Highland Public Works – Sanitary District

The Highland Sanitary District is part of Highland Public Works. Governed by the Board of Sanitary Commissioners, the sanitary district is in charge of installing and maintaining sanitary and storm sewer pipes that criss-cross the community on public rights-of-way. 

Over the last five years, sanitary board chairman and his fellow commissioners have invested nearly $10 million in the town’s sanitary and storm sewers to alleviate chronic back-ups and flooding that historically followed a heavy rain. The commission’s goal has been to systematically remediate issues with flooding.

Still, there is much work to be done. 

A specialized video system that provides images of the hundreds of miles of underground pipes and joints has revealed a number of trouble spots that will force the town to replace entire sections of pipe and insert liners in others to slow the flow of storm water into the sanitary sewers. 

The remedy is both fiscally and environmentally responsible.

The town sends its water to Hammond for treatment and pays for the service by the gallon. Because residents are charged for wastewater based on fresh water use, every gallon of storm water that infiltrates the sanitary sewer system costs the town money at the same time it overwhelms the system’s capacity.