City Engineer Brent Maue delivered the news to the Municipal Services Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 27 during a presentation on Pasadena’s recently adopted Sewer System Management Plan.
“It has been since roughly 2007 since we had a system-wide assessment,” Maue told the committee.
When asked how much of the system currently has cracks or other problems, Maue was candid: “The honest answer is we don’t have a real good idea right now.”
The City’s sanitary sewer network includes approximately 328 miles of pipe, 7,500 manholes and three lift stations. The system conveys an average of 14 million gallons of wastewater daily to the Los Angeles County Sanitation District through 92 separate connections. More than 90 percent of the pipe is vitrified clay, and the majority of the infrastructure is more than 90 years old.
In November, the City awarded a contract to televise approximately 550,000 linear feet of sewer main — roughly one-third of the system — along with condition assessments of about 2,500 manholes. The accelerated timeline aims to establish a baseline within three years before transitioning to a standard seven-year inspection cycle.
Director of Public Works Greg de Vinck explained the inspection process will use National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASCO)-certified video operators who score pipe conditions using a nationally standardized coding system.
“Videoing the whole system over the next three years will allow us to hit up the worst places first,” de Vinck said, adding that the clay pipe material itself remains durable. “It’s a great product.”
The primary failure points occur at pipe joints, where roots penetrate and groundwater infiltrates the system. Between 30 and 40 miles of pipe have already been lined using trenchless technology that essentially creates a new pipe within the existing one.
The City plans to line approximately 40,000 linear feet of sewer annually going forward. In July, the City awarded a $2.9 million construction contract for approximately 35,000 linear feet of sewer lining, along with manhole rehabilitation and localized point repairs.
Despite the assessment gap, Maue noted the City’s maintenance approach has been effective, with an average of only two sanitary sewer overflows per year over the past five years.
“I do feel confident that this program will allow this system to last to another 90 years,” Maue said. “I don’t really see that being an issue as long as it’s maintained and looked after.”
The improvements are funded by sewer rate adjustments approved by the City Council in June 2024. The updated Sewer System Management Plan was adopted by the Council on June 2, replacing a version from December 2019.
The new rates are also funding a $5.25 million modernization of the Busch Garden and Rosemont sewer pump stations, both built in the 1940s. That project is currently out for bid, with construction expected to begin before the end of the current fiscal year.
Councilmember Rick Cole, who requested the detailed briefing, said residents deserve to understand how their rate increases are being spent.
“I think the residents should hear back, or at least their representatives, on how their money’s being spent,” Cole said.
Councilmember Justin Jones, who chairs the committee, asked whether the inspection data could be shared with the Council, and staff confirmed it would be.
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