Cleaning cycles for every sewer segment, weekly lift station visits, overflow response and grease trap and septic programmes, on one located record per asset.
Collection system teams use FieldEx as sewer maintenance software beyond the treatment plant: one system for field service management and maintenance management (CMMS). It keeps every sewer segment, manhole and lift station on its own located record, runs cleaning and inspection cycles, sends crews to blockages and overflows, and manages grease trap and septic programmes.
Most sewer problems start in the network, not the plant: grease, roots, failed pumps and blocked laterals. FieldEx plans the work that prevents them and records the work that fixes them, for your own crews and your contractors. Book a demo with a sample of your sewer and manhole register.
There is no single national interval. The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) guide to Capacity, Management, Operation and Maintenance (CMOM) programmes says cleaning frequency should follow the problem. A collection system in a restaurant district may need cleaning every six months to prevent grease blockages, while other areas need much less.
State rules set minimums. Kentucky's 807 KAR 5:071, for example, asks sewer utilities to inspect sewers and manholes at intervals of no more than one year, and their mechanical equipment daily.
| Septic tank location | Scheduled desludging |
|---|---|
| Within a local authority (PBT) area | Every 24 months |
| Outside a local authority area | Every 36 months |
Sources: IWK; Water Services Industry (Desludging Services) Regulations 2021.
EPA's frequently asked questions on sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) list the causes. They include fats, oils and grease (FOG) and wipes sent to the sewer, tree roots, stormwater and groundwater leaking in, and improper connections. Poor maintenance and cleaning, inadequate pump maintenance, lack of backup power, undersized sewers and equipment failures add to the list.
EPA's pretreatment fact sheet on controlling FOG cites its report to Congress: grease from restaurants, homes and industry is the most common cause of reported blockages, at 47%.
| Cause (EPA) | Field work that reduces it |
|---|---|
| Fats, oils and grease | Hot-spot cleaning; grease trap programmes |
| Tree roots | Root cutting on a set cycle |
| Inflow and infiltration | CCTV, manhole and lateral inspection |
| Pump failures and power loss | Lift station visits; generator testing |
Source: US EPA, SSO frequent questions and FOG fact sheet.
The New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission's (NEIWPCC) operation and maintenance guide lists weekly lift station inspection items and a daily log. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) also expects contract operators to visit lift stations weekly.
EPA's lift station webinar adds cleaning cycles. Wet wells should be pumped out and cleaned at least twice a year to stop solids and grease building up. Floats should be cleaned and inspected four times a year, because grease stops them working properly.
| Task | How often |
|---|---|
| Lift station visit and log | Weekly |
| Float cleaning and inspection | 4 times a year |
| Wet well pump-out and cleaning | At least twice a year |
Sources: NEIWPCC; KDHE; US EPA lift station webinar.
EPA's guide for evaluating CMOM programmes describes a framework for managing, operating and maintaining a collection system so it keeps its capacity. EPA's stormwater best-practice sheet lists its parts. It needs an inventory with physical attributes, maps, condition assessment, planned and scheduled work, and repair or rehabilitation based on condition. It also needs timely, relevant information to set priorities.
Permits often write CMOM into their conditions. An Illinois discharge permit, for example, requires schedules for maintenance and sewer cleaning, checklists, and ways to make sure preventive maintenance is done.
| Role | Certificate |
|---|---|
| Authorised entrant, standby person | AESP |
| Authorised gas tester, entry supervisor | AGTES (registered with DOSH) |
| Permit issuer | Trained as AGTES |
| Permit to work | Up to 8 hours, plus up to 4 hours |
Sources: DOSH ICOP 2010; DOSH confined space guidance.
Most US cities use the "25% rule". Nashville's Metro Water Services FOG policy is typical. A grease interceptor must be fully pumped when floating grease and settled solids reach 25% of its liquid depth, and at least once every 90 days unless the department approves otherwise.
Smaller grease traps inside kitchens are cleaned far more often. Nashville sets a minimum of every 30 days, and every two weeks where the contents exceed 25%.
EPA's septic system guidance says a household septic tank should be inspected every one to three years and pumped every three to five years. Systems with pumps, float switches or other mechanical parts should be inspected more often, generally once a year.
EPA says to pump the tank when the bottom of the scum layer is within six inches of the outlet, or the top of the sludge layer is within 12 inches. It also gives a simpler test: more than 25% of the liquid depth is sludge and scum. Sludge and scum levels should be recorded to set the next pumping date.
The Illinois discharge permit's CMOM conditions set a clear sequence. The permit holder must identify and report every overflow, and respond to each one to decide on clean-up and other actions. It then finds the root cause and documents it, and plans remedies to reduce the risk of it happening again.
EPA's lift station webinar adds that an overflow emergency response plan should describe the response procedures.
California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) confined space guide explains how US permit-required confined space rules work. An entry permit, prepared by the employer, is a checklist of every step needed for safe entry and becomes valid once the entry supervisor signs it. Permits should be kept on file for one year.
The guide says to test the air before entry, from outside the space, and at all depths, because some gases are heavier than others. Oxygen is tested first, then combustible gases, then toxic gases.
EPA's CMOM guide puts information management at the heart of the programme. You can't prioritise cleaning or rehabilitation without knowing what was done, where and what was found. The Illinois permit asks for the root cause of each overflow to be documented, and for scheduled inspections, testing and cleaning frequencies to be listed.
In practice, every job needs a location, an asset, a date, a crew, a finding and, where relevant, a photo or CCTV report.
Most combine a map or asset register with software that plans and records the field work. FieldEx covers the field side: segments, manholes and lift stations with their locations, cleaning and inspection plans, overflow response, and every crew's jobs on the phone. Our guide to CMMS software compares the options.
Yes. Each segment can sit on its own plan, so hot spots run on short cycles and trouble-free lines on long ones.
Yes. Every manhole carries its latitude and longitude, photos and past inspections, and the mobile app shows where it is on a map.
Yes. Scanning the QR code opens a form without any sign-in, and FieldEx turns the report into a job at that site. Portal users can raise requests and track them too.
Yes. Jobs can be raised in bulk from an uploaded list of premises, each on its own cycle, with the tank's history on its record.
Yes. Name a skill after the certificate and give it an expiry date. Entry jobs then go only to crews who hold it.
Yes. Each contractor and hauler works in its own logins, and roles decide what they see: only the jobs they're part of.
Yes. Reports, photos and video attach to the inspection record on the segment or manhole.
Yes. Jobs and tasks can be downloaded and worked offline, with check-in, check-out and travel synced when the phone reconnects.
Setup, data upload and training come with the subscription: no setup fee, and as much training as your crews need. Your assets, sites and job history can be uploaded. FieldEx helps with setup, and training is included.
Once we know your requirements and your data is ready, FieldEx can be implemented in as little as a week with standard features for small businesses. Larger setups and custom work take longer. See FieldEx implementation.
