Sanitary Sewer

The Sanitary Sewer system is designed to carry away domestic and industrial wastewater to the City of Benton Harbor/St. Joseph Joint Waste Water Treatment Plant for treatment and release into the St. Joseph River. With approximately 3,500 customers and hundreds of miles of sewer main and several lift stations, the care and maintenance of this system are extremely important to everyone attached to it.

On occasion, a utility customer will encounter a backup of wastewater into their basement. Residents are advised to contact the Department of Public Works & Service at the After-Hours phone number, 269-926-2538, as soon as a backup or potential backup is developing. Once the City is notified the Department will check the sewer main, which it is responsible for, and will clean it if it is needed. If the main is "running clear" and is not blocked, the homeowner will be notified that it is a problem in their sewer lateral or service. The homeowner is responsible for their lateral or service from their home all the way to the sewer main even if it is underneath a City street.

As a preventive maintenance tool, the City is fortunate to have a sewer maintenance truck that is equipped with a jet rodding and a debris vacuum system. This piece of equipment is the primary tool used by the Water & Sewer Division to maintain and repair the City's aging sewer system.

Joint Waste Water Treatment 

The City's sewer is treated at the Joint Waste Water Treatment plant located at 269 Anchors Way, St Joseph, MI.