Hazen and Sawyer upgraded Jefferson County’s manholes when they installed the STORMSURGE® access assembly. With its innovative locking arm and hinge, this design keeps covers where they belong and eases the burden off maintenance crews.

The Problem

Heavy rains frequently cause flooding in Jefferson County, which can cause infiltration into the sanitary sewer system. This overloading of the system causes manhole covers to become dislodged off the manholes, which is very unsafe. The county was seeing this occur in multiple locations where manholes are located in creeks.  The uncovered manholes allowed rocks and debris to wash into them, which created a nightmare for maintenance.

Jefferson County contracts Hazen and Sawyer, an engineering firm, currently serving as Program Manager for wastewater projects. Hazen and Sawyer’s reputation is founded on the superior technical work they provide to help clients meet their water quality challenges and goals. They knew they needed to find a solution for their client to keep covers in place during these flooding events.

Embracing Innovation

Since they’re no strangers to providing municipalities with innovative solutions for flooding and infiltration, it made sense that they fully embraced the STORMSURGE access assembly by EJ when they heard about it during a lunch and learn presentation given by Michael Heer, Technical Sales Engineer at EJ.

The STORMSURGE access assembly allows water to flow during a flooding event. The cover can lift up to 16°, enabling water to flow out and relieve the pressure. The locking arm and hinge restrain the cover and allow it to automatically re-seat itself after the pressure returns to normal.

The Cover Lifts up to 16° During a Storm Surge or Backflow Event

Hazen and Sawyer and the County were already very familiar with EJ products and had been specifying them for years. They placed initial orders for 25 STORMSURGE access assemblies the first year. Assemblies were first installed in the fall of 2021.

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The Perfect Solution

Since the STORMSURGE works perfectly for these applications and many in-the-road applications as well, Jefferson County has purchased almost 100 assemblies as of 2023 and have added the STORMSURGE to their specification.

Learn More

Interested in the STORMSURGE access solution? Learn more at our product brief.

Ready to start your next project? Contact us today or schedule a Lunch and Learn.