Modern Engineering Solutions (MES) in Golden, CO specializes in designing solutions to reduce Inflow and Infiltration in municipal sewer systems. We focus on planning, modeling, and designing effective solutions to reduce extraneous groundwater and stormwater entering sanitary sewer systems. Our team partners with municipalities, communities, water and sanitation districts, and state agencies to improve sewer system performance, protect the environment, and ensure compliance with regulations.
Inflow and Infiltration
Importance of Addressing Inflow and Infiltration
Think about what happens during a big storm—clean water finds its way into the sewer system and fills it up fast, leaving less room for actual wastewater. That can quickly overwhelm your pipes and treatment plant. In a storm, leaks or bad connections can let in so much rain or groundwater that your pipes and treatment plant get overwhelmed fast—because all that space gets used up by water that doesn’t belong there. The outcome is often costly sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), sewage backups in homes, and higher operating expenses. We’ve seen towns where half the storm flow is just clean water sneaking into the system—water that shouldn’t be there in the first place. Reducing that clean water frees up capacity and saves money on treatment, giving you more flexibility in your budget. It also helps you avoid fines and unexpected repair costs that can throw off your budget. Fixing these issues now gives you room to grow without needing to expand your plant right away.
Challenges in Sanitary Sewer Systems
Most older systems in Colorado are dealing with the same thing: cracks, leaks, and old connections letting in clean water. Aging sewer lines often develop cracks, loose joints, or root intrusion, allowing groundwater to seep into the system. During heavy rain or rapid snowmelt, stormwater can enter the network through flooded manholes, illegal connections (like sump pumps or roof drains tied into sewers), or deteriorated sewer laterals. That kind of flow pushes your pipes beyond what they’re built for, leading to backups or overflows. Since maintenance budgets are tight and not every leak is easy to find, many towns deal with repeated backups and risk getting flagged by regulators.
Aging Infrastructure
Cracked pipes, leaky joints, and deteriorating manholes in older systems allow groundwater to seep into the sewers, significantly raising base flows.
Stormwater Inflow Sources
Heavy rain or snowmelt can send storm runoff into sanitary sewers via uncapped cleanouts, illegal roof drain connections, or unsealed manhole covers, rapidly overloading the system during wet weather.
Capacity Strain and Overflows
Excess inflow and infiltration consume pipe and treatment capacity; at peak flows this can cause manhole surcharges or sanitary sewer overflows that endanger public health and the environment.
Detection and Prioritization
Pinpointing major inflow and infiltration sources in a large network requires careful analysis of flow data and modeling to target rehabilitation where it will have the biggest impact.
Budget Constraints
Limited funding forces communities to prioritize which rehabilitation projects will yield the most significant reduction in inflow and infiltration for the investment.
Our Expertise
When a city hire us in to help with inflow and infiltration problems, we start by looking at the full picture—what’s happening in the system, where the excess water is coming in, and what the long-term goals are. From there, our engineers design practical solutions using proven tools and a good understanding of how local systems actually work.
Here’s how we usually tackle the problem:
Sanitary Sewer Evaluation and Modeling
Hydraulic Capacity Analysis
Rehabilitation Design
Long-Range Sewer System Planning
Sanitary Sewer Evaluation and Modeling
We start by evaluating your sewer system and running hydraulic models to see how it performs during dry and wet weather. We run simulations based on system data to spot where too much water is getting in and how it’s affecting capacity. We use the data to figure out which areas are causing the most issues so we can fix them first.
Hydraulic Capacity Analysis
We check whether your system can handle big storms now and support growth down the road. We test how your system handles heavy storms to spot weak points before they cause problems. Then we recommend upgrades—like upsizing pipes or sealing problem spots—based on what will improve system performance the most. By planning capacity improvements alongside I&I mitigation, we ensure a more resilient system with far lower risk of overflows.
Rehabilitation Design
After pinpointing problem areas, MES develops targeted designs for municipal sewer rehabilitation to eliminate sources of I&I. Based on what we find, we design fixes like lining or sealing pipes to stop clean water from getting in. We fix leaks and restore old pipes without tearing up the street—so the system lasts longer and works better. We design repairs that solve the problem without causing headaches for residents or crews.
Long-Range Sewer System Planning
We help you think ahead, so your sewer system stays reliable as your community grows. We help you plan around both today’s fixes and tomorrow’s growth by combining I&I work with your larger infrastructure goals. We help you break down the big picture into actionable steps—what to fix first, how to budget for it, and how to hit your I&I goals over time. That way, you’re staying ahead of overflows, avoiding fines, and setting your system up for long-term growth. With thorough collection system capacity planning, we help prioritize investments such as upsizing critical lines, adding wet-weather storage, or extending rehabilitation efforts in high-I&I areas. This helps you stay ahead of issues and plan for improvements without getting caught off guard.
Cost-Effective Solutions
We know cities need options that save money and protect the environment without adding more work for team. When we stop clean water from getting into the sewer system, it saves energy, cuts treatment costs, and can even delay the need for plant upgrades. We use proven fixes like trenchless lining and targeted repairs that last a long time and avoid tearing up streets or disturbing neighborhoods. We stick to what works best and doesn’t blow the budget, so your system stays reliable.
Why Choose MES
Modern Engineering Solutions works closely with private and public agencies throughout Golden, Colorado, and nearby communities. We’ve helped local teams tackle inflow and infiltration challenges by staying involved from planning to design, focusing on solutions that work within real budgets and timelines. We work closely with municipal engineers, utility managers, and field crews to ensure our I&I design solutions align with your community’s needs and regulations. Being based in Golden means we have first-hand knowledge of the area’s climate, soil conditions, and sewer infrastructure history. Throughout each project, our team communicates openly and involves stakeholders from initial assessment through final design. We make sure what we design works for your system, fits your budget, and supports your future plans. Our commitment to the Golden, CO community means you get a team invested in the success of your infrastructure.
Michael Groselle, PE
CEO/Founder
Contact Us
Ready to tackle your community’s inflow and infiltration challenges? Contact Modern Engineering Solutions today to learn how our expert I&I design services can strengthen your sanitary sewer system and protect your infrastructure investment. As a proud local civil engineering firm in Golden, CO, we care about helping local systems run better and avoid costly problems. Give us a call or shoot over an email if you’re ready to take a fresh look at your I&I issues. Let’s talk about what your system needs and what you can afford to fix first.