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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04242013 MinutesSEBASTIAN CITY COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR MEETING WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2013 - 6:30 P.M. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1225 MAIN STREET, SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA Mayor McPartlan called the Regular City Council Meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. Invocation was given by Pastor Todd Thomas, Sebastian Christian Church. 3. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Bob McPartlan. 4. ROLL CALL City Council Present: Mayor Bob McPartlan Vice -Mayor Don Wright Council Member Jerome Adams Council Member Andrea Coy City Council Absent: Council Member Jim Hill (excused) City Staff Present: City Manager, Al Minner City Attorney, Robert Ginsburg City Clerk, Sally Maio Community Development Director, Joseph Griffin Deputy Police Chief, Greg Witt Parks Supervisor, Chris McCarthy MIS Systems Analyst, Robb Messersmith 5. AGENDA MODIFICATIONS Modifications and additions require unanimous vote of City Council members None. Regular City Council Meeting April 24, 2013 Page Two 6. PROCLAMATIONS, AWARDS, BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENTS Presentations of proclamations, certificates and awards, and brief timely announcements by Council and Staff. No public input or action under this heading. 13.061 A. Proclamation - National Day of Recognition for Volunteers — Accepted by City of 5 Sebastian Volunteers Mayor McPartlan read and presented the proclamation to City Hall and PD volunteers. 13.062 B. Proclamation — National Child Abuse Prevention Month — Accepted by Exchange 6 Club of Sebastian Member Michael Natale Mayor McPartlan read and presented the proclamation to Exchange Club members Michael Natale and Warren Dill who announced the benefit Blue Water Open (www.bluewateropen.com) on June 1st, at Captain Butchers and which last year raised $47K and invited people to attend a meeting and consider becoming involved with the Exchange Club. C. Brief Announcements Mayor McPartlan announced the May 4, 2013 Craft Club Show in Riverview Park 9 am to 3 pm. Mr. Adams announced a series of All Aboard Florida public meetings to study environmental impacts of the planned route from South Florida to Orlando, with the closest meeting to be held in Ft. Pierce at the Havert L. Fenn Center, 2000 Virginia Avenue on May 9th, and for further information visit www.allaboardflorida.com. 7. CONSENT AGENDA All items on the consent agenda are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of consent agenda items unless a member City Council so requests; in which event, the item will be removed and acted upon separately. If a member of the public wishes to provide input on a consent agenda item, he /she should request a Council Member to remove the item for discussion prior to start of the meeting or by raising his/her hand to be recognized. 7 -18 A. Approval of Minutes — April 10, 2013 Regular Meeting 13.063 B. Authorize Execution of Modified Twin Piers Submerged Lands Lease (City 19 -31 Manager Transmittal, FDEP Letter, Modified Lease) 13.024 C. Award Bid to Playmore Recreational Products of Ft. Myers FL for Community 31 -44 Center Playground (Low Bidder) in the Amount of $17,400.00 (Parks Transmittal, Bid Tabulation Form, Proposal Price Form and Drawings) 13.064 D. Approve Sebastian River Art Club Shows for 2013 -2014 with 50% Reduction of 45 -47 Fees — 11/16/13, 12/14/13, 1/11/14, 2/15/14, 2/16/14, 3/22/14, and 4/13/14 10 am to 4 pm with Requested Rain dates Sunday Immediately Following Except January — West Side of Park (Parks Transmittal, Art Club Letter, 2 Regular City Council Meeting April 24, 2013 Page Three 13.065 E. Approve Road Closures for Boy Scout Troop 500 5K Run Fundraiser — 48 -49 September 14, 2013 from 6:30 am to 9:30 am — Indian River Drive from Riverview Park Pavilion North to Jackson Street and Back to Park (Parks Transmittal, Park Permit Application) MOTION by Ms. Coy and SECOND by Mr. Wright to approve consent agenda items A, B, C, D, and E. Roll Call: Ayes: Wright, Adams, Coy, McPartlan Nays: None Passed: 4 -0 (Hill Absent) 8. COMMITTEE REPORTS & APPOINTMENTS City committee reports and Council Member regional committee reports. No public input or action except for City committee member nominations and appointments under this heading. Ms. Coy reported on her recent attendance at a State Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) conference in Orlando, which she found very informative, and requested that City Council discuss, at its next regular meeting, the issue of slowing down speed limits on US 1 and then take it forward to MPO. Mayor McPartlan asked if she wanted MPO Director, Phil Matson to attend the meeting, and the City Manager and Ms. Coy agreed that Mr. Matson be invited. 13.066 A. Planning & Zoning Commission 50 -66 (City Clerk Transmittal, Applications, Ad, List) i. Interview, Unless Waived, and Submit Nominations for One Expired Regular Member Position — Term to Expire 5/1/2016 — Four Applicants (City Clerk Transmittal, Applications, Press Release, Committee List) The City Clerk advised that there are four applications for a three year term set to expire on May 1St which is currently held by Joel Roth. City Council interviewed John McManus, Greg Paschall and Joel Roth. Ms. Kautenburg was not present. Each applicant cited their education and experience. Mayor McPartlan said we are lucky to have these four applications for this position and noted in keeping with tonight's proclamation on volunteerism that board members volunteer their time to the City. Mr. Wright nominated Joel Roth, who is the current Vice Chair of Planning and Zoning and has served the City well. Ms. Coy nominated Greg Paschall. Mayor McPartlan and Mr. Adams agreed with keeping Mr. Roth in the position. Mr. Roth was appointed to the three year term, and the other applicants were encouraged by Mayor McPartlan to continue to submit applications for other positions. 9. PUBLIC HEARINGS - None 3 Regular City Council Meeting April 24, 2013 Page Four 10. UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None 11. PUBLIC INPUT - None 12. NEW BUSINESS 13.067 A. Stormwater Utility Fee Credit Policy /Dr. Fischer Refund (City Manager 67 -68 Transmittal) The City Manager explained the stormwater utility fee program and assessment which is charged by Equivalent Residential Units (ERUs), that there are currently 15 property owners who are major landholders who receive credit for having stormwater retention methods. He said that Dr. Henry Fischer has several such land holdings and challenged his 2012 assessment, met the protest timeline, and in review of his claims, staff found a discrepancy in that billing in the amount of $5,023.27 for FY 2012. Dr. Fischer had then asked the City to review charges for all of his holdings and staff found a few more errors, and Dr. Fischer has requested to be remunerated for those past discrepancies. He said Dr. Fischer had documentation from St. Johns River Water Management that confirms 30% of his bill for the Fischer (Vickers) sandmine on Schumann is in the actual pit, does not affect stormwater runoff, and staff concurs with that claim. In response to Ms. Coy, the City Manager reiterated his request to refund Dr. Fischer $16,554.36 for improper billings for 2012 and to authorize a fee waiver for a new policy that is part of the formula in coming up with the $16K as well as coming back to Council with a fee waiver policy that would be added to the credit fee policy. MOTION by Coy and SECOND by Mr. Wright to approve the City's recommendation. Mr. Wright said unless there is no concern about establishment of a fee waiver program he would agree to approve both issues at this time. He said he hoped the fee waiver program would be preserved for larger property holders who can demonstrate they do not impact stormwater runoff for these larger properties and not have it apply to residential properties at all. The City Manager said there was a concern for how many others they missed and would it affect the stormwater program, but noted roughly 80% of the assessment fees are from single ERUs, so out of the $1 M stormwater fund, 80% of the revenue will not be affected by the new policy. He said the ERUs for commercial properties are being reviewed to see if ERUs were applied properly, there are 15 accounts which take advantage of the credit fee policy which has a complicated formula, and of those 15 there are two large undeveloped properties and those property owners would have to have substantial documentation from SJRWMD that demonstrate they do not have an effect on stormwater runoff. He said he can think of only one other property that may apply. Roll Call: Ayes: Adams, Coy, McPartlan, Wright Nays: None Passed: 4 -0 (Hill Absent) E Regular City Council Meeting April 24, 2013 Page Five The City Attorney said Council has essentially instructed staff to come back with a fee waiver policy it can adopt and incorporate into its ordinance. The City Manager said that will be in place for the 2013 assessment which will affect FY 2014. 