What’s It Really Like Inside a Sewer?

Would you believe some engineers not only tolerate crawling inside sanitary sewer manholes – but actually enjoy it?

Several members of our municipal engineering group in Ayres’ Fort Collins, Colorado, office climb into manholes to help their clients learn whether their sewer pipes are sized right, if they are leaking, and if they need to be replaced, among many other pieces of useful information.

So what is life like inside a sewer? Stinky, yes, but perhaps not as stinky as you’d think. As long as the “water” is moving, it’s OK; it actually smells like coffee and cocoa. But stagnant water is the worst, when silt and muck are just sitting in one place.

Another benefit of being in a sewer? It’s climate-controlled. On a frigid or sweltering hot day, it’s always 50 to 60 degrees in the sewer.

The accompanying photos and video are proof that our engineers enjoy this job. The photo at left shows Florian Fiebig, a water resources specialist, and the above photo shows Fiebig on the left. Check out our TRENDS magazine article for more details from down under.