Bethel Creek Area Homeowner's Meeting Installation of Septic Tank Effluent Pumping System (STEP)

Transcription

1 City of Vero B City of Vero Beach th Street Post Office Box 1389 Vero Beach, Florida Office of the Director (772) Fax: (772) Water and Sewer Dept. Bethel Creek Area Homeowner's Meeting Installation of Septic Tank Effluent Pumping System (STEP) As you may be aware, particularly through the media, the health of the Indian River Lagoon is an important issue that has been brought to the forefront. The City has been exploring alternatives to participate in this vital mission. The referenced STEP System is an alternative that the City will begin implementing in early This System will reduce the amount of septic tank effluent entering the groundwater which eventually enters the Lagoon water body. On Thursday, January 8, 2015, 6:00 p.m., we will hold an informational property owners meeting to discuss this project in detail and address any questions. This meeting will be held at the Bethel Creek House located at 4405 North Highway A1A. The following items are attached for review and will be discussed at the meeting: A Homeowner's Guide to Septic Tank Effluent Pumping (STEP) Systems; STEP Application and Installation Procedures; Septic Tank Pumping Inspection Report (your septic tank contractor completes this form). Please contact the Water and Sewer Department at (772) with any questions.

2 How to care for your STEP system Use water efficiently Average indoor water use in the typical single-family home is almost 250 gallons per day. Dripping faucets can waste as much as 2,000 gallons of water each year and leaky toilets can waste as much as 200 gallons each day. The more water a household conserves, the less water enters the STEP system. Flush responsibly Be careful with undesirable substances that could be flushed into the sewer. Never flush dental floss, fats, oils or grease (FOG), feminine hygiene products, condoms, diapers, wipes, cotton swabs, cigarette butts, coffee grounds, cat litter, or other items that can clog and potentially damage your STEP system. These items should be disposed of in your garbage can. Flushing household chemicals, gasoline, oil, pesticides, antifreeze, and paint can stress or destroy the biological treatment taking place in the system. These items should be taken to the appropriate local hazardous materials handling or recycling station. Minimize use of garbage disposals Using your garbage disposal increases the amount of solids entering the septic tank and thus the frequency of required maintenance visits to pump the solids from the tank. More maintenance means higher costs for everyone. Keep excess rainwater out of the system Watch out for rain drains or storm drains that may flow in the direction of the STEP sewer system. Additional water increases pumping costs, depletes the available capacity of the sewer system, adds needlessly to the daily volume of the water that the treatment plant must process, and increases costs for everyone. Additives may cause damage Contact the City prior to adding any additives to the STEP system. Special additives that claim to enhance the performance of your tank usually don t and may cause major damage to the other parts of the sewer system. The natural bacteria that form in your system are sufficient. If you are concerned about your STEP system, call the City to request an inspection. Report vandalism to the City We want to make sure that any vandalism hasn t caused some underlying malfunction to the system that may not be immediately apparent. Know your responsibilities Label your circuit breakers Know which circuit breaker in your house supplies power to your STEP pump. Label it so that you don t accidentally turn it off causing sewage to overflow from the tank. It is your responsibility to provide electric power to the STEP system. Know the location of your service panel Be aware of the location of the grey electrical service control panel outside of your building, but don t tamper with it! If a problem occurs, call the City at (772) Maintain your own plumbing You are responsible for maintaining the plumbing that connects to the STEP tank. City maintenance personnel will service and maintain all equipment except the plumbing within the house and the sewer line from the house to the tank. Know what to do in case of a power failure If a power outage occurs, it is not necessary to call the City. Your system is designed to work normally once power returns. Your tank has capacity for approximately 24 hours of limited use in a power outage (e.g. toilets, sinks, showers). If your electric power provider cannot restore power within 24 hours, contact the City for further assistance. Call before you dig The telephone number of the Sunshine One Call system is 811. The utilities that have underground facilities in your area will come to surface mark their lines. This is the law! The pressure sewer service lines are marked with toning wire and detector tape. Do not tamper with your tank Do not attempt to enter your tank or remove the green access lid. The septic environment creates gases that can cause illness. If your lid has been removed or damaged, let us know and we will repair it in a timely manner. Unpermitted sewer work is dangerous and against the law Sewer mains are under pressure. For your own safety please let the City of Vero Beach, Water and Sewer Department, make all necessary connections and repairs.

