Hello Everyone,
The Special City Council Meeting to address November Effluent Testing Results, Resident's Concerns, and how to proceed with Phase III is being postponed at the request of ACAT. We expect to schedule it for mid-January. Please check back soon!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
December Already!
Hello Savvy Septic Readers. Boy, October and November went fast, didn’t they? We do apologize for not being timely with our updates. Here is the run down of the last two months events:
AdvanTex installations:
Rockwell engineering successfully installed 16 AdvanTex treatment systems. They are all currently up and running and reporting to Anchorage Tank. They finished their last installation in mid-November and have packed their equipment back up to Fairbanks. Just like last year, due to the lateness of the season, the final grading and hydroseeding will be finished this spring, along with whatever remaining punch list items the homeowner or the site engineer has to make for them.
Mound installations:
King Bee finished their mound installations a little earlier than Rockwell. They were out of Valdez very early in November. Their 8 mound installations went smoothly and those systems are also up and running. King Bee will also be returning in the spring for final grading and hydro-seeding. They have completed most of their punch list items.
Effluent Testing:
As requested by some Alpine Woods Area community members, the City conducted another round of effluent testing and included well testing. We hired an independent third party, Origin Technical Services, to collect the samples and send them to a lab of their own choosing. They collected samples on November 10th and 11th. Origin did all the collecting. The homeowners were notified of an approximate time of sampling but the AdvanTex maintenance man, Mike Congel, was kept in the dark about which site we were headed to next. He opened and closed the AdvanTex systems for Origin. The City accompanied Origin to facilitate contact with homeowners and Allen Crume, a member of ACAT, accompanied the sampling gang as well. Some of you may have wondered what we were doing out there in the middle of a snowstorm. At the end of the day on Wednesday we had weathered more than 8 inches of big, heavy snowflakes. Origin got an A-plus for dedication. Their technician took the samples over Thompson Pass the night of the 11th to make sure they got to Anchorage in time. There was at least 4 inches of snow of the road! All adventuring aside however, the sampling ran smoothly. When all was said and done, all 17 of the originally installed AdvanTex systems were sampled as well as 3 of the newly installed systems. Only 3 had been operating for more than a month by the time we started collecting. We also sampled 3 newly installed mound systems for comparison sake. Some of these systems had not even been installed for a month though, and the contractor said they had the cleanest looking effluent he had ever seen for a regular septic tank. We also got a chance to sample 16 associated wells onsite and have had an additional two homeowner samples brought in. One well was contaminated with a bacterium that is not associated with septic systems. The homeowners were notified immediately and they have since disinfected their well.
Origin has sent the City the preliminary effluent testing results but we are still waiting on a summary of what exactly they mean and if any of the systems are out of compliance. We will be sending them to the homeowners and posting them on the web as soon as we have the final document.
Septic Summit #2:
Well, actually it is an official City Council Special meeting, which means there will be an agenda and specific topics to cover. We are trying for December 15th but the City Council does not want to have the meeting without all parties involved in attendance, if not in person at least by conference call. We will do another, more bright and eye catching blog when that date and agenda is secure. Keep a lookout.
Sampling in the Snow- Picture courtesy of Allen Crume
AdvanTex installations:
Rockwell engineering successfully installed 16 AdvanTex treatment systems. They are all currently up and running and reporting to Anchorage Tank. They finished their last installation in mid-November and have packed their equipment back up to Fairbanks. Just like last year, due to the lateness of the season, the final grading and hydroseeding will be finished this spring, along with whatever remaining punch list items the homeowner or the site engineer has to make for them.
Mound installations:
King Bee finished their mound installations a little earlier than Rockwell. They were out of Valdez very early in November. Their 8 mound installations went smoothly and those systems are also up and running. King Bee will also be returning in the spring for final grading and hydro-seeding. They have completed most of their punch list items.
Effluent Testing:
As requested by some Alpine Woods Area community members, the City conducted another round of effluent testing and included well testing. We hired an independent third party, Origin Technical Services, to collect the samples and send them to a lab of their own choosing. They collected samples on November 10th and 11th. Origin did all the collecting. The homeowners were notified of an approximate time of sampling but the AdvanTex maintenance man, Mike Congel, was kept in the dark about which site we were headed to next. He opened and closed the AdvanTex systems for Origin. The City accompanied Origin to facilitate contact with homeowners and Allen Crume, a member of ACAT, accompanied the sampling gang as well. Some of you may have wondered what we were doing out there in the middle of a snowstorm. At the end of the day on Wednesday we had weathered more than 8 inches of big, heavy snowflakes. Origin got an A-plus for dedication. Their technician took the samples over Thompson Pass the night of the 11th to make sure they got to Anchorage in time. There was at least 4 inches of snow of the road! All adventuring aside however, the sampling ran smoothly. When all was said and done, all 17 of the originally installed AdvanTex systems were sampled as well as 3 of the newly installed systems. Only 3 had been operating for more than a month by the time we started collecting. We also sampled 3 newly installed mound systems for comparison sake. Some of these systems had not even been installed for a month though, and the contractor said they had the cleanest looking effluent he had ever seen for a regular septic tank. We also got a chance to sample 16 associated wells onsite and have had an additional two homeowner samples brought in. One well was contaminated with a bacterium that is not associated with septic systems. The homeowners were notified immediately and they have since disinfected their well.
Origin has sent the City the preliminary effluent testing results but we are still waiting on a summary of what exactly they mean and if any of the systems are out of compliance. We will be sending them to the homeowners and posting them on the web as soon as we have the final document.
Septic Summit #2:
Well, actually it is an official City Council Special meeting, which means there will be an agenda and specific topics to cover. We are trying for December 15th but the City Council does not want to have the meeting without all parties involved in attendance, if not in person at least by conference call. We will do another, more bright and eye catching blog when that date and agenda is secure. Keep a lookout.
