Sewage!!!!!!!!

[AK74]

Originally Posted by CFA123

AK,
I mis-interpreted your intent in the earlier post.

VERY mis-interpreted. I was surprised. Did not expect from you - a person of respect. Things happen. No prob.

[CyaBye3015]

Originally Posted by Chip

There are two types of sewage systems here in the DR as in most areas of the world -storm and sanitary.

"Sanitary" sewer obviously isn't as it collects the discharge from toilets and drains of businesses and homes.

"Storm" sewer collects the rainfall runoff (and whatever else is dumped into them) and discharges directly into a receiving water body such as streams, rivers and the oceans. As Dominicans aren't the best about disposing trash in an ordered manner, much of the garbage left on the ground is washed into the storm sewer after a rainfall where it is summarily dumped into said water bodies.

To my knowledge as a civil engineer, these systems aren't interconnected and are therefor completely separate.

Oh Please!!! I live in Minneapolis, a very modern city. And some of the sewers built in the 1800's are still interconnected and drain into the Mississippi river! Don't try to tell me the DR doesn't drain both into the ocean.

[CyaBye3015]

Originally Posted by dv8

the problem, chip, arises when you see all the houses built along the streams, all those corrugated tin roof shacks. poor folks living there do not have sanitary sewage system, they have no sewage at all, all their waste, including organic matter, goes directly into streams (part of a storm system) and then to the ocean. voila.
besides, the storm system does not seem to function here which is clearly seen after any rain.
ps while arguing with the engineer over our house i had a chance to look inside sewage canal (no manhole yet, middle of the street). the pipe (storm system, i guess) carrying water was so narrow i would not even fit my head inside it. seems a little too small, or is it a norm? in poland one can walk in those canals...

I've been in and around the barios (sp) in and around Sosua and it all drains into the streams!!!

[bienamor]

Just take a walk past the jaugar hotel on the malecon on a nice warm day. you can and may gag. and that stuff on the rocks is paper. also the gurgle of running water, after no rain.

[Chip]

Originally Posted by CyaBye3015

Oh Please!!! I live in Minneapolis, a very modern city. And some of the sewers built in the 1800's are still interconnected and drain into the Mississippi river! Don't try to tell me the DR doesn't drain both into the ocean.

There is nothing modern about Minneapolis' sewer system if it was designed in the 1800's. I called and verified that they do still have combination sewers, which is rare in the US and only found in the older cities. Federal clean water laws have already obsoleted these systems and in fact the Minneapolis Public Works Department said there were only a very few of these systems left and in fact were quiclky abandoning them.

As far as Sosua's combination systems goes, it appears from the following article that they too are in the process of being replaced.

Las Ciudades - Piden ampliar drenaje sanitario barrios Sosúa

[dv8]

sewage system in DR is poor to say the least. i guess it's because everyone is such a cheapskate...
i wondered a lot about "no toilet paper in the toilet" thingy and guess what - our engineer after initial "but this is how we do it" gave in and revealed that i can throw paper in the loo of our future house if i buy wider pipes. but they are more expensive than narrow ones (usually used). hmm....
"narrow and cheap" seems to be a popular policy...

[CyaBye3015]

Originally Posted by Chip

There is nothing modern about Minneapolis' sewer system if it was designed in the 1800's. I called and verified that they do still have combination sewers, which is rare in the US and only found in the older cities. Federal clean water laws have already obsoleted these systems and in fact the Minneapolis Public Works Department said there were only a very few of these systems left and in fact were quiclky abandoning them.

As far as Sosua's combination systems goes, it appears from the following article that they too are in the process of being replaced.

Las Ciudades - Piden ampliar drenaje sanitario barrios Sosúa

OMG, I'm shocked to my core, you called long distance to verify that?

As for it not being a modern city, I think if you look up 'quality of life' in Minneapolis you'll find it's very high up on that list of cities. The down side would be that it's colder than a witches (you know what) here in January.

[bienamor]

Originally Posted by dv8

sewage system in DR is poor to say the least. i guess it's because everyone is such a cheapskate...
i wondered a lot about "no toilet paper in the toilet" thingy and guess what - our engineer after initial "but this is how we do it" gave in and revealed that i can throw paper in the loo of our future house if i buy wider pipes. but they are more expensive than narrow ones (usually used). hmm....
"narrow and cheap" seems to be a popular policy...

Not just the pipes DV also check out your septic system if your not hooked to a city system. if using a septic tank here make sure the tank and drain field and such will handle the break down.

[dv8]

thanks bienamor, i will check 100% but i think we are all hooked up to sewage system. i spoke to both engineer and architect and they both say so.
but of course you never know...
all our internal pipes system will have to be somewhat special as we are on a slight slope and we are going to use that to build underground garage. well, not exactly underground, english people call it "lower ground floor"
so we are going to need proper drainage system...
before i hear cries that we will drown like rats - miesposo's parents have a garage under the house and it works well, no water, even with the worst rain (but the toilet paper goes to the bin, go figure )

[Chip]

Originally Posted by CyaBye3015

OMG, I'm shocked to my core, you called long distance to verify that?

As for it not being a modern city, I think if you look up 'quality of life' in Minneapolis you'll find it's very high up on that list of cities. The down side would be that it's colder than a witches (you know what) here in January.

Hey, what do you think I do all day anyway? I'm a civil engineer so this is what I do naturally.

Also, I wasn't trying to infer that the city isn't modern, just it's sewer infrastructure.

Also, if you didn't read the article I posted - it is in fact true that there are combination sewers still in use in some parts of Sosua.