3 About your STEP system How does a STEP System work? The STEP System includes a septic tank and a pump. Sewage is conveyed by gravity to the tank through your building plumbing line. Liquid waste is pumped under pressure to the public sewer system. Solid waste will remain in the STEP tank where it naturally degrades and is eventually pumped out. STEP system pumps turn on with normal water use. City of Vero Beach, Water and Sewer Department, maintenance personnel will inspect your tank at least every 3 years and will pump out the solids every 8 years if needed. If you suspect that your tank may need maintenance, please give us a call. We will be glad to inspect your tank if you have concerns. For more Contact: City of Vero Beach Water and Sewer Department: th Street Vero Beach, FL P.O. Box 1389 Vero Beach, FL Phone: (772) Fax: (772) Website: A Homeowner s Guide to Septic Tank Effluent Pumping (STEP) Systems City of Vero Beach, Water and Sewer Department, is providing this guide to help you become more familiar with STEP sewer systems. The City ewer Department, is providing this guide to hel become more familiar with STEP sewer e. STEP stands for Septic Tank Effluent Pumping. The STEP system on your property is actually owned by the City of Vero Beach. An easement is in place that allows the City access to perform maintenance and repairs of the STEP system. The City will always try to notify property owners before conducting any work. If your STEP system alarm goes off, CALL City of Vero Beach, Water and Sewer Department (772) Li STEP

4 City of Vero Beach, Water and Sewer Department, P.O. Box 1389, Vero Beach, FL Telephone: (772) Fax: (772) Website: STEP Application and Installation Procedures 1. Contact Septic Tank Contractor and have your Septic System pumped out and inspected. 2. Make application for service (Bring Septic Tank Pumping Inspection Report); and Pay for connection fees, charges and equipment Sign Application Receive copy of Article III, Sanitary Sewer System, of Chapter 78, Utilities 3. Your Contactor obtains Electric Permit and Plumbing Permit (if required). 4. Your Contractor picks up equipment (tank, pumping unit, panel and appurtenances) from the City of Vero Beach Warehouse located at 3455 Airport West Drive, Business Hours are 8:00 am until 3:00 pm. 5. Your Contractor schedules a Mandatory Preconstruction Meeting on-site with: City Inspector (Chad Burbick ) Contractor Property Owner (You)/Property Manager/Representative Electrician Plumber (if required) 6. Inspection Schedule a) Tank(s) [City Inspector] Plumb Level Anti-Flotation Rim elevation 2-3 above finished grade Access Covers installed on existing septic tank (Type 1) b) Electrical Inspection City Inspection for panel placement County Building Department Inspection for Permit requirements PANEL CANNOT BE ENERGIZED UNTIL ALL INSPECTIONS ARE PERFORMED c) Pump Startup Test [City Inspector] Continuity test Drawdown test Pressure test on 1 effluent line d) Plumbing Inspection [County Building Department] if a permit is required because of alterations or extensions of the building sewer. 7. You energize the pump panel by turning on the circuit breaker. R:\W&S DEPT PROJECTS\WS14005 STEP Program Implementation\DOCS\STEP AppInstall Procedures.doc

5 City of Vero Beach, Water and Sewer Department, P.O. Box 1389, Vero Beach, FL Telephone: (772) Fax: (772) Website: SEPTIC TANK PUMPING INSPECTION REPORT This report is NOT a certification or inspection of the septic tank by the City of Vero Beach Water and Sewer Department. Repair or replacement of any part of the septic tank system must be completed under permit and inspection by I ndian River County Health Department. Complete items #1-16 below, sign, and forward to the address shown above. 1. Propert y Ow ner Name: 2. Property Address: 3. Parcel I.D. Number: 4. Dat e of Pumping: 5. Gallons Pumped: 6. Type of on-site disposal: Septic tank w ith (check box) Drain field Mound system Cesspit Cesspit Ot her (explain) 7. Lid Condition: Good Poor Failed ; Lid Conf igurat ion: Access Port als No Port als 8. Prior to pumping, was the liquid level in the tank above t he out let t ee? YES 9. Prior to pumping, was the liquid level in the tank below the outlet t ee? YES NO NO 10. While pumping the tank, did effluent flow back into the septic tank from the absorption system? YES NO 11. Estimated capacity of septic tank or cesspit: gallons 12. Internal dimensions of sept ic t ank: lengt h ; w idt h ; dept h (in feet) 13. Construction of septic tank or cesspit (check one of the following): Concret e St eel Fiberglass Polyethylene Ot her (explain): 14. Condition of tank (answer YES or NO for each question): YES NO Inlet tee present? Outlet tee present? Effluent Filter present? Two compartments? Does Tank have a bottom? Tank structure or baffle w all damaged? * * If YES, briefly explain Tank structure deteriorated?* * ** If YES, what was original thickness of concrete in inches? and what was thickness of concrete at time of inspection in inches? 15. Plug both the inlet and outlet and fill tank to the bottom of the lid. Record the distance from top of tank to the liquid level inches. After two hours record distance again inches. 16. Show the septic system location on the plot plan (See reverse side). R:\W&S DEPT PROJECTS\WS14005 STEP Program Implementation\DOCS\SepticTankPmpInspRpt.doc

6 Show the follow ing: OSTDS PLOT PLAN and Tank Infiltration Test 1. All structures 4. Water lines and w ells (if know n) 2. Septic tank 5. Garage and drivew ay 3. Disposal field (if know n) Addit ional Comment s: I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and accurate. Signat ure of Employee Dat e Sept ic Tank Cont ractor Name R:\W&S DEPT PROJECTS\WS14005 STEP Program Implementation\DOCS\SepticTankPmpInspRpt.doc