Stock up on water to use for drinking, hand washing, bathing, etc. in case something happens to your incoming water source. Preparing handwashing buckets can help to limit wastewater down the drains if the power is out for awhile.
If you have a visible cleanout on your property, make sure that the lid is completely sealed and not broken. If there is any crack or opening, have it repaired so that rain water does not get into the pipes and overwhelm the sewer system. Replacement parts should be easily found at a hardware store or online. This video provides instructions to fix a cleanout yourself, or you could hire a plumber or handyman. You could put a covering, like an upside down bucket, over the cleanout area until it is completed to prevent rainwater infiltration in the meantime.
Prior to power going out, if you have a grinder pump with a panel box that has a PUSH TO RUN button, press that button to empty the basin and allow for capacity to hold some wastewater.
If you own a grinder pump and your property is predicted to flood where the pump is, turn off switch for grinder pump in the main breaker box. Be sure to make a note to turn it back on once flooding subsides.
As of January 4, 2021, all grinder pumps and lift stations installed on the Baldwin County Sewer Service (BCSS) sewer system include a generator transfer switch in the pumps’ panel boxes.
The specifications for a pump generator transfer switch is 30 amp 220 Volt 4 wire.
The generator transfer switch can be purchased at our office for $575 and must be installed by a licensed electrician.
Generator requirements for residential grinder pumps: 6500 watts minimum, 220 V 4 wire. Additional details:
The 240 Volt generator must be rated at 6500watt continuous/ 8125 watt starting minimum.
Never use an undersized generator, as it will likely cause damage to the generator, pump and panel.
When the grinder pump starts, the pump needs approximately 8000 watts for less than a second at 240 Volts.
Once the grinder pump motor is running, the wattage will drop to between 1800 and 3600 watts depending on the line pressure in the system.