13. CITY ATTORNEY MATTERS 14. CITY MANAGER MATTERS The City Manager announced that the FIND grant has been submitted and approved with a slight modification, from $166,600, to $157,000 due to ineligibility of some engineering services and landscaping, staff met the May 30th deadline for presentation to FIND on June 21 and 22; said we had received the Presidential Streets grant and he will make a brief report at the next meeting before going to bid; and that we did not get the $10,000 CPI grant for the museum, but Ms. Coy had suggested we request a grant from the Clambake Foundation. Ms. Coy suggested we could ask for $15,000. The City Manager said he has also received notification from Florida Communities Trust (FCT) of approval of the Fisherman Landing Sebastian lease so he will get with the Mayor and Tim Adams for execution in triplicate for FCT. 15. CITY CLERK MATTERS - None 16. CITY COUNCIL MATTERS A. Council Member Cov Ms. Coy announced she received an email from Wayne Newland with the Sea Scouts, requesting use of the City seal to make a patch for Boy Scouts who walk an historic trail in Sebastian. She asked him, since he is not with Boy Scouts of America, why he requested it for them, and he said it is something for them to take home to show they walked the trail. She asked if use of the City seal would be an issue since it is copyrighted. Mayor McPartlan said it should also be available for Girl Scouts. Ms. Coy said she would have Mr. Newland contact the City Manager. There was no objection from Council. B. Council Member Hill — Absent C. Mavor McPartlan Mayor McPartlan discussed his attendance at a senior event at the mall where a Senior Resources Association staff person he knew gave him information about a program that assists seniors over 60 who are having trouble paying their electric bills with certain criteria. He asked that that the information be posted on Channel 25. He also reported on his attendance at Earth Day and showed birdhouses his children had made and announced today was his wedding anniversary. Regular City Council Meeting April 24, 2013 Page Six Ms. Coy asked him how the twins did at the Easter Egg Hunt and he said they did great, and they accompanied him to the Senior Center event. He said the seniors are looking to take on more responsibility and want to become more involved in the Community. He said it is unbelievable what they have done and said they have asked for recycle bins. Ms. Coy said she had provided bins to them. D. Vice Mayor Wright 13.068 i. Septic to Sanitary Sewer Project (No Backup) Vice Mayor Wright briefly discussed his attendance at an all day Indian River County symposium on the Indian River Lagoon, and then did some independent research on the matter to identify problems. He played a brief excerpt of the symposium video with input from Dr. Lapointe which identifies septic as the major cause of the killing off of seagrasses in the Indian River Lagoon due to high nitrogen content. Mr. Wright then gave a Power Point presentation he had put together with the assistance of the City Manager (see Power Point presentation attached to minutes along with materials submitted to the City Council prior to the start of the meeting for further detail). Mr. Wright expounded on some of the points of the presentation citing an April 11, 2013 Sebastian River News article regarding collection of seaweed along the lagoon shoreline and determination that the majority of the nitrogen came from human waste and not fertilizer, the highest levels being in Indian River County, that the problems stem from all septic systems because they are not designed to remove nitrogen and phosphorous unless an aerobic treatment unit is added to the system. He exhibited a diagram showing how a septic system operates and said that failing septic tanks cause even more problems. He showed materials on maintenance of septic systems that we might want to get out to the public and stressed the need to educate the public about damages caused. He exhibited a diagram showing the difference in filtration systems of septic and sewer. He said his approach would be "Think Global and Act Locaf', which proposes three phases. He exhibited a map obtained from Indian River County which shows the locations of sewer lines and sewer connections in Sebastian. He said the first Phase would be the riverfront, the most crucial area, noting that many of the properties are hooked up to sewer but many are still not, some have paid the sewer assessment but are not hooked up yet, and some have water hookups but not sewer. He noted that the Davis Street project, when finalized, but will expand capacity to north end of IR Drive. He said the City has started a grant program with $1 OK to assist with connections and perhaps there are State and Federal Grants available. He continued that in Phase II we would encourage expansion in the ridge region and then Phase III expansion into the Highlands. Mr. Wright said all of Sebastian was once a flood plain and everything there is connected to the Indian River Lagoon. He discussed possible immediate, short term and long term objectives. Mr. Wright provided Ms. Coy with the larger map to view. He said by identifying properties and matching to the IRC database we can see who does and does not have Co Regular City Council Meeting April 24, 2013 Page Seven sewer service and encourage them to hook up, noting a lot of properties do not have connection even though it is available. The City Manager said he would provide copies of the map to Council members. Mr. Wright said this effort needs to be expanded into IRC and other cities, we need to develop plans and add piping in areas close to the Lagoon, and sewer system capacity will have to be looked at. He said there needs to be more education for the public, and reported on the septic to sewer conversion that has been going on in Monroe County for at least fifteen years, said the Indian River Lagoon runs from Volusia to Martin County and everyone needs to get involved. He continued on with ideas for corrective actions which included fertilizer reduction, water quality monitoring, maintenance of baffle boxes, reversing flow of major relief canals such as SJRWMD did in Brevard, piping from Bethel Creek to pump water out into the ocean and bring in clean water as long as EPA approves and outgoing water can be pumped far enough off shore so that it doesn't foul the beaches, and said all elected officials need to get together because this is a project only government can do, and have power to move it forward. In response to Ms. Coy, Mr. Wright said the first step is to get a few people who are interested in hooking up, that there should be grant money available but we can use small amounts of our grant money to start out in the CRA district, though we definitely will need substantial money. He said he had spoken to Representative Posey who provided him with four agencies which have grant money available. Ms. Coy said she believed in every word he says and what we need to do, but also that we need to get with the new director of the County health department because in the past there has not been much activity from them on septic complaints. Mr. Wright said he had contacted Cynthia Van de Voorde, who is a member of the committee which reviews code issues and will meet with her. Ms. Coy said costs to homeowners who are one or two blocks away from sewer lines to connect is going to be exorbitant. Mr. Wright said a lot of properties in direct proximity do not currently connect to sewer. Ms. Coy said we need to hit the County up for the $60M for septic. Mr. Wright noted $20M is restricted but $40M is available for sewer projects. Mr. Wright said in Vero Beach there are 400 of 800 homes with septic systems that are pre 1983 homes and desperately need systems. Ms. Coy said Vero Beach in general has more sewer access. Ms. Coy thanked Council and Mr. Wright for recognizing this as a problem, we've been down the road before and now we have everyone knows we have a serious problem and we seem to be moving forward. She said though she sees septic as a major issue she did not think it was the only issue, and we should not stop with this issue as the solution because it depends on what scientist you talk to, but does believe fertilizer also matters. Mr. Wright agreed we need to continue to look at fertilizer and her work with Natural Resources Board on education on the proper use of fertilizer should be continued. Ms. Coy said seven years ago we looked into sewer for the entire city and if we had to assess it would have been $15K to $18K per home. The City Manager said the County 7 Regular City Council Meeting April 24, 2013 Page Eight did an assessment around Easy and Lake that was a few million, said he thought Mr. Wright's approach was to take small integrated steps to fix the problem, and confirmed it was approximately a few hundred million to sewerize the City of Sebastian highlands. He said we need to open our eyes to sanitary sewer, and agreed with scientific conclusions that there is a lot of wastewater in the lagoon noting there are over 100 thousand people on septic tanks in this region and it ends up in the Lagoon. Mr. Wright