5 Ways Replacing a Manhole Cover Benefits the City

You are a municipal decision maker. Every decision you make is carefully planned considering the cost and the return on investment. You have a significant number of manhole in your system that you would love to level up and bring back to specification. You want to make sure that is the best place to invest your resources.

You know there is a right way to do things and that is the way you want to approach the manhole rehabilitation project. You are concerned about your cities safety, and you want your streets smooth and looking their best.

Broken or open manholes can lead to pedestrian falls, vehicular accidents, and potential lawsuits.

Manhole lids that are not level with the road are more than an aesthetic issue or a “bump in the road”. There is a much more serious issue here. That “bump” is causing repeated impact loading from traffic. Imagine heavy vehicles repeatedly banging away at the manhole structure which is already falling apart. It doesn’t take long until the entire manhole structure crumbles and collapses. Getting on these sunken manholes early and repairing them properly can save countless dollars and repair time later.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Importance of Timely Manhole Repairs 

Getting on manhole maintenance projects before they deteriorate too badly can prevent vehicle accidents and pedestrian injuries, potentially saving your city painful lawsuits . Talk about how replacing or repairing manhole covers can prevent such occurrences. 

As these manholes deteriorate, the vehicle impact loadings transferred into the manhole structure become worse. The impact loading usually leads to material inside the manhole structure dislodging and falling into the sewer. This dislodged debris can wash down the mainline and clog the sewer leading to costly blockages. These blockages can cause sewage backups to homes and businesses as well as interruptions in service.

Sometimes it may be best to systematically remove and replace a significant number of manhole frames and lids as older units get worn and damaged.

Examine the clear opening size of your existing frames and lids and upsize if appropriate. This may be a good time to have your city’s seal applied to the manhole lids.

Using a well thought out, engineered frame and lid replacement system like the Mr. Manhole system can yield significant benefits immediately, and in the out years as you reduce initial installation cost, reduce injury liability and workers compensation risk, Reduce sewage treatment costs due to leakage in the manhole structure, increase the life of the manhole, eliminate snow plow damage from manhole strikes, and improve the morale of your crews by providing them with the latest labor saving technology.

You are expected to get the best “bang for the buck” in everything you do for your city. Choosing the right manhole leveling system is no exception. When you consider the incredible labor savings of the Mr. Manhole system, it really becomes a “no brainer”. By choosing a well-engineered system with a long service life you will repair a lot fewer manholes in the out years. Of course round repairs involve 20% less material removed and replaced. There is the savings from eliminating snow plow damage and plows out of service for repair. All points considered you will be making a very wise investment.

Over the years we realized most of our sewer main blockages were from deteriorated chimney bricks falling into manholes and then pushed through the mains. We made an inventory list deeming which manholes were in the worst condition and began repairing them first. Since we first purchased the Mr. Manhole system nearly eight years ago we repaired hundreds of manholes drastically reducing the number of blockages while providing a better road surface for drivers.

Director of Streets and Roads – City of Thompson, NY

Residents may not often tell you personally but they do talk about local street conditions in general and manhole conditions specifically. Everyone has that awful manhole they have to swerve to miss on the way to work or the grocery store. Your city becomes a much nicer place for residents as you work out the “bumps” by repairing manholes.

You might create some local interest and fun by coming up with a great manhole lid design. Even better have a publicized contest and solicit for the best manhole lid design. This gets residents behind the project and presents a great public image for your department.

It’s obvious there are a lot of benefits and a great ROI to initiating a manhole repair project. The results are immediate and long term. Look into a system like the Mr. Manhole system and explore ways to get a manhole adjustment program started in your city.