Bag Cleaning: An Effective Method for Cleaning Gravity Sewers and Siphons

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

2:25 PM - 3:15 PM PT

Location: B 3

Lead Presenter(s)

JT

Jenny Tanphanich, MS, PE

Supervising Engineer, Wastewater Collections Systems
Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts

Presenter(s)

JF

Jason Finn

Associate Environmental Scientist
Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts
Garden Grove, CA
EM

Enrique Martinez

Assistant Superintendent Wastewater Collection System Operations and Maintenance
Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts
Whittier, CA

Track Lead(s)

LS

Lars Stenstedt

Data Science Business Development
V&A Consulting Engineers
Oakland

Presentation Description: Bag cleaning, also known as Kite cleaning, is a mechanical method for cleaning gravity sewers and siphons. A specially designed bag is deployed into the sewer, and hydraulic pressure is used to push solids and scour the surface of gravity sewers and siphons. This presentation will discuss the process of bag cleaning, the pros and cons of this cleaning method, and lessons learned from using this rarely used but effective cleaning method.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define a new, efficient method for cleaning grease and debris in gravity sewers and siphons
2. Understand the risks associated with bag cleaning
3. Implement practices to reduce the risk of overflow while performing bag cleaning