Sampling in the Snow- Picture courtesy of Allen Crume
Thursday, September 10, 2009
September Rolls On
Nearly a month has gone by and the Septic Blog has been silent. We apologize, that’s not because nothing is going on but because it’s been so busy! Time goes by so fast in a flurry of activity. Since we do have a moment this morning, we will go back and try and fill in some of the events that have occurred since the last posting and break them down into their own chapters.
Rockwell AdvanTex Installations
As some of you may have noticed, Rockwell started their first AdvanTex install on the corner of Nordic and the Richardson Highway two weeks ago, on August 25th. The first install went very smoothly and they were able to button things up there by the end of the week. They will come back next spring to do the final grading and hydro-seeding. They moved on to two installs on adjacent properties and are putting the finishing touches on them now. Their schedule for next week looks like they will be moving up to some of the Richardson Highway located installations. They expect to get two done per week and hope to be finished before November.
King Bee Mound Installations
King Bee returned to the subdivision to insulate the remaining mound tanks. They finished up with the Blueberry Lake paving project and have been working on two adjacent mound systems over on Nordic (it was a busy road this last week!). They expect to finish up on Nordic and move back over to Aspen Way on September 14th. From there they will be moving to Snowflake and Wilderness Ct and hope to finish up by October 9th. They have buttoned up their first two installations that are operational and will return next spring to finalize topsoil / grading.
ADEC Effluent Testing
The City received copies of effluent testing the ADEC did on 15 of the AdvanTex systems. For the full report, click here. We were overall pleased with the results, the majority of the systems were clean and running with very high quality effluent. Two of the systems had very high counts of fecal coliforms and high amounts of grease in the filter fabric. The City will work with these homeowners to make sure that the system is being used appropriately. A third system had high BOD and we believe from talking to the homeowners this is because of the large amounts of detergents that go down the drain due to the home’s business. Anchorage Tank is working with them on that issue. Though we have written it before, please remember septic bugs (the organisms that break down the Septic influent) are living creatures that cannot survive in grease and die when too many harsh chemicals come their way. Look for detergent products in the store that say they are septic safe. Save the grease from frying pans and griddles in jars and store them in freezers for a rainy day or just allow grease to solidify in paper bowls and throw it out once they are full.
Phase II
A number of homeowners needed to withdraw from Phase II for a variety of personal reasons and a number of homeowners have had septics fail or were simply in the right place at the right time to be switched into Phase II. It appears that this jumble of sites is slowing down, but do not hesitate to contact the City if you feel your septic needs replacement now. We have ordered an extra AdvanTex tank for emergencies and will work with anybody who asks.
Minor details
AdvanTex systems require a phone line to call into Anchorage tank and report that they are healthy or that they have an alarm going off. Those people who do not have a phone line to their house and do not wish to have a phone line installed need to look at getting a mound system or a different type of package treatment plant under option 2.
AdvanTex systems have a $400 a year maintenance fee that includes spring and fall tune ups and unscheduled maintained visits in the event of a septic alarm. This is not an optional fee and must be paid in order to ensure the septic system is being monitored and maintained. Anchorage Tank does work with homeowners on this and allows bi-yearly or quarterly payments.
We are still working on a process for evaluating those sites that may already meet DEC requirements. When that process is finalized we will contact those homeowners who have asked to be evaluated to meet DEC standards and get something in writing that says their septic systems pass.
That's all for this morning folks but, like we always say, drop us a line on the blog or give us a call, we'd be happy to hear what you have to say :).
Rockwell AdvanTex Installations
As some of you may have noticed, Rockwell started their first AdvanTex install on the corner of Nordic and the Richardson Highway two weeks ago, on August 25th. The first install went very smoothly and they were able to button things up there by the end of the week. They will come back next spring to do the final grading and hydro-seeding. They moved on to two installs on adjacent properties and are putting the finishing touches on them now. Their schedule for next week looks like they will be moving up to some of the Richardson Highway located installations. They expect to get two done per week and hope to be finished before November.
King Bee Mound Installations
King Bee returned to the subdivision to insulate the remaining mound tanks. They finished up with the Blueberry Lake paving project and have been working on two adjacent mound systems over on Nordic (it was a busy road this last week!). They expect to finish up on Nordic and move back over to Aspen Way on September 14th. From there they will be moving to Snowflake and Wilderness Ct and hope to finish up by October 9th. They have buttoned up their first two installations that are operational and will return next spring to finalize topsoil / grading.
ADEC Effluent Testing
The City received copies of effluent testing the ADEC did on 15 of the AdvanTex systems. For the full report, click here. We were overall pleased with the results, the majority of the systems were clean and running with very high quality effluent. Two of the systems had very high counts of fecal coliforms and high amounts of grease in the filter fabric. The City will work with these homeowners to make sure that the system is being used appropriately. A third system had high BOD and we believe from talking to the homeowners this is because of the large amounts of detergents that go down the drain due to the home’s business. Anchorage Tank is working with them on that issue. Though we have written it before, please remember septic bugs (the organisms that break down the Septic influent) are living creatures that cannot survive in grease and die when too many harsh chemicals come their way. Look for detergent products in the store that say they are septic safe. Save the grease from frying pans and griddles in jars and store them in freezers for a rainy day or just allow grease to solidify in paper bowls and throw it out once they are full.
Phase II
A number of homeowners needed to withdraw from Phase II for a variety of personal reasons and a number of homeowners have had septics fail or were simply in the right place at the right time to be switched into Phase II. It appears that this jumble of sites is slowing down, but do not hesitate to contact the City if you feel your septic needs replacement now. We have ordered an extra AdvanTex tank for emergencies and will work with anybody who asks.
Minor details
AdvanTex systems require a phone line to call into Anchorage tank and report that they are healthy or that they have an alarm going off. Those people who do not have a phone line to their house and do not wish to have a phone line installed need to look at getting a mound system or a different type of package treatment plant under option 2.
