By Melissa Reeves

Does your basement turn into a swimming pool when it rains outside? If so, you might what to check out JoCo Inflow.

JoCo Inflow is a 100% voluntary program from Johnson County Wastewater that has helped thousands of Johnson County homeowners reduce the risk of basement sewer backups with no out of-pocket expense to the homeowner. The program is designed to identify and remove sources of storm/rainwater from private property.

Additional rainwater and groundwater can strain the sanitary sewer system. It was designed to move domestic sewage to the wastewater treatment facility and does not have the capacity to transport and treat wet-weather flows. During periods of moderate or heavy rainfall, sewer systems can reach capacity, overflow and discharge a mixture of wastewater and stormwater out of manholes or back up into basements.

Separate sewer systems are not typically designed to overflow. Illicit connections on private property, broken joints, pipes and manholes can allow stormwater to enter the pipes, causing the separate system to overflow during heavy rainfall.

The JoCo Inflow program is designed to identify and eliminate illicit connections on private property and ultimately reduce the excess wet weather flow.

How to get started?

Visit jocogov.org/joco-inflow to schedule a time for a representative to perform an evaluation. More information is available on the website or by calling 913-715-8550.

Melissa Reeves is community relations manager at Johnson County Wastewater.