  4. Fill in the information requested. When asked if a certificate has been issued for this property answer yes.
  5. Follow the instructions to submit the payment. Make sure you continue to process until you get a permit number that begins with GV_ _ _ _ _ _.
  6. Call 763-593-3962 to schedule the appointment.
• By Mail or in Person
  • You can submit your Inflow and Infiltration Compliance Inspection Application (PDF) and fee paid by check via mail or in person at the Public Works Department in City Hall.

3. Schedule Inspection

• Call 763-593-3962 between 7 am and 3 pm to schedule an inspection. Provide permit number, if application was submitted online, and at least 24-hour advance notice.
• The appointment will take approximately a half hour for residential properties.
• A responsible adult must be present at all times during the inspection.

4. Prepare for Inspection

Before the inspection, the property owner must make sure:

• the sump pump is accessible for inspection
• the sump pump discharge piping is visible

5. Wait for Review

Allow up to five working days for the City to process the results. If problems are found:

• You will receive a correction notice from the City identifying the problem(s). City Code requires repairs to be completed within 180 days.
• Correct the problems (getting the correct inspections for the work done along the way) and call the Public Works Department to schedule another sump pump inspection.