AdvanTex systems have a $400 a year maintenance fee that includes spring and fall tune ups and unscheduled maintained visits in the event of a septic alarm. This is not an optional fee and must be paid in order to ensure the septic system is being monitored and maintained. Anchorage Tank does work with homeowners on this and allows bi-yearly or quarterly payments.
We are still working on a process for evaluating those sites that may already meet DEC requirements. When that process is finalized we will contact those homeowners who have asked to be evaluated to meet DEC standards and get something in writing that says their septic systems pass.
That's all for this morning folks but, like we always say, drop us a line on the blog or give us a call, we'd be happy to hear what you have to say :).
Thursday, August 13, 2009
A Rainy Week
Rockwell Engineering & Construction is in Valdez evaluating their sites & scheduling their construction. They will be doing some dewatering planning and some site clearing and preparation so that they will have multiple sites ready to go. The Orenco representative will be in Valdez August 24th to assist on the first Phase II AdvanTex install. This will give them a smooth path to move forward on.
King Bee Equipment's crew is still largely up in Blueberry Lake Campground assisting Harris Sand and Gravel. You may see them in the subdivision when the mound septic tanks get delivered. The remaining six will be insulated.
Option 2 mail outs went out to residents who were not in Phase I or Phase II. The City is still working on an Option 2 guide (and perhaps an Option1 guide as well) to pull all the information together into one booklet for residents. We will probably meet with the Oversight Group for their review and comment before releasing it to the public. The Oversight Group always provides good insight and can spot things the City misses in the daily bustle.
Don’t forget if you would like to move forward with Option 2 this construction season, contact the Community Development department right away. Those of you thinking about next season have until October 2nd, 2009.
The hydroseeded grass for Phase I sites has been happily soaking up the rain and growing like gang-busters. The Phase I sites have been transformed from rocky dirt fields to bright green lawns in the span of a few weeks. We are happy to report 17 out of the 18 systems have been completely finished. Take a look!
That’s all from City Hall. Keep an eye out from Rockwell Engineering and let the City know what’s going on out there. We’re always happy to hear from you.
King Bee Equipment's crew is still largely up in Blueberry Lake Campground assisting Harris Sand and Gravel. You may see them in the subdivision when the mound septic tanks get delivered. The remaining six will be insulated.
Option 2 mail outs went out to residents who were not in Phase I or Phase II. The City is still working on an Option 2 guide (and perhaps an Option1 guide as well) to pull all the information together into one booklet for residents. We will probably meet with the Oversight Group for their review and comment before releasing it to the public. The Oversight Group always provides good insight and can spot things the City misses in the daily bustle.
Don’t forget if you would like to move forward with Option 2 this construction season, contact the Community Development department right away. Those of you thinking about next season have until October 2nd, 2009.
The hydroseeded grass for Phase I sites has been happily soaking up the rain and growing like gang-busters. The Phase I sites have been transformed from rocky dirt fields to bright green lawns in the span of a few weeks. We are happy to report 17 out of the 18 systems have been completely finished. Take a look!
That’s all from City Hall. Keep an eye out from Rockwell Engineering and let the City know what’s going on out there. We’re always happy to hear from you.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
King Bee Temporary Work Suspension
King Bee Equipment has temporarily left the Alpine Woods Area because they are the subcontractor to Harris Sand & Gravel on the Blueberry Lake Campground paving project (this is a Stimulus fund project). King Bee has assured us, and our Site Engineer agrees, that they will have plenty of time to come back and finish their septic installations. They expect the delay to be approximately 2-3 weeks and will supply us with a revised installation schedule as soon as possible. The City of Valdez is still working with King Bee on the status of the two installations that have already been started. In the interim, King Bee is working on insulating the mound systems tanks and will be available to receive them once they are shipped from Anchorage.
We apologize to the Phase II mound systems residents for this delay to their septic installations. We were not aware that this interruption would be taking place until early this week. We look forward to King Bee’s return and the continuation of the mound installations.
We apologize to the Phase II mound systems residents for this delay to their septic installations. We were not aware that this interruption would be taking place until early this week. We look forward to King Bee’s return and the continuation of the mound installations.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Progress is Being Made
Good Morning Savvy Septic Readers! The City has lots of updates for you all today so let’s get to them:
Rockwell Engineering & Construction will be in Valdez at the end of this week. They will be coordinating site inspection for Group A and Group B of the AdvanTex installations with Dave Lanning. This is for their onsite crew to determine exact access, what (if anything) the homeowner needs to move, and whether they will have to have the electric and telephone companies move their utility lines. They expect their full crew to be here, starting their first AdvanTex installation in Valdez, around the 14th of August. This gives Phase II AdvanTex owners about 2 weeks to remove any private property that is in the way of access to the construction site or in the way of the construction site itself.
Due to the late start of the installs, it is unlikely that there will be time in the season to put finishing touches on any of the systems (Mound or AdvanTex) without a risk of wintertime and spring erosion. It is likely that the topsoil and hydro seeding will have to take place in the spring of next year (the way Phase I systems were handled) in order to ensure successful and strong growth in disturbed areas of properties. The systems will be fully operational and the only thing that will be affected by this delay will be the cosmetics of the yards.
It was brought to the City’s attention that mound tanks could also be insulated. Insulating mound system tanks is standard practice in Anchorage and, although the DEC does not require mound tanks to be insulated, the City decided to go ahead and insulate the remainder of the mound system tanks while they were still in Anchorage.
Last night on August 3rd, the Council approved the revisions and clarifications to Option 2 (homeowner installation) of the program. The City will be mailing out the new details to Alpine Woods Area residents who do not already have a new septic system (or for whom one isn’t planned for installation this year). The Option 2 details will also be available on the City website for reference (to see them now, click here).