said people also believe red tide caused seagrass death and that originated in Brevard. Ms. Coy said we need to worry about Vero Beach too and Mr. Wright said the higher nitrogen numbers from septic are in Vero Beach. He said we need to do what we can do within reason to clean up the problems that originate in Sebastian and then discuss with the County and others to encourage them to get moving. Ms. Coy said we need to go ahead on our own. Mr. Wright said he believes we are all committed and he plans to work with the City Manager and meet with IRC Commission and others, but we need to put our own short, medium and long term plan into effect and seek funding to try to help our citizens so we don't have enormous assessments. He said we can start with baby steps and with the $1 OK in grants we can maybe hook up four or five people which would be a start. E. Council Member Adams — None 17. Being no further business, Mayor McPartlan adjourned the Regular Meeting at 8:05 p.m. Approved at the May 8, 2013 Regular Council Meeting. gy; Bob Mcpartlan, Mayor Attest: Sally A. Maio, C, City Clerk 8 CROF Vice -Mayor Don Wright Septic to Sanitary Sewer Project HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND Wednesday, Ap, ril 24, 2013 i r4 El �Z, u Lo�l ET O c� a� a� 2 � V V O � O O � � b�A � V � � � O � V � X10 � State of the Lagoon - 1. Most of the Seagrass in the Lagoon has Died ' en 2. The Lagoon Contains High Levels of Nitro _ g g g 3. Scientific Analysis from Scientist Brian Lapointe (Harbor Branch) Reveals that "Sewage is Probably the Bie p est Source of Pollution in the Estuary" 4. Marine Life Shows Evidence of Pharmaceutical Contamination 3 State of the Lagoon April 11, 2013 Edition of the ,, The. damaging erects of oeutrtent f� to t1B Sebastian River News n t e past two fore m the pass two years algae hfaams fed by recess nhrogen and ge phosphate. killed moat of the sea - grase fn the county, decimating fish - populations and harming marine mammals. Until now, amentlun focused an nutrients entering the lagoon in rer- Septic tanks a ma BY STEVEN M. THOMAS Staff Writer New research by Har- bor Branch scientist Brian Lapointe shows that septic tanks are flooding the Indian River Lagoon with nitrogen that is feeding algae blooms and killing marine life. Countywide there are ap- proximately 37,000 septic systems that dump more than 10 million gallons of ef- fluent into the environment each day. Because of the branch- jor threat to lagoon, ing canal system that drains the county, nitrogen, bacte- ria and other pollutants that enter the groundwater miles from the lagoon end up in the estuary. "Sewage is rn ohably the biggest source of pollution in the estuary" says Lapointe, who presented his findings for the first time at the recent county lagoon symposium put on by District 3 Commis- sioner Tim Zorc. "The septic tanks are a se- vere environmental problem," CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 Ullzer- ladassiormwaternmoff. Hundreds of additional septic Sys- 'Werteededthe Supporlof60per. Now it eeems sewage may be an tems in Isfmd neighborhoods out- cent of residents by state law and we even bigger problem then stress fer- side city Bmits, Wm Ambermad to dfdnt get b," Balron says tWaer. the south county fins are feeding Tbc city polled 645 Island homes There ate more than 990 septic nitrogen and other pollutants Into with septic systems and received 520 tenim on the harder Island within the groundwater that 6otva Into the la- replies that went 4 -to-1 against the cityofV..Beaeh. goon. btfrmtiucturs improve —tus. More than 60 percent of theta Lapointe uncovered the mass sew- `Vero asked for my input when septic IeakS ware installed prior to age pollution minga menhodhaplo- they were laokmg at putting sewers 19e3 when state te regulations required end shat pmpolnts the source of on the border bland but l didn't have only st. -inch separation between m[trogen. any dam at that time."says Lapointe. groundwater and the bottom ofesp- Starting In May 2011, he and col- 7 told them that In other places fic drain fields and allowed Systems leeguas Laum Herren and David where we did Isotope studies septic to be built within 25 feet of the to- Debonoll collected macmalgae, a system. wine a major source of pol- goon. fancyr lb, Seaweed. at 20 points lution, but we hadn't studied the la- along the lagoon, Including three lo- goon yet" cations m Indian River C`mrmy. Lapointe but dome nitrogen Iso- "We look the mamoalgae back to tape studies tovacover the source of mylabat Harbor Breach and deamed water pollution ma number offtor- it up and dried it and powdered it We comates and Caribbean coun- and than analysed ft fer carbon and trim nitrogen content" Lapointe says. m many cases Lalmaue's research Seaweed consumer. aftrogen 1. W findings have ladtoamvem being In. goon water as loot absorbing it into stalled to eliminate septic tacks and Itatlrsue, te sewage treatment outfaHs being By comparltlg the ratio of nitro- closed. Bert I.alope tailed N -14 with an W. His ongoing lagoon study is fund - tope known .11- I51. the powdered ed by Harbor Blanch with money aeawoed, lapainredmarminMama. that comas from the gave Our Sees 3odty of the ice maid came from ha- Ifceme, plate with the about and diver rnarrwmta.nolfertBlSm. image. Lapointe took a second set of sam. He hopes the information he Is plea after dw 2011 mtoy ,^ —on and providing will help members of the found — Will— levels of sewage city council and county commiasmn rmrogen. make good public policy decisions 'We found a very Strong chemical th.tpmtecttlmlegoon. signal of assuage pollution along the Cutreat .m regulation requite length of lagoon, with the bow two feet M Separation between levels In Indian River County groundwater and the bottom of Sep. 'At the and of the rainy season the ticdrala Belds Mc lagoon had an average reading of The now regulations also require nine parts permillmn, which Is what 55 feet of separation between dram you would get If you tested m the fields and the lagoon or other water comobafa,cwaga treatment outfell, bodies •The measurements were off the It b eapemsive to uMade old Sys - chaw' tetas and politicai[y challenging to The city vied m get rid of septic move housebolds off septic onto rants on the island m 2007. accord- sewer tines Ing to Bob Boron, the Water and Howevc it h had to see how, the Sewer Deparcomotdtrader. fir 1agfeal -Wfrse mkfag place In "We had a potential a grant from the lagoon cam be reversed unless the state far aced money and did Septic "a— pogtrian is remedlud some preWnmary design for sewers 1.... way. I. the affected neighborhoods; be 'The data we have IS compefib g,' eye. LapoInm says. "This IS a situation The city paid engmeerang Urm that realty needs to be dealrwlth.' Camp Dresser& McKee $40.000 to do Vero M.yor Fletcher Seya the pub. Initial design and coat estimates for lic emdpolltical atmosphere in regard Installing sewers on streets in those to the lagoon het changed drastically subdivisions. alnce2007. CDM cants up with an estimate "people are much more aware, of 514 rolllion that would have been stalely aware, of how bad the prob- spBt between the city and residents. huts ere; he My&'It IS possible we Under this plan, residents could would get support for puttlegin have —I d low -interw state emlfwepolledresideotanow. fan mpay the,, y7,500-per- bmrse- 'I wouldsupfort any program that boldshereofthecost. would get these nelghborhmds offof -The loans would have been paid septic and on to seams.' bad m quarterly msmBments over. 'r Stand ready to assist the city 10 -year period; Bolton says council and the county commisliom. The project faltered when island- em inenywey Icon nelbavcinmaay em refused to support it. other counties; says Lapointe. m State of the Lagoon — Conclusion The excess nutrients in the lagoon are from septic tanks. Septic tank contamination is not only limited to malfunctioning septic systems. Even functioning septic systems cause Nitrogen contamination. The Problem is from ALL Septic Systems Because they are Not Designed to Remove Nitrogen Unless an Aerobic Treatment Unit is Added to the System. 15 l- 1. { Basic Engineering Principles Septic Systems vs. Sanitary Systems ➢Septic Tanks — Basic Design is, Performs Primary Treatment Only — Removal of Solids. ➢Septic Tanks Treat Sewage by Separating Water from Solids in a "Holding Tank" and Filtering Water Through a Drainfield. ➢Grey Water from Septic Systems Can Still Contain Biological Contaminates Which Enter the Environment and contains Nitrogen and phosphorus. ➢Septic Tanks Fail When they are Misused and Can Even Lose their Ability to Remove Solids. Septic Tank Failures are Associated with: ✓Introduction of Household Chemicals Into the System ,/Large Amounts of Clear Water Entering System ✓Trees and Shrubbery Growing In Drainfield ✓Drainfield Compaction ✓Irregular Cleaning (0 Solutions Educate the Public about the Damages Being Caused by the Continued use of Septic Systems and Invest in Changing the Region's Septic Systems into Sanitary �. Sewers. Solutions The Problem is From All Septic Systems Because They are Not Designed to remove Nitrogen and Phosphorus Unless An Aerobic Treatment Unit is Added 11.1 Basic Engineering Principles Septic Systems vs. Sanitary Systems ➢Modern Sewer Plants Provide Primary (Removal of Solids), Secondary (Removal of Biological Contaminates) and Tertiary Treatment (Treating Effluent — Plant Water Discharge). This Treatment is Far Superior to Septic Systems and Needs Due Consideration in Light of Environmental Conditions of the Lagoon. HOW IT WORKS f Ha�1e+® Oi[Yce & Ir�us4ry I 1 Bar Scroon -, gg ON win, Ar Grit Tank tUn c �_ L. _ _ Oigeactegr * I— =* &I., iEl�ctrucity Heating 9 Think Global And Act Local Sanitary Sewer Expansion In Sebastian );;;-- Support Development /Hook -Up of Sanitary l' Sewer Systems. ➢Sanitary Sewer System Development In Sebastian Can be Divided into Three Development Stages. 