Albuquerque, New Mexico

In 1990 Albuquerque’s public works leaders recognized they had a significant groundwater pollution problem caused by the number of septic tanks in unincorporated areas of Bernalillo County. They installed their first AIRVAC vacuum sewer system in 1993 and have since expanded the vacuum system several times.

“The installation of vacuum sewers has helped tremendously in eliminating the groundwater pollution we were getting from septic tanks,” said Bob Paulette, P.E., an engineer with Wilson & Company in Albuquerque. Paulette has worked on the design and installation of Albuquerque’s vacuum sewers for 10 years. “Vacuum sewer technology fit our conditions perfectly.”

Installing gravity sewers in flat topography with high groundwater can be very expensive and disruptive. Installation would require deep ditches and dewatering, and the system would need multiple lift stations. The deep irrigation ditches in Bernalillo County, which are vital to the area’s agricultural needs, made the project even more difficult. Those are some of the reasons Albuquerque, New Mexico, chose vacuum sewer technology by AIRVAC.

“A 0.4 percent slope on an eight-inch collection line means the sewer is dropping 21 feet every mile just to meet the minimum slope requirements,” explained Bob Paulette. “It is obviously very difficult to install sewers 21 feet deep in high groundwater conditions. It also would take years to complete.”

With AIRVAC, a single vacuum station was able to serve as many as 1,000 homes, with sewer lines extending as far as two miles from the station. A gravity system in such flat terrain in a similarly sized area would require several lift stations.

This article appeared in the October, 2005 issue of Public Works. If you would like to read the entire story as it appeared in the magazine, you can download a pdf, or you may request hard copies.

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