There are just a few other things that have come up over the past week. The DEC went through the subdivision and did effluent testing for 16 of the AdvanTex systems. The city doesn’t have those results back yet but has heard by word of mouth that they looked good. Two systems had higher turbidity than the rest and this is likely because of improper things being poured down the drains into the septic systems. The EPA recommends that homeowners treat their septic systems like investments. The better they are treated the longer they last and the more value they add to the home. Pouring large amounts of grease and harsh chemical detergents into the system will harm the system and decrease its value and ability to last in the long run. For a general guide on how to take care of any septic system, click here.
Additionally, the City ran into some understandable confusion about tree felling and removal policies during Phase I and would like to clarify several points moving forward. The City will have its contractors fell the trees and it is up to the homeowner to either have the contractor drag the whole tree to an area agreed upon or to haul the whole tree off the property. If the homeowner wants to keep the tree for firewood and has the contractor put it somewhere they can work with it, it is no longer the contractor’s responsibility to deal with any part of the tree. After the homeowner bucks it up and takes whatever part of the tree they want for firewood, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to clear any remaining branches and mess. This was not made as clear as it should have been, but if the homeowner chooses to keep the tree for firewood they are responsible for all parts of the tree.
So, the Phase I systems are looking pretty green and healthy. The Phase II mound installs are moving forward steadily and the remaining six tanks will be insulated. And the Phase II AdvanTex systems (already insulated) will be starting up within two weeks. That feels like real progress! Let us know what you think about it too.
Rockwell Engineering & Construction will be in Valdez at the end of this week. They will be coordinating site inspection for Group A and Group B of the AdvanTex installations with Dave Lanning. This is for their onsite crew to determine exact access, what (if anything) the homeowner needs to move, and whether they will have to have the electric and telephone companies move their utility lines. They expect their full crew to be here, starting their first AdvanTex installation in Valdez, around the 14th of August. This gives Phase II AdvanTex owners about 2 weeks to remove any private property that is in the way of access to the construction site or in the way of the construction site itself.
Due to the late start of the installs, it is unlikely that there will be time in the season to put finishing touches on any of the systems (Mound or AdvanTex) without a risk of wintertime and spring erosion. It is likely that the topsoil and hydro seeding will have to take place in the spring of next year (the way Phase I systems were handled) in order to ensure successful and strong growth in disturbed areas of properties. The systems will be fully operational and the only thing that will be affected by this delay will be the cosmetics of the yards.
It was brought to the City’s attention that mound tanks could also be insulated. Insulating mound system tanks is standard practice in Anchorage and, although the DEC does not require mound tanks to be insulated, the City decided to go ahead and insulate the remainder of the mound system tanks while they were still in Anchorage.
Last night on August 3rd, the Council approved the revisions and clarifications to Option 2 (homeowner installation) of the program. The City will be mailing out the new details to Alpine Woods Area residents who do not already have a new septic system (or for whom one isn’t planned for installation this year). The Option 2 details will also be available on the City website for reference (to see them now, click here).
There are just a few other things that have come up over the past week. The DEC went through the subdivision and did effluent testing for 16 of the AdvanTex systems. The city doesn’t have those results back yet but has heard by word of mouth that they looked good. Two systems had higher turbidity than the rest and this is likely because of improper things being poured down the drains into the septic systems. The EPA recommends that homeowners treat their septic systems like investments. The better they are treated the longer they last and the more value they add to the home. Pouring large amounts of grease and harsh chemical detergents into the system will harm the system and decrease its value and ability to last in the long run. For a general guide on how to take care of any septic system, click here.
Additionally, the City ran into some understandable confusion about tree felling and removal policies during Phase I and would like to clarify several points moving forward. The City will have its contractors fell the trees and it is up to the homeowner to either have the contractor drag the whole tree to an area agreed upon or to haul the whole tree off the property. If the homeowner wants to keep the tree for firewood and has the contractor put it somewhere they can work with it, it is no longer the contractor’s responsibility to deal with any part of the tree. After the homeowner bucks it up and takes whatever part of the tree they want for firewood, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to clear any remaining branches and mess. This was not made as clear as it should have been, but if the homeowner chooses to keep the tree for firewood they are responsible for all parts of the tree.
So, the Phase I systems are looking pretty green and healthy. The Phase II mound installs are moving forward steadily and the remaining six tanks will be insulated. And the Phase II AdvanTex systems (already insulated) will be starting up within two weeks. That feels like real progress! Let us know what you think about it too.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Orenco Septic Tanks for Mound Systems
Hello Savvy Septic Fans,
Just a quick note to clear up some confusion we've been hearing here at City Hall today. Some of you have been seeing giant green tanks that look like AdvanTex systems going into the ground out by the Whispering Spruce / Wilderness construction side and Alder way. These are actually just regular old Orenco septic tanks- there is no pod or insulation because they are being put in with the mound systems. King Bee and Lanning Engineering decided to use the same manufacturer of the AdvanTex systems (Orenco) to supply them with regular septic tanks. I know how similar they look! I did a double take the first time I saw them too, because we are all used to the giant green septic tanks being AdvanTex systems. Fear not, we delivered the notice to proceed to Rockwell Engineering today, and they shall be down to put in the insulated AdvanTex systems as soon as possible. For now though, the only green tanks going in the ground are being put there by King Bee and they are for the Mound Systems. Please refer to pictures below. Give us a call if anything else comes up.
Mound System Tanks Before Insulation
AdvanTex systems Last Year
AdvanTex systems This Year (with insulation)
Have a great weekend and think sun!