1. Encourage Connection to IRC System in the Riverfront District (US 1— Lagoon) ✓ Sebastian Already Created a Grant Program to Promote Sewer Use ✓ A Few IRC Customers Have Already Paid Sewer Impact Fees ✓ Contact Groups That Have Water Use to Expand to Sewer Use ✓ Then Expand To Other Areas in Riverfront District ✓ Davis Street Project a Think Global And Act Local Sanitary Sewer Expansion In Sebastian 2. Phase II of IRC Sewer Expansion in Sebastian Should be to Encourage Connection in the "Ridge Region" (US 1 to Ridge) 3. Phase III of IRC Expansion in Sebastian is to investigate Expansion in the Sebastian Highlands it ID § c Z� U 0 m U L> i o m ° i c a c C K U 3 m$ to Q !� i °W 00 c a c fm L (q m r v C D Q i Q L a _ C m a W D c D m p > ° 0 0 d o a c m m U U m > U U m a p a a _ yn r u N M ID � o Y c; o o t m m 3 m m m m �' `o ° `o L GU1 m K K K a -" 0 0 £ O a o o v J m m o= m c c m c c o v co O— 1+ N N m t Ci 2 .'4 d o 0 o m J > v v> o v ua. = t Z 2 v C � F W 0. U N N N N U U U 0 p`, c c a c c W z++ 03 E L C W o o• o• a e c o 0 ® 0 0 0 0 0 a m m my n 1 m 0 3 I ( I 1{1 E } i 3 y� �J 4� f � } eww ssxnua � � e } ssa� F 4 Think Global And Act Local Sanitary Sewer Expansion in IRC 1. Connect Septic Systems to Sanitary Sewer Where Piping is Available. 2. Develop a Short Term, Medium Term and Long Term Plan for Connecting to Sanitary Sewer and to Obtain Funding. 3. Add Sanitary Sewer Piping in Areas Closest to the Indian River Lagoon, 4. Evaluate Sewer System Capacity and Increase as Necessary to Handle the Increased Load. 5. Plan for Long Term Sanitary Sewer Requirements for Indian River County. G Think Global And Act Local Other Sanitary Sewer Concepts 1. Public Education and Awareness on Do's and Don'ts of Septic Use and Affect on Lagoon 2. Paying for A Sanitary Conversion — Monroe County k Example, Florida Bay Clean -Up and State /Federal Grants 3. Lagoon Runs from Volusia to Martin County — We Need to Get All Politicians and Communities Involved in this Regional Problem Think Global And Act Local Other Sources of Pollution / Corrective Action 1. Fertilization Reduction, Education and Application Must Continue as this is Another Source of Contamination 2. Sebastian Should Encourage and Promote Water Quality Monitoring 3. Continue Local Maintenance of Sebastian Baffle Boxes and Seek Capital Projects that Have Stormwater Treatment Benefits Such as the Presidential Street Project 4. Reversing the Flow of Major Relief Canals 5. Bethel Creek Pipe d. All IRC Elected Officials and Staff Should Meet to Discuss 6 Closing Comments In the Past, Efforts to Restore Lagoon Water Quality Have Failed because of Lack of Scientific Knowledge and Low Public Participation /Education. With the Current Spotlight on Lagoon Conditions and More Scientific Facts Being Uncovered, Now is the Time to Move on this Issue of Vital Importance. The Lagoon is the Foundation to Every Economic and Quality of Life Issue in Sebastian. ((0 Submitted by Vice Mayor Don Wright to City Council at their April 24, 2013 Meeting IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS — Intro from Lagoon Symposium 1. Most of the seagrass in the lagoon has died 2. The lagoon contains high levels of nitrogen 3. Scientific analysis from scientist Brian Lapointe at Harbor branch reveals that "septic tanks are flooding the Indian River lagoon with nitrogen that is feeding algae blooms and killing marine life ". Copy of article attached. 4. Marine life shows evidence of pharmaceutical contamination. Septic to sanitary sewer project — outline 1. History and types of septic— types of septic in Indian River county. What can aseptic system do? a. Basic septic system could be a pipe from a house to a 55 gallon drum that is buried in the sandy soil, which enables you to flush your toilets. I spoke with the utility dept and some of these may still exist. b. Normal septic system- pipe to a concrete holding tank with another pipe to a drainage field. This type of system accomplishes more goals which are normally referred to as primary and secondary waste treatment. Primary treatment is defined as" removal of solids" and secondary treatment is defined as "removal of biological contaminants "ie: bacterial action. A poorly maintained septic system may release biological contaminants into the environment and this could make people sick. It is most important to note that secondary treatment does not remove most nitrogen or phosphorus so that just goes into the soil and mixes with the subsurface ground water where it will migrate to other locations as any other water will do. However, you should know that it is possible to build aseptic system capable of removing nitrogen and phosphorus, but these are not usual to what is built in I RC. 2. Sewer Plants- modern sewer plants provide primary, secondary and tertiary sewage treatment, which accomplishes removal of nitrogen and phosphorus usually thru aeration, filtration, and chemical treatment. Tertiary treatment is defined as " cleaning and sanitation of the water but the water is still not safe for drinking." Actually, there is another stage of treatment that goes further than this to bring water to a drinkable condition. I don't know whether this is available to IRC as yet. What did we learn from the scientists? The excess nutrients in the lagoon are from septic systems. Let's clear up a misunderstanding about this. It is not caused by leaky septic systems or septic systems that don't work properly, even though such systems could be causing bacterial contamination along with nitrogen contamination. THE PROBLEM IS FROM ALL SEPTIC SYSTEMS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT DESIGNED TO REMOVE NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS UNLESS AN AEROBIC TREATMENT UNIT IS ADDED What is the solution: CHANGING SEPTIC SYSTEMS TO SANITARY SEWERS! I! Think Globally but act locally, what can we do in Sebastian? I. Focusing on Sanitary sewers. We have already established a grant fund to help pay for individuals or businesses to convert from septic to sanitary sewers in the CRA district. And, we are looking to move forward with the Davis Street project as that will help expand availability of sanitary sewers. 1. 1 met with the county and obtained a detailed map of the area between US 1 and the IR Lagoon and it shows where the sanitary sewer line is located and indicates the extent of the hook -ups. In Addition, by searching their customer base, it has been determined who has sewer service and who has only water service and not shown are the properties that do not have either sewer or water service but these can be determined by looking at the addresses on the exhibit. 2. A few IRC customers have already paid the sewer impact fee shown on the list as reserve ". I think that we should contact these property owners first to find out if they want to hook -up and our grant dollars can help with the connection fees. 3. The next group of contact I think would be any other customers of the IRC utility department that already have water to see if they would hook up to sanitary sewers. 4. Finally, everyone else should be contacted that doesn't have any service from the county. HOW can this project move forward. Based on our geography, It makes sense tome to try move ahead and have everyone that we can get willingly between US1 and the IR Lagoon connected to sanitary. There may be some additional sewer lines that we need to request but I haven't proceeded this far as yet. Our next target would be between US 1 and the sand ridge. This would then cover the areas where the geography indicates that subsurface water would move directly into the lagoon. The next area could be the area between the sand ridge and 1 -95 and identifying areas that have more direct impact on the lagoon for priorities as new pipe will probably be required. We need to remember that most of Sebastian was at one point marshy and it was only by building canals that the land was drained and everything that goes into the canals unless filtered and cleaned ends up in the lagoon. 11. Other local efforts: 1. A properly functioning septic system is very important to prevent bacterial CONTAMINATION 2. Storm sewer pipes pick up everything in the streets. So it is important to fertilize properly. Contain grass and weed clippings. Also, pick up after your pets. The city needs to keep baffle boxes clean. 