Sewer
Sanitary Sewer System
The Public Works Department for the City of St. Francis maintains approximately 19.5 miles of sewer main, 655 Manholes, 12 Lift Stations and a Wastewater Treatment Plant. It is the City’s objective to provide sewer lines of adequate size to handle existing and future sewage flows. We inspect, clean and maintain the sewer system to minimize sewer backups and other system problems. St. Francis attempts to eliminate any infiltration/inflow problems in the sanitary sewer system. These are sources of uncontaminated water which would provide an unnecessary burden on the wastewater treatment facility. Treatment costs and the cost of maintaining the City’s system of trunk mains, laterals, and the wastewater treatment plant are paid for by the sanitary sewer utility. Customers are billed monthly.
Sanitary Sewer Backups
There are three types of sewer backups. The first is an in service blockage that will affect a single property. The second is a sewer main blockage. This will affect multiple properties. The third is sewer system failure. Conditions such as extreme rainfall, flooding, and long power outages would cause a catastrophic failure of the sewer system. The likelihood is small for a sewer system failure to occur.
Call Public Works at 763-233-5200 first when experiencing a sewer back up. If the back up occurs after regular business hours, call Anoka County Dispatch at 763-427-1212 to reach the City emergency on-call staff. The City needs to know if the sewer backup is caused by a main line blockage. City staff will inspect the sewer mains for any possible signs that service to the property will have an adverse effect on the main system. Whenever hiring a plumbing service to work on the sewer lines, please notify the Public Works Department to ensure the main sewer system will not be affected.
Sanitary Sewer Backup Checklist
- Begin Clean-Up Now. The City will notify the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT) and an adjuster will contact the homeowner. If the homeowner wishes, they may hire a professional cleaning company.
- Homeowners Should Notify Their Insurance Company. LMCIT may not cover all of the costs of the sewer back up.
- Make a list of damaged items. Take pictures. A list of a description and value of each item is helpful with insurance policies.
If you have questions or if you do not hear from the LMCIT adjuster, contact City Hall @ 763-753-2630.