Laura
Just a quick note to clear up some confusion we've been hearing here at City Hall today. Some of you have been seeing giant green tanks that look like AdvanTex systems going into the ground out by the Whispering Spruce / Wilderness construction side and Alder way. These are actually just regular old Orenco septic tanks- there is no pod or insulation because they are being put in with the mound systems. King Bee and Lanning Engineering decided to use the same manufacturer of the AdvanTex systems (Orenco) to supply them with regular septic tanks. I know how similar they look! I did a double take the first time I saw them too, because we are all used to the giant green septic tanks being AdvanTex systems. Fear not, we delivered the notice to proceed to Rockwell Engineering today, and they shall be down to put in the insulated AdvanTex systems as soon as possible. For now though, the only green tanks going in the ground are being put there by King Bee and they are for the Mound Systems. Please refer to pictures below. Give us a call if anything else comes up.
Mound System Tanks Before Insulation
AdvanTex systems Last Year
AdvanTex systems This Year (with insulation)
Have a great weekend and think sun!
Laura
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Ebb and Flow
The Septic Blog has been quiet lately because things have been quiet in City Hall lately. Some of you may have noticed King Bee’s workers finished grading & hydroseeding the Phase I installations and then packed up and headed back to Fairbanks for a week. They needed DEC’s approval to construct and Lanning to stake out property lines and important things at their various mound sites. The site engineer, Dave Lanning, had to be at a conference in the lower 48 for the last week, so construction on the mounds began a week later than anticipated. Indeed, even the temperature monitoring data collection was put on hold to give the hydroseeded grass a chance to establish without being trampled and messed up.
Finally, with the rain and fog came a go ahead from DEC and a notice to proceed for King Bee’s men, who left Valdez in a sunny state of mind and returned to a more typical type of construction weather for Prince William Sound (but we aren’t complaining, we needed the rain). Hopefully we still have some warm sunny days left to help construction along. They have been working steadily on the first true mound system of the program on the corner of Wilderness and Whispering Spruce. They plan to move down Whispering Spruce toward Alder for their next construction site. Their schedule has changed since it was last posted, because they need homeowners to move some things in their yards in order to gain access to sites. They are generally going to wherever is most prepared for their arrival. The last we heard they would try to do the two sites on Alder after their first and finish up on Whispering Spruce before heading westward toward Nordic.
Rockwell has their contract documents in order and have asserted they are ready to come to Valdez. We are waiting on DEC’s approval to construct before issuing Rockwell their notice to proceed. We been assured it will be issued very soon. We are as anxious as Phase II residents to see Rockwell down here and working.
On another note, ADEC has decided to do their own effluent testing of all Phase I systems. The city was informed that the state is working with Phase I residents for access to property and expects to be pulling effluent samples this next Monday and Tuesday. Mike Congel, the local AdvanTex maintenance man, has asked that care be taken with the newly graded / hydroseeded areas. He will accompany the DEC on their rounds.
Community Development was not able to get an Option 2 revision on the table for Council to approve this week, we will work hard to have something for them by August 3rd. We also have an Oversight Group meeting scheduled for this Monday, the 27th of July, in Council Chambers. We are discussing the end of Phase I, the progress of Phase II, reviewing the Option 2 details we talked about last Oversight Group Meeting, and the success of the subdivision wide plan.
In any case, the King Bee mound action is picking up again and we expect to have Rockwell down here shortly. We’ll keep you in the loop. Till next time :).
Finally, with the rain and fog came a go ahead from DEC and a notice to proceed for King Bee’s men, who left Valdez in a sunny state of mind and returned to a more typical type of construction weather for Prince William Sound (but we aren’t complaining, we needed the rain). Hopefully we still have some warm sunny days left to help construction along. They have been working steadily on the first true mound system of the program on the corner of Wilderness and Whispering Spruce. They plan to move down Whispering Spruce toward Alder for their next construction site. Their schedule has changed since it was last posted, because they need homeowners to move some things in their yards in order to gain access to sites. They are generally going to wherever is most prepared for their arrival. The last we heard they would try to do the two sites on Alder after their first and finish up on Whispering Spruce before heading westward toward Nordic.
Rockwell has their contract documents in order and have asserted they are ready to come to Valdez. We are waiting on DEC’s approval to construct before issuing Rockwell their notice to proceed. We been assured it will be issued very soon. We are as anxious as Phase II residents to see Rockwell down here and working.
On another note, ADEC has decided to do their own effluent testing of all Phase I systems. The city was informed that the state is working with Phase I residents for access to property and expects to be pulling effluent samples this next Monday and Tuesday. Mike Congel, the local AdvanTex maintenance man, has asked that care be taken with the newly graded / hydroseeded areas. He will accompany the DEC on their rounds.
Community Development was not able to get an Option 2 revision on the table for Council to approve this week, we will work hard to have something for them by August 3rd. We also have an Oversight Group meeting scheduled for this Monday, the 27th of July, in Council Chambers. We are discussing the end of Phase I, the progress of Phase II, reviewing the Option 2 details we talked about last Oversight Group Meeting, and the success of the subdivision wide plan.
In any case, the King Bee mound action is picking up again and we expect to have Rockwell down here shortly. We’ll keep you in the loop. Till next time :).
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Contracts A & B Awarded
City Council approved the Rockwell Engineering bid for Group A and Group B last Monday, July 6th, with a 4-2 vote. We have been issuing notices of intent to award and expect the contract documents to be fully signed by the end of today. Dave Lanning has met with Rockwell Engineering to discuss their schedule and timeline for septic installations in Valdez.
Several things have to happen before Rockwell engineering can actually break ground. The DEC has to issue approval to construct. They apologized for the length of time it was taking for them to review the materials but they are dotting every i and crossing every t to see this program reaches its fullest potential. Rockwell engineering has to submit their Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan(SWPPP) to the federal government and get their approval for excavation and dewatering procedures. Rockwell is a SWPPP pro though, so we are hoping that won’t take too long. And Rockwell has to get all their training and personnel in order. With a little luck all the paperwork and mobilization can happen simultaneously and we can see ground breaking within a few weeks. We will track this progress and report all our findings faithfully to the Savvy Septic readers.