3. Monitoring of water quality. How often is the Sebastian area checked for coliform contamination? High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus? Global Thinking: 1. All of the property owners in Indian River County need to be educated on what septic systems can do and what they can't and why sewer plant processing is needed if the Lagoon is going to be cleaned up. 2. Indian river county, Vero beach and Fellsmere have sanitary sewer systems and need to start the process of changing their residents and businesses over from septic to sanitary sewer. 3. It makes sense to me that this would start on the barrier island then move to the west side of the lagoon to US 1 and then to the Sand ridge then to the" service line" then to 1 -95 and then beyond. 4. How could this be paid for. I would hope that state and federal grant money would be available. In Monroe county, most of the cost to build a new sanitary sewer system was paid for by State money and our need to clean up the IR Lagoon is just as critical as their need to clean up FL Bay and the coral reefs just offshore. Global thinkin2. We do not have exclusive control over the IR lagoon. The most recent red tides and brown tides from what was presented indicated that these started in Brevard County and moved south finding fertile place to continue to grow in IRC. The lagoon runs from Volusia County to Martin County. How do we get all of the politicians and communities involved in correcting the problems that emanate from their areas? There is already the St Johns water mgmt. district and South FL water mgmt. districts but so far, it seems that they haven't gotten involved in local discussions about septic and sewer system problems. There is also an Indian River lagoon group that I don't even know who is on it or what they do. I don't see anyone calling to fix these problems as identified by the scientists. Global thinking 3. 1. The ideas presented about reversing the flow of the main relief canals seems interesting and expensive. My feeling on this is that it should be pursued by St Johns Water Mgmt district. And they should find funding not look to the county residents to fund this project. We will have enough to do finding funding and completing sanitary sewer projects. 2.The idea if it could be permitted and built as respects a pipe near bethel creek might be worthwhile to clean out the pollution in the lagoon if the lagoon water was pumped out into the Ocean and the discharge areas was far enough offshore to avoid spoiling the beaches. 3. Farming and citrus interests have expressed ideas on managing their properties so run -off does not enter the lagoon. But are these ideas being discussed, blocked or funded? 4. There is still a need for everyone to share ideas and for all of the ideas to be brought together so that everyone knows what is going on and what action is moving forward S. I feel that we need a meeting of all of the elected officials in IRC and city staff that would be involved to discuss this and look to bring all other elected officials in the cities counties state and federal level together to help fix this problem. 6. Why have these efforts failed in the past? There was no scientific knowledge proving that the problem was caused by septic systems. Public concern about the health of the Lagoon was not at the same level that it is today. How do we get this knowledge and message out to as many people as possible? Septic to Sanitary Sewers — References and Research: Harbor Branch presentations on the Indian River lagoon; Indian River county Symposium on the Indian River lagoon; Sebastian River News; Wikipedia encyclopedia- Sewage Treatment St John's Water Mgmt District Website on The Indian River Lagoon History of the Septic Tank System — www.newtechbio.com MSU Water- Watershed Action through Education and Research Floridaswater.com —The Indian River Lagoon: An Estuary in Distress Florida Trend magazine WWW.septicprotector.com —The Evolution of Septic Systems in the US Ehow.com —Types of Sewerage Treatment Plants EGSD.com — types of septic systems Howstuffworks.com — How sewer and septic systems work EPA.gov — Septic Systems State of Fl —DEP Other websites EXHIBIT 1 Septic to Sanitary Sewers — References and Research: Harbor Branch presentations on the Indian River lagoon; Indian River county Symposium on the Indian River lagoon; Sebastian River News; Wikipedia encyclopedia- Sewage Treatment St John's Water Mgmt District Website on The Indian River Lagoon History of the Septic Tank System — www.newtechbio.com MSU Water- Watershed Action through Education and Research Floridaswater.com —The Indian River Lagoon: An Estuary in Distress Florida Trend magazine WWW.septicprotector.com —The Evolution of Septic Systems in the US Ehow.com —Types of Sewerage Treatment Plants EGSD.com — types of septic systems Howstuffworks.com — How sewer and septic systems work EPA.gov — Septic Systems State of Fl —DEP Other websites EXHIBIT 2 c aJAP. ev STEVEN M. THOMAS canal system that drains the county, nitrogen, bacte- New research :Har.:., bor M and other.pollutants that . enter the groundwater Branch scient;st B Tan Lapointe . shows that septic,.-.estuary. mules ::` from the lagoon endup in the tanks are flooding. the-Indian, Riven Lagoon with -. - - . "a $ge is probably the >biggest nitrogen that is feeding algae blooms source. of pollution in . the estuary'" says and killingma the life Countywide there 'are- : Lapointe, who presented his - findings ap proximately 37 000. septic ,fonthefirst time at the recent county -- systems that dump more than 10 million gallons of ef- lagoon symposium put on by District 3 Commis - Commis- fluent into the environment sionermin Zorc• "The septic tanks each day. area se- B ecause of the branch_ were environmental problem," ` - -- CIMNUED ON PAGE 6 The city teed to. get. ;rid of septic His ongoinglagoon study is fund- tanks oD the island in 2007, :accord = ed. by Harbor Bunch with money I3undreds of;additional: septic sys- , ing to Rob. -B 6 lton, the: Water and that comwkoxftz. the Save Our Seas terns ur - island . xieighharhogds out_ : Sewer Department director hcense piatewsth:thp:shark.and diver side city hmrts from Ambersand :to . - ` We had a potential a :grant from image the south county line, are feeding the' state for seed money and did 5aie orma® nitrogen; and. other pollutants::into some preliniYnary: desigri for sewers' ~ Help meibers "of the groundwater that .flows into the 2a- in tbe: affected: neighbo #hoed" he : city counc2i; and conm#y commission goon.... says: in e. good public- policy decisions Lagomte uncoveredthe mass sew- The city : paid -:: engmeermg .. firm . that protectthe lagoon.:,: age ,pollution using a aethod he pio- Camp Dresser & McKee $40;fl00 to do : Current state reg�tilations require neered:that pinpoints the source of initial design and cost= estimates: foi two feet • of separation between nitrogen: installing sewers . oD streets in those. groundwa#er and a Bottom - sep= Starting m 1lliay 2031, he .and rol =- subdivisions. tic drain fields Ieagnes = Laura : Herren and David . CDM came up ; with: an.. estimate T}te state regulations also require Debortoli collectednacroaIgae, :a _ of $I4 rnillion thatwould have been 55 feet oepatatioti between; ;drain fancy name for:seaweod, ata points . splitbetweenthe city and residents :.. fields and tie lagoon or: other water g logo , includm three lo- aIOD the on W g ., Under this plan; residents cotild bodies cations in hidian ltiveF Cour►ty have received low interest state -. I# is expensive to upgrade old sys= "We took the macroalgae _back to . loans to pay the$�,500 =per house terns . and :politically .challenging to iriylab atIarborBraneh and cleaned . hold share of the `cost.:..: move households off: septic. onto it' aril deed rt and powdered it "The loans would have been paid sewer lines: and then analyzed ij carbon. and back. D quo to tnstalln eats over a: However; it is hard to see how the' nitrogencQatent," Lapointe says ,.. 10 year period," .B -olton says ecological collapse takg place in enweed consumes__mtrogen m lay The pro3ect faltered wheD island= the - iagooi cane reversed unless gooD water as food; :absorbing it into ers refiised to support it.` septic system pollution is remedied its' = #issuer ui:some way coin grin the ratio of a nitro- By p g "The data we have is compelling," gen isotope called-W -14 with an iso- Lapointe `says . ".This is a: situation #ope known as N 15 in the powdered "We needed the support of so per that really needs to be dealt with." . seaweed, Lapointe determined a ma cent of residents by stet lary and -we Vero Mayor Fletcher says. the :pub- 7ority of the chemical came.-from hu -. didn't getit" Bolton says `: lic and political atmosphere in regard man waste, not fertilizer The city polled _845 island homes to the-lagoon has changed drastically Lapointe -took a secoDd so.