The Importance of Timely Manhole Repairs

September 28, 2022

As a municipal manager your professional life is filled with projects and responsibilities. You hardly have time to consider more projects. Often a small shift of priorities can yield tremendous results and save you a lot of time and resources.

With new manhole repair technology, the task of maintaining manholes has become much easier so you have some great options! Take a quick look at how analyzing and repairing manholes can head off big maintenance issues in the future.

Let’s take a look at some issues caused by failing to properly maintain manholes.

Driving Safety

Damaged or deteriorating manholes can be a serious safety concern for drivers. There is always that manhole we swerve to miss with our wheels. That swerving can result in a serious automobile accident.

A deteriorating manhole can be a hazard for pedestrians if the structure is located in a walkway area. Manholes that are leaking can easily develop potholes adjacent to the structure. These potholes can be very dangerous for pedestrians.

Lawsuits can result from pedestrian injuries due to deteriorating manholes. The municipality has a responsibility to maintain a safe infrastructure for drivers and pedestrians. When that responsibility is not met, lawsuits can be the result. The cost of one lawsuit could easily exceed the entire annual budget for proper manhole maintenance.

Potential Sewer and Water System Problems

We have seen instances where manhole lids sink and cause significant bumps in the roadway. There is something happening to the manhole structure below the road that is causing this sinking. Components of the manhole are deteriorating and actually falling into the underlying sewer system. These falling materials can cause blockage in the sewer system that can be expensive to clear. A blocked sewer can have a tremendous cost far exceeding the clearing of the blockage. Sewage can back up into homes and businesses resulting in significant cleanup costs.

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

Worker Safety and Costs

The longer a deteriorating manhole is left in disrepair the more difficult and expensive the repair becomes. The damage starts to affect the surrounding road bed in an expanding radius.

When the manhole repair is finally initiated it may be more expensive and time consuming than if it had been done sooner.

Workers may even have to enter the structure to retrieve debris or clear a blockage. This exposes the workers to risk of injury. A municipality has a responsibility to provide safe tools and methods for their workers. There are now tools and methods available to make manhole repairs safe and easy. Don’t allow the use of outdated, unsafe methods to lead to injury and medical expenses.

When you consider all the potential risks and costs of waiting to repair manholes, it becomes clear that it’s just not worth postponing.