The DEC has asked Lanning Engineering for some clarification on the mound system construction requirements before issuing final approval to construct. Dave Lanning is addressing them this week and hopes to have approval wrapped up for mound systems by this weekend.
Phase I homeowners have seen a flurry of activity in their yards. Final grading & topsoil has been placed on the majority of Phase I installations. It is our understanding that the hydroseeders have been moving from site to site as well. Because of the heat and lack of rain, the City recommends Phase I homeowners water the recently seeded areas. We expect to see the majority of Phase I installations completed by the end of this week. Again, as a reminder, Phase I pods were not insulated with blue board because of the risk of damaging the systems during excavation and the fact that the systems are working fine without it. The city will continue monitoring these systems closely to make sure everything is in order.
In the meantime, City staff has been working with some possible last-minute additions / substitutions to Phase II system replacements (due to imminent septic failure) and has been working through some individual homeowner construction issues. Additionally, we have been adding spring construction details to Phase I homeowner files and updating Phase II homeowner files. Making sure each file is up to date and has all relevant information for each homeowner is a surprisingly complex endeavor...
Well, that’s all for today. We’ll keep trying for the best, swiftest and most painless septic installations we can manage :).
Several things have to happen before Rockwell engineering can actually break ground. The DEC has to issue approval to construct. They apologized for the length of time it was taking for them to review the materials but they are dotting every i and crossing every t to see this program reaches its fullest potential. Rockwell engineering has to submit their Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan(SWPPP) to the federal government and get their approval for excavation and dewatering procedures. Rockwell is a SWPPP pro though, so we are hoping that won’t take too long. And Rockwell has to get all their training and personnel in order. With a little luck all the paperwork and mobilization can happen simultaneously and we can see ground breaking within a few weeks. We will track this progress and report all our findings faithfully to the Savvy Septic readers.
The DEC has asked Lanning Engineering for some clarification on the mound system construction requirements before issuing final approval to construct. Dave Lanning is addressing them this week and hopes to have approval wrapped up for mound systems by this weekend.
Phase I homeowners have seen a flurry of activity in their yards. Final grading & topsoil has been placed on the majority of Phase I installations. It is our understanding that the hydroseeders have been moving from site to site as well. Because of the heat and lack of rain, the City recommends Phase I homeowners water the recently seeded areas. We expect to see the majority of Phase I installations completed by the end of this week. Again, as a reminder, Phase I pods were not insulated with blue board because of the risk of damaging the systems during excavation and the fact that the systems are working fine without it. The city will continue monitoring these systems closely to make sure everything is in order.
In the meantime, City staff has been working with some possible last-minute additions / substitutions to Phase II system replacements (due to imminent septic failure) and has been working through some individual homeowner construction issues. Additionally, we have been adding spring construction details to Phase I homeowner files and updating Phase II homeowner files. Making sure each file is up to date and has all relevant information for each homeowner is a surprisingly complex endeavor...
Well, that’s all for today. We’ll keep trying for the best, swiftest and most painless septic installations we can manage :).
Thursday, July 2, 2009
A Septic Summit in Valdez
Good morning Savvy Septic readers. Monday night’s Septic Summit work session was reasonably well attended. There were Alpine Wood representatives from Phase I and Phase II, Oversight Group members, ACAT members, residents from Alpine woods who were thinking about enrolling in the program, a local radio station and news reporter, and city staff. Of the guests the City specifically invited, Dr. Mark Gross, an Orenco engineer from Oregon attended; Tom Varney, an Anchorage Tank representative attended; Oran Woolley from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) attended; as well as Bob Tsigonis (a well respected package treatment plant engineer) and the City’s contract engineer from Lanning Engineering, Dave Lanning. King Bee attempted to send their representative, Sheldon Shaw to the meeting but the plane malfunctioned in Fairbanks. Erik Williamson, the author of the University of Anchorage and Jeff Garness, the engineer of the Quanics systems, as well as a variety of other Alaskan Septic Installers were invited but were unfortunately unable to attend. Mike Congel, the local AdvanTex maintenance man, was there to answer any specific maintenance questions.
And now for the numbers we’ve all been waiting for: The effluent results were great! All 6 of the systems tested passed with flying colors. The DEC was very pleased with their performance. Much of the meeting was still spent discussing the temperature of the tanks and whether or not insulation would still be needed but in the end, the DEC and the Orenco Engineer both felt insulation would not be technically necessary although it wouldn’t hurt the program. The City has already purchased the Phase II AdvanTex tanks with insulation but, after a long discussion with the City engineers and the DEC, it was determined that the risk of damaging the pods by installing retrofit blue board insulation was not worth it for Phase I residents. Instead of blue board insulation, the city will continue monitoring the Phase I pods and take several more effluent samples (at different times of the year) to confirm and add to these field results.
Some of the positive notes of the septic summit were:
Valdez systems have had extremely low numbers of alerts, alarms and unscheduled maintenance visits. Tom Varney indicated this was one of the smoothest start-ups he has ever seen and that Mike Congel was as busy as the Maytag Repair man.
The DEC made a chart to compare the AdvanTex effluent with a standard septic system effluent and the City’s Sewer Treatment Plant limits (which are extremely strict because they discharge into the Prince William Sound). The AdvanTex results show the systems performing better than even the Sewer Treatment Plant limits (the lower the numbers, the cleaner the water).
For a copy of the full SGS laboratory report, click here.
Oversight Group member and ACAT board member Gary Minish pointed out that Alyeska’s ballast water treatment system has been operating at about 38 degrees Fahrenheit for many years and it is a biological system which has worked quite well in Valdez. He made this comparison because of the high AdvanTex effluent quality despite the low temperatures and cool groundwater.
