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Hooper, Utah

Fast-growing Hooper, Utah, (population 5,500) was the largest unsewered city in the state when it incorporated in 2000.  The site characteristics  and topography of the area made gravity sewer installation difficult, disruptive and expensive.  Seeking a better alternative, the city did extensive research on several  sewer conveyance methods and determined that vacuum sewer technology by AIRVAC was the best  solution.

AIRVAC helped the city avoid several difficult problems.  Vacuum collection lines can be buried in shallower trenches, eliminating the need for deep excavation and dewatering.  This greatly reduced installation time and minimized traffic disruption.  Hooper’s vacuum sewer required only three vacuum stations to serve the entire town, compared to the 15 pumping stations that a gravity sewer would have needed.  As a result, the city saved about 25 percent by utilizing AIRVAC technology rather than gravity sewers.

Hooper continues to grow at a rapid pace, but their vacuum sewer system can easily be expanded to accommodate the growth.   The system also requires very little maintenance.  Public works personnel love the fact that AIRVAC is a closed system so there is no odor and they almost never come in contact with raw sewage.

This article appeared in the October, 2007 issue of CE News. 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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