-,Of same _ with septic systems: and received 52p . since:2001. . ples afterthe 2ttli .yi ai replies :that went 4 -to 1 agaDist the "People are much more aware, . found ever€gher infrastrtichire:improvemenfs. .acutely award of howbad the pr nitrogen:_ - "Vero °: asked'. for lily uiput when loins -are," fie says.: = "lt �,s .possible we W. found a verysfroDgeir they were loolang at:guthng sewers wouldgetsupport#orputtingm:sew= signal of. sewage pollution aloe on the barner isIaiid:but i Didn't hate ors if we poled residents liow length of lagoon, with the l�at anydataatthattime "saysLapomte u ivvouldsi levels a�€i Inidian >Rivei County: Y _; "I told '#liem :Amt in othe€ pla+res would gettuese eghborh od off of "A# theeud of the rainy seaspn the where we did: isotope studies septic septic amd'on to `sewers IRC lagoon had art aveagereaduig of systems were a major source of pol "I :stand ready. to assist the city nineaarerniIIion, =wliiclOs who# lotion; .but we hadn't studied the. is council and the county commission" yo z would gel a . at e goon yet." ors im-any way I can, as lbave m -zany mouth of a sewage Lapointe leas done rtrtrogeD iso other. counties," says Lapointe.: The measuteme4�� tope studiestotincfleerthe sourcetif chart.° _ The city teed to 1� E water poll ution m a number of Floc ida counties aiid Caribbean S tanks fln':the isiartd Y tries mg #0 33ob lema . a ' y in:' many cases, LapoYnte's research stalled, to::eliminate septic :tanks .aud °to sewage treatment outfalls being - closed Preventing Failures Septic tank systems fail when the drainfield does not dispose of sewage as rapidly as it is being added to the system. Thus, improvements that reduce the amount of incoming water or improve the quality of wastewater passing through the system will increase the system's longevity. Other important considerations include the following: A drainfield can be damaged by compaction due to vehicular traffic and can be blocked by excessive shrubbery or tree root growth. The drainfield should be unobstructed and seeded with grass. Grass and sunlight aid evaporation. Washing machines are responsible for large volumes of water entering the septic tank. The surge of wash water can create turbulence in the tank which increases the amount of solids flushed into the drainfield. Space washings throughout the week rather than doing many loads at a time, or, install a separate system for washing machine water. Cooking oils and grease are trouble makers. The type of bacteria found in septic tanks and drainfields do not survive or function well in solidified grease. Grease and cooking fats should never be washed down the sink drain. Save grease in jars or cans for disposal in the garbage. County Health Department Information Septic Tank Contractor Information Name: Phone Number: Registration Number. Do's • Know the location and capacity of your septic tank system. • Have a licensed contractor inspect the tank at least every three years. • Have tank pumped when the combined depth of the sludge and scum equals 1/3 of the tank liquid volume. • Install the system so that rainfall and surface water will flow away from the drainfield. • Grow grass above the system, • Install water conservation fixtures or devices to reduce the total volume of water entering the system. • Keep plumbing fixtures such as toilets and faucets in good repair to prevent leakage and wasting of water. s.r 7 • Never flush paper towels, newspapers, wrapping paper, rags or sticks into the system. • Never allow large, irregular, intermittent or constant volumes of clear water into the system, as with a leaking toilet or faucet. • Never over -use ordinary household cleaning chemicals that will be flushed into the system. • Never pour out or empty hobby or home industry chemicals into the system. • Never allow grease or other bulky waste to enter the system. • Never flush toxic materials such as pesticides into the system. • Never plant trees or shrubbery in the drainfield. • Never allow vehicies (cars, trucks, etc.) to drive across or park on the drainfield. (Protect it from being crushed.) • Never waste water. • Never use chemical solvents to dean plumbing lines or a septic tank system. PUBLIC INFORMATION DHIPI 150 - 88,12197 OA DR O HEAL T SEPTIC TANK SYSTEMS A Typical Individual Home Septic Tank System The Septic Tank Home Wastewater Treatment and Disposal System Inlet Inspection /cleanout Oullell rr __ :_� �--- -- Manholes - i 1 ;I 4 clear zoi Cross sactioa of a Septic tank What is A Septic Tank System? A septic tank system consists of a large, watertight tank that receives wastewater from the home plumbing system. The tank is followed by an underground drainfield consisting of a network of perforated pipe or chambers for distributing partially treated water from the septic tank to the soil for final treatment and disposal. How Does It Work? Septic tanks contain bacteria that grow best in oxygen -poor conditions. These bacteria carry out a portion of the treatment process by converting most solids into liquids and gases. Bacteria that require oxygen thrive in the drainfield and complete the treatment process begun in the septic tank. If the septic tank is working well, the wastewater which flows out of the tank is relatively clear, although it still has an odor and may carry disease organisms. It should flow only into the drainfield. NEVER ONTO THE GROUND SURFACE OR INTO FLORIDA WATERSM Operation and Maintenance After the septic tank system is placed in service, proper operation and maintenance of the system will ensure continued efficient service and prevent sudden replacement expenses. The septic tank and drainfield are designed and installed to handle a maximum calculated daily sewage flow. Consistently exceeding the design flow will eventually overload the system and cause failure. The tank may receive new solids faster than it can treat them and the drainfield may become saturated from excessive water use. Various products are on the market which are said to start, accelerate or improve the action in the septic tank. Since all necessary bacteria are already present in the sewage entering the system, such products are not recommended. Maintenance of a septic tank will depend largely on the daily sewage flow and individual household wastewater characteristics. With ordinary use and care, a septic tank should not require pumping out more than once every three to five years. It should, however, be inspected to determine the depth of accumulated sludge and grease. Waste from kitchen garbage disposal units puts an extra load on a septic tank system. If a disposal is used, the capacity of the tank should be increased to handle the increased solid wastes. The tank may also require more frequent pumping to remove accumulated solid waste buildup. Failure to pump out a septic tank system when indicated will result in solids or greases overflowing into the drainfield, which in turn may become clogged and stop functioning. In this event, not only will the tank have to be pumped out, but the drainfield may also have to be replaced. Septic tanks can be cleaned by septic tank cleaning firms permitted by the county health department. This type of work should be done only by experienced professionals who will pump the entire contents of the tank into a tank truck and dispose of the contents in an approved, sanitary manner. Septic tanks installed after January 1, 1996, are required to have outlet filters. For information on how to service /clean the fitter, call your septic tank contractor or county health department. Location Contaminants can travel long distances in some soils. Therefore, drinking water wells should be located at least 75 feet from any part of a septic tank system. With certain exceptions, septic tanks and drainfields must be located at least 75 feet away from the high water line of ponds, rivers and lakes. Also, the drainfield should be located so that it will not be saturated by surface water drainage or runoff from roof gutters. Sketch the location of your tank and drainfield Tank Capacity gala. Drainfield size sq, fc Permit Number Maintenance Record Service Contractor Date Provided Name <-Keep receipts inside pouch EXHIBIT 4 Sewage Treatment Plants: Three Stages that you need to Know I Understanding Sewage T... Page 1 of 2 Understanding Sewage Treatment Works Sewage Treatment Plants: Three Stages that you need to Know Sewage treatment plants will always be popular and important to communities around the globe. Inside a huge a community, wastewater will always be present because it is the term used for the water that is contaminated by huge amount of contaminants and heavy concentrations of pollutants. Sewage on the other hand is a more specific term for the wastewater that is contaminated with stools and urine. Q1 ov ,gip' .a f�4 � F The wastewater from sewage is basically transferred to a pipe or sewer and they are being cleansed by a sewage treatment plant. If the water will be transferred to the wastewater treatment plant, it will go through different process just to clean the water. If you need some information on how water treatment works, you can try checking the three stages of sewage treatment. The Primary Stage For the primary stage, all the substances that are very easy to eliminate will be removed from the wastewater. They are basically talking about fats, oils, grease and other floating solids that are taken out from the surface area. All the other solids like rocks and grits are strained from the water immediately to prevent the destruction of the wastewater treatment plant machines and other facilities. The Secondary Stage http: / /se esyskmworks.wordpress.com/2013 /04/11 /sewage - treatment- plants - three - stage... 4/18/2013 Sewage Treatment Plants: Three Stages that you need to Know I Understanding Sewage T... Page 2 of 2 For the second stage of the cleaning, the goal is to remove any kind of biological contaminant in the water. The biggest and the most complicated treatment process for the waste removal will probably occur on this stage. The main goal of the plants is to make use of different methods to eliminate or lessen the unwanted elements that are present on the wastewater. The Tertiary Stage The plants see to it that they can keep the water as clean as possible before they release it to the community. After the dirt and contaminants are removed from the first and second stage of the process, the third stage will focus on the cleaning and sanitation of the water. The plants make use of filtration and other treatments to eliminate phosphorous and nitrogen from the water. The rest of the water will be disinfected with the use of chlorine and UV treatments. There are a lot of websites out there that can provide some information about this. Well, you can say that this water is not safe for drinking but they are acceptable on the community for different purposes. The main goal of these plants is to recycle the sewage water and bring them back to the natural environment without any kind of harmful threats to the families. Share this: Twitter Facebook Like this: Like One blogger likes this. This entry was posted in Industry and tagged septic tank registration, sewage treatment how it works, sewage treatment plant, sewage treatment plants, sewage treatment works, sewage works, wastewater treatment plant, water treatment works on April 11, 2013 [ http: // sewagesystemworks.wordpress.com /2013 /04/11 /sewage- treatment - plants- three - stages -that- you- need -to- know /] . a ht tpa/ sewagesystemworks- wordpress.com/2013 /04/11 /sewage- treatment - plants- three - stage... 4/18/2013 EXHIBIT 5 4/23/13 Florida FDEP- Domestic Wastewater - Septic Systems Programs Water Home Assessment Beaches » Drinking » Water Everglades )) Restoration Grants & Loans Ground )) Water Mining & >) Minerals Monitoring Restoration )� Sorings Standards & )) Assessment Stormwater )) TMDLs Underground » Iniection )) Wastewater Water Policy » Watersheds Wetlands )) Information Forms & Applications » Rules Permits » Contacts Septic Systems DEP Home /About DEP / Programs /Contact /Site Map /Search State of Florida regulations refer to a septic system as an Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System or OSTDS. The septic tank is only one component of a properly designed OSTDS. By definition, an OSTDS can contain any one or more of the following components: septic tank; subsurface drainfield; aerobic treatment unit (ATU); graywater tank; laundry wastewater tank; grease interceptor; pump tank; waterless, incinerating or organic waste- composing toilet; and sanitary pit privy. An OSTDS is not a "package plant." The system must provide for subsurface effluent disposal and must not have any open tanks or open treatment units. In 1997, the US Environmental Protection Agency publicly recognized ° onsite systems ... as potentially viable, low -cost, long -term, decentralized approaches to wastewater treatment if they are planned, designed, installed, operated, and maintained properly." ® For more information on permitting septic systems, you may wish to contact the Florida Department of Health's Bureau of Onsite Sewage Programs at 850 - 245 -4070 or on the web at www. doh. state. fl. us /environment /ostds /index.htmi. FDEP and FDOH Coordination In 1983, the Department of Environmental Protection entered into an Interagency Agreement with the Department of Health to coordinate the regulation of onsite sewage systems, septage and residuals, and marina pumpout facilities. This agreement sets up procedures for addressing interagency issues including jurisdiction. For purposes of the Agreement, "Domestic Wastewater" includes waste from homes, portable toilets, holding tanks, boats and marinas and even wastewater from certain commercial and industrial establishments. "Commercial Wastewater" is similar to domestic, only stronger, such as wastewater from food service operations (e.g., restaurants, school cafeterias, etc.), commercial laundries with no more than four washing machines, animal holding facilities (e.g., commercial kennels, veterinary hospitals, and animal grooming facilities), and beauty salons. Please note that "Commercial Wastewater" is not necessarily synonymous with wastewater from commercial businesses. All other wastewater, including those that are toxic and /or hazardous, is considered "Industrial Wastewater," including wastewater from dairies, food processing plants, slaughterhouses, funeral homes, car washes, and commercial laundries with more than four washing machines. Applicants for an OSTDS permit may request waiver of jurisdiction from FDEP to FDOH in cases where the estimated sewage flow is above the FDOH jurisdictional flow specified above or where there is a likelihood for toxic, hazardous or industrial wastewater. First an applicant must obtain a letter from FDEP stating whether or not there is an objection to transferring jurisdiction to FDOH for the particular establishment. Then, the applicant must apply for an OSTDS permit from the Local County Health Department (CHD) and file for a variance through the local CHD. A Variance Review and Advisory Committee normally meets on the first non - holiday Thursday of every month in various locations around the state and makes a recommendation to FDOH's State Health Officer, who in turn makes the final decision on whether FDOH will accept jurisdiction of the establishment's wastewater for purposes of permitting an OSTDS. For more information on the Interagency Agreement, you may wish to contact the FDEP OSTDS Coordinator at 850 - 245 -8605. Data Back to Wastewater I Compliance I Domestic I Industrial Homepages » EXHIBIT 6 Septic Protector Page 1 of 3 uhe Evolution = Systems ti h U Because of the subject matter, sewage treatment in the United States has always been an un- popular topic of conversation Consequently many people are ignorant of the need for and the mechanics of this process. The resulting health, environmental, property and financial damages is incalculable. Lakes, rivers, streams, wetland habitat and oceans have suffered. Homes and entire neighborhoods have been rendered worthless and unlivable. More than 1,200 Americans die every year from waterbome diseases and failing septic systems are the number one source of these outbreaks. Although this situation is now being addressed in most areas of the country, if this educational process were implemented 30 years ago a lot of needless damage could have been avoided. Prior to WWII, the bulk of the population lived in the cities dose to the work place. The city dealt with the wastewater generated by people and businesses. With the economic boom generated by WWII, the late 1940's saw a tremendous exodus from the cities into the un- developed rural areas surrounding the cities. Because of the rapid growth rate, sewage treatment facilities could not keep pace and these new communities were facing a major "what to do with the poop" dilemma. Eventually it was decided these new homes would temporarily utilize low -tech cesspools and in 5-7 years the high -tech marvels of modem science would be available to these homeowners that were lucky enough to live in a free democracy_ You see, the cold war was not just fought with weapons of mass destruction. However, by the mid 1960's these communities were facing another dilemma. The expansion of sewage treatment facilities was far behind schedule and many of these cesspools were beginning to fail. in fact, many of them had failed 2 or 3 times and the trend in the suburbs was to put homes on small lots so more tax payers (homes) would fit in an area. The problem was, these small lots left no room for a replacement The result was, in many neighborhoods, the backyards were turning into sewage swamps. At this point many people began to realize that the smarter solution would be to improve what was currently available rather than waiting for the treatment facilities to catch -up. Much of the research was conducted by the Universities of Minnesota and Wisconsin in the north central area of the country where lakes are extremely prevalent and sport fishingANater recreation contributes to a large part of the local economy through tourism. Many of these lakes were experiencing a noticeable drop in water quality. if the quality of lakes were allowed to continue to degrade, many tourists would look for other areas to spend their vacations. One of the first problems was cesspools provided very little in the way of treatment The common cesspool was a pit dug in the yard and rocks or bricks without mortar were used to shore up the sidewalls, the whole affair would then have some sort of top put in place and covered with topsoil_ As wastewater was flushed down the drain it would enter the "pit" where it would migrate down through the bottom and through the sides. The thought process at that time was to dig the pit deep to avoid the sewage surfacing on the property. However, many of these disposal systems were nothing more than a direct conduit to the underground water supplies. (see figure 1) Figure 1 http:// www. septicprotector .com/Septicsystemevolution.html 4/21/2013 EXHIBIT 7 Ever -Green Septic Design Page 1 of 2 TYPES OF SEPTIC SYSTEMS This page contains LOTS of information about septic system types, their history, etc. If you want to jump to a certain section, please select from the following list: • Septic System History • How They Work - General • Types of Systems - General • Standard Gravity Systems • Pressure Distribution Systems • Advanced Treatment Systems Sand Filters Sand Mounds Aerobic Treatment Textile Filters (AdvanTex) Glendon Pods Comparison of Advanced Treatment Systems If you would like to become a semi - professional septic consultant yourself, continue reading this entire page to learn LOTS of details! Septic System History Back in the "old days ", the standard method of liquid waste disposal was to install a pipe from the house to the closest water body and let it all go down hill. After discovering this method of wastewater disposal pollutes our waterways, causes disease and can be lethal to humans and animals, newer methods were created. To help solve these initial problems, "standard gravity' soil treatment systems were introduced. This type of a system allowed the solids to settle out in a tank and the liquids to be filtered by gravity through the soil. Putting the liquid waste into the ground instead of straight into our surface water was a good first step, but other problems ensued. Sites with poor draining soils were found to sometimes "perch" a water table near the surface in the wintertime. Having a drainfield in a "perched" water table would oftentimes cause the system to back up into the house or cause pre - mature failure. On sites with excessively well drained soils (fractured rock, etc). There wasn't enough fitter material (dirt) to filter the effluent before the pollutants made it into the aquifers. This caused contamination of our ground water which was also found to be a problem. Today's regulators have studied many of these problems previously experienced and changed the sewage regulations to help increase the life of our systems and also try and protect the public from contamination of surface and ground water. The rules are not perfect, but most have been created based on documented problems and scientific research. ATOP How they Work - General The septic system is a natural method of treating and disposing liquid household waste. The first component of all septic systems is the tank. Most tanks are split into two compartments and have pipe baffles and an outlet filter to ensure the solids stay in the tank. into the ground thereby recharging the aquifers. Wastewater contains several undesirable pollutants. Pathogens such as viruses or bacteria can enter drinking water supplies creating a potential health hazard. Nutrients and organic matter entering waterways can lead to tremendous growth in the quantity of aquatic microorganisms. Metabolic activity of these microbes can reduce oxygen levels in the water causing aquatic life to suffocate. Septic system regulations attempt to reduce the chance of these pollutants from having a negative impact on people and animals. For further technical information from the State of Washington, check out this document: htto: / /www. doh. wa. aov /eho /ts /W W/ BasicPrincii)lesOn- SiteSewaQe.L)df ATOP Types of Systems - General As you know by now, there are nearly as many types and sizes of septic systems as there are cars on a new car lot. In Washington, the systems are divided up into three basic categories: Standard Gravity Pressure Distribution Advanced Treatment The first two types (standard gravity and pressure distribution) are relatively straightforward, non - propitiatory system types. Standard gravity systems require three feet of "good" soil under the trenches while pressure distribution sytems only require two feet. Advanced Treatment systems however are a much bigger animal and can be used where there is only one foot of "good" dirt beneath the trench bottom. They come is many makes, models and sizes. Some are proprietary, name brand systems and others are not. If you would like to know a brief history of why http: / /egsd.com/stypes.html 4/21/2013 The biologic process begins in the tank where the effluent separates into layers and "' °' Outlet begins the process of decomposition. Bacteria, which are naturally present in all septic systems, begin to digest the solids that have settled to the bottom of the tank, lalob „ '' ebxr 91oa transforming a large percentage of these solids into liquids and gases. When liquids g u x�, Pfo)d within the tank rise to the level of the outflow pipe, they enter the next part of the �r'„ a treatment system (pre - treatment device, distribution box, pump chamber, etc, eatment of the euent always occurs in the depending on the type of system). Final tr ffl soots of View soil where additional microbes break down the waste and the "dean" water is put bads sopt ra Tana into the ground thereby recharging the aquifers. Wastewater contains several undesirable pollutants. Pathogens such as viruses or bacteria can enter drinking water supplies creating a potential health hazard. Nutrients and organic matter entering waterways can lead to tremendous growth in the quantity of aquatic microorganisms. Metabolic activity of these microbes can reduce oxygen levels in the water causing aquatic life to suffocate. Septic system regulations attempt to reduce the chance of these pollutants from having a negative impact on people and animals. For further technical information from the State of Washington, check out this document: htto: / /www. doh. wa. aov /eho /ts /W W/ BasicPrincii)lesOn- SiteSewaQe.L)df ATOP Types of Systems - General As you know by now, there are nearly as many types and sizes of septic systems as there are cars on a new car lot. In Washington, the systems are divided up into three basic categories: Standard Gravity Pressure Distribution Advanced Treatment The first two types (standard gravity and pressure distribution) are relatively straightforward, non - propitiatory system types. Standard gravity systems require three feet of "good" soil under the trenches while pressure distribution sytems only require two feet. Advanced Treatment systems however are a much bigger animal and can be used where there is only one foot of "good" dirt beneath the trench bottom. They come is many makes, models and sizes. Some are proprietary, name brand systems and others are not. If you would like to know a brief history of why http: / /egsd.com/stypes.html 4/21/2013 EXHIBIT 8 What's the Difference between Sanitary and Storm Sewers? You've seen one drain, you've seen them all. They are all the same, right? I can pour this cleaner down the drain because it goes to a wastewater treatment plant, right? Not so! It's important to understand the difference between sanitary sewers and storm sewers so we can prevent environmental damage. The sanitary sewer is a system of underground pipes that carries sewage from bathrooms, sinks, kitchens, and other plumbing components to a wastewater treatment plant where it is filtered, treated and discharged. The storm sewer is a system designed to carry rainfall runoff and other drainage. It is not designed to carry sewage or accept hazardous wastes. The runoff is carried in underground pipes or open ditches and discharges untreated into local streams, rivers and other surface water bodies. Storm drain inlets are typically found in curbs and low -lying outdoor areas. Some older buildings have basement floor drains that connect to the storm sewer system. Disposal of chemicals or hazardous substances to the storm sewer system damages the environment. Motor oil, cleaners, paints and other common household items that get into storm drains can poison fish, birds, and other wildlife, and can find their way into drinking water supplies. In addition, grass clippings, leaves, litter, and organic matter can clog storm drains and cause flooding. Here are some things you can do to help maintain our sewer systems and keep our environment clean: • Do not pour anything into storm sewer drains. • Keep storm sewer drains clear of leaves, grass clippings, sticks and litter • Repair any leaks and drips from your vehicle. • Collect and recycle motor oil • Clean up spills and don't wash them into a drain. • Don't pour paints, solvents, cleaners, etc. into any drain — take it to your local county household hazardous waste collection. • Minimize the use of herbicides and pesticides. Having a clean environment is of primary importance for our health and economy. Clean waterways provide recreation, commercial opportunities, fish habitat, and add beauty to our landscape. All of us benefit from clean water - and all of us have a role in getting and keeping our lakes, rivers, wetlands, and groundwater clean. For more easy steps on protecting our lakes and streams, visit www.mvwatersheds.org. U4 110 WATERSHED AMON THROUGH EDUCATION AND RESEARCH