Dr. Mark Gross and his fellow Orenco engineers have been running heat sink models simulating Valdez field conditions for the last two weeks and can provide anyone who is interested with the math and results. Just contact him at (541) 459-4449 or email him at mgross@orenco.com. He is also available for any other technical questions or requests. He spent two weeks reading everything posted on the City website pertaining to the septic project and he listened to the last several Council Meetings on tape prior to his arrival here so that he would be prepared to answer any type of questions we had.
Statistically, to accurately represent the number of systems in Valdez, the City would have only had to test 3 systems. We tested six. Taking into account the samples variability and the margin of error, the City can be confident of the sample results representing a typical system to within 5 mg/L.
As reported in these pages before, Anchorage Tank’s own test results confirmed the independent laboratory results shown here, and Anchorage Tank tested all of the systems (to see a copy of these results click here).
Bob Tsigonis brought information on his Lifewater package treatment plant systems and made himself available to Alpine Woods residents for questions. We have copies of his information available at City Hall and you can contact him at (907) 458-7024 or email bob@lifewaterengineering.com. Lifewater treatment plants are a great option for anyone who would like to explore alternative to the AdvanTex systems. Although Jeff Garness couldn’t make it to the Septic Summit, several residents picked up his information packets (which we also have available at City hall). These systems are an excellent alternative to AdvanTex systems as well. You can contact him at (907) 337-6179 or email jeff@garnessengineering.com. As the City staff works through its revisions to Option 2 they will bring them forth to the City Council, who can review and approve reimbursement amounts and outlined steps for Option 2. Providing they are approved we will, of course, immediately post the guidelines on the website.
In conclusion
After the Council asked the DEC and the engineers their own questions (mainly were the systems working properly [yes] and does the DEC approve of their installation and operation [yes]) the mayor was kind enough to open up the work session to public input and allow any of the residents present to ask their own questions. By 10 pm most of the questions had wrapped up and when the City Manager asked the Council for direction on how to move forward, the City Council told him to ask Rockwell Engineering (the low bidder for the AdvanTex systems Group A & B) if they would still honor their bid (after 45 days they no longer have to honor it). If they would honor it, the Council requested the City Manager to bring the Rockwell bid back to the Monday City Council Session (July 6th) for action. Lisa spoke with Rockwell Engineering yesterday and they are willing to honor their bid.
Whew! That was a long one. There is a lot of sewage sentiment flowing from City Hall this week. Hopefully it was spellbinding. If you still want more you can listen to the full meeting audio tape on the City Website here. Thanks to all the readers that attended the Septic Summit. We hope this gave those of you who couldn’t make it a good idea of the meeting highlights. We’ll keep you posted!
And now for the numbers we’ve all been waiting for: The effluent results were great! All 6 of the systems tested passed with flying colors. The DEC was very pleased with their performance. Much of the meeting was still spent discussing the temperature of the tanks and whether or not insulation would still be needed but in the end, the DEC and the Orenco Engineer both felt insulation would not be technically necessary although it wouldn’t hurt the program. The City has already purchased the Phase II AdvanTex tanks with insulation but, after a long discussion with the City engineers and the DEC, it was determined that the risk of damaging the pods by installing retrofit blue board insulation was not worth it for Phase I residents. Instead of blue board insulation, the city will continue monitoring the Phase I pods and take several more effluent samples (at different times of the year) to confirm and add to these field results.
Some of the positive notes of the septic summit were:
Valdez systems have had extremely low numbers of alerts, alarms and unscheduled maintenance visits. Tom Varney indicated this was one of the smoothest start-ups he has ever seen and that Mike Congel was as busy as the Maytag Repair man.
The DEC made a chart to compare the AdvanTex effluent with a standard septic system effluent and the City’s Sewer Treatment Plant limits (which are extremely strict because they discharge into the Prince William Sound). The AdvanTex results show the systems performing better than even the Sewer Treatment Plant limits (the lower the numbers, the cleaner the water).
For a copy of the full SGS laboratory report, click here.
Oversight Group member and ACAT board member Gary Minish pointed out that Alyeska’s ballast water treatment system has been operating at about 38 degrees Fahrenheit for many years and it is a biological system which has worked quite well in Valdez. He made this comparison because of the high AdvanTex effluent quality despite the low temperatures and cool groundwater.
Dr. Mark Gross and his fellow Orenco engineers have been running heat sink models simulating Valdez field conditions for the last two weeks and can provide anyone who is interested with the math and results. Just contact him at (541) 459-4449 or email him at mgross@orenco.com. He is also available for any other technical questions or requests. He spent two weeks reading everything posted on the City website pertaining to the septic project and he listened to the last several Council Meetings on tape prior to his arrival here so that he would be prepared to answer any type of questions we had.
Statistically, to accurately represent the number of systems in Valdez, the City would have only had to test 3 systems. We tested six. Taking into account the samples variability and the margin of error, the City can be confident of the sample results representing a typical system to within 5 mg/L.
As reported in these pages before, Anchorage Tank’s own test results confirmed the independent laboratory results shown here, and Anchorage Tank tested all of the systems (to see a copy of these results click here).
Bob Tsigonis brought information on his Lifewater package treatment plant systems and made himself available to Alpine Woods residents for questions. We have copies of his information available at City Hall and you can contact him at (907) 458-7024 or email bob@lifewaterengineering.com. Lifewater treatment plants are a great option for anyone who would like to explore alternative to the AdvanTex systems. Although Jeff Garness couldn’t make it to the Septic Summit, several residents picked up his information packets (which we also have available at City hall). These systems are an excellent alternative to AdvanTex systems as well. You can contact him at (907) 337-6179 or email jeff@garnessengineering.com. As the City staff works through its revisions to Option 2 they will bring them forth to the City Council, who can review and approve reimbursement amounts and outlined steps for Option 2. Providing they are approved we will, of course, immediately post the guidelines on the website.
In conclusion
After the Council asked the DEC and the engineers their own questions (mainly were the systems working properly [yes] and does the DEC approve of their installation and operation [yes]) the mayor was kind enough to open up the work session to public input and allow any of the residents present to ask their own questions. By 10 pm most of the questions had wrapped up and when the City Manager asked the Council for direction on how to move forward, the City Council told him to ask Rockwell Engineering (the low bidder for the AdvanTex systems Group A & B) if they would still honor their bid (after 45 days they no longer have to honor it). If they would honor it, the Council requested the City Manager to bring the Rockwell bid back to the Monday City Council Session (July 6th) for action. Lisa spoke with Rockwell Engineering yesterday and they are willing to honor their bid.
Whew! That was a long one. There is a lot of sewage sentiment flowing from City Hall this week. Hopefully it was spellbinding. If you still want more you can listen to the full meeting audio tape on the City Website here. Thanks to all the readers that attended the Septic Summit. We hope this gave those of you who couldn’t make it a good idea of the meeting highlights. We’ll keep you posted!
Friday, June 26, 2009
A Week in Review
Well, this week of Septic Replacement Program work certainly flew by. Monday we were busy getting notifications to all Alpine Woods residents in the mail as quickly as possible for the City Council Work Session Septic Summit Monday, June 29th, at 6:30 pm (everyone is welcome). Phase I, Phase II, and remaining residents each got their own letter. Tuesday we met with the City Engineer Alan Minish to bring him up to speed on the project. Wednesday was spent on temperature data collection and analysis and Alpine Woods paperwork organization, as well as a new ACAT letter. Thursday we began preparing materials to bring to the Septic Summit and making lots of copies. Today we will continue to promote attendance to the Septic Summit and (hopefully) finish the paperwork and copying. By the end of today or early on Monday we should have a pretty good Agenda put together. It sure makes for a fast week!
King Bee Equipment has been preparing some of their Phase I sites for finish up work and begun piling up topsoil in the City snow lots, but Sheldon Shaw, the site manager and engineer for King Bee Equipment, has said King Bee is still waiting on their Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) approval and a DEC permit before they can begin. This has pushed the preliminary schedule posted on Monday the 22nd back by at least a week. Throw in the 4th of July holiday and most people are probably looking at a week and a half later than their posted schedule at best. We will keep everyone as updated as we can.
Well that’s it from our neck of the woods today. We’re all hoping for more sunshine and good construction weather. Hope to see you all at the Septic Summit!
King Bee Equipment has been preparing some of their Phase I sites for finish up work and begun piling up topsoil in the City snow lots, but Sheldon Shaw, the site manager and engineer for King Bee Equipment, has said King Bee is still waiting on their Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) approval and a DEC permit before they can begin. This has pushed the preliminary schedule posted on Monday the 22nd back by at least a week. Throw in the 4th of July holiday and most people are probably looking at a week and a half later than their posted schedule at best. We will keep everyone as updated as we can.
Well that’s it from our neck of the woods today. We’re all hoping for more sunshine and good construction weather. Hope to see you all at the Septic Summit!
Monday, June 22, 2009
An Update and An Apology
Hello Everyone :). The effluent testing of Phase I systems has been completed. The results are in but cannot be released until all the involved homeowners give their permission. We expect to release them publically at the Septic Summit.
The Septic Summit the Council Requested is scheduled for June 29th, 2009 at 6:30pm in the City Council Chambers. Please tell your neighbors, your friends, your families, your family’s families, anyone you can think of where and when the summit will be and bring them all along. The more the merrier, that’s our motto!
For anyone who is curious, the SGS sampling process is a formal Quality Assurance/Quality Control Program as required by the state of Alaska and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). A copy of their Quality Assurance Plan is available upon request. All the samples and sampling methods were laboratory certified and the lab report is in conformance with the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program. For more information about their process, contact SGS labs directly at (907) 562-2343 or visit their website: http://www.us.sgs.com.
King Bee Equipment, the Phase I finishing up and Phase II mound system contractor, met with Lanning Engineering and the City of Valdez on Thursday June 18th to look at sites and propose a schedule. The preliminary schedule document is only for planning and will likely change as soon as they start construction (based on King Bee’s experiences here). King Bee is working on both a construction schedule and a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). Both documents are intended to be “living documents” updated weekly or whenever there is a need. The preliminary schedule discussed is as follows:
Proposed Schedule
June 16-21 begin stock piling materials in snow lots
June 22 Begin Phase I
June 23: BK 5 LT 13
June 24: BK 5 LT 13
June 25: BK 5 LT 11 & BK 5 LT 13
June 26: BK 5 LT 2
June 27: BK 1 LT 5, BK 1 LT 2A & USS 5625 LT 3
June 28: USS 3939 LT 1A & USS 3939 LT 4
June 29: BK 9 18 and BK 9 LT 20
June 30: BK 8 LT 21 & BK 9 LT 4
July 1: BK 7 LT 15, BK 8 LT 3 & BK 8 LT 7
July 2: BK 4 LT 6 & BK 4 LT 8
July 3: BK 7 LT 11
July 3rd Finish Phase I work
July 5th Begin Phase II work
July 6-9: BK 9 LT 1
July 9-14: LT 3 Nordic
July 12-16: LT 2 Nordic
July 17-21: BK 7 LT 8
July 21-25: BK 5 LT 17A
July 25-30: BK 5 LT 10
August 1-5: BK 3 LT 9
August 2-7: BK 3 LT 8
King Bee has told us they already have a few small changes to this proposed schedule before construction begins. We will post the revisions as soon as they are sent to us.
Finally, a concern was voiced at the June 15th City Council Meeting about the tone of some of the things written in this blog. The City of Valdez apologizes whole heartedly to anyone who took offense to anything written in the blog. It is intended to function as a communication tool and to give homeowners and Valdez residents insight into the daily and weekly processes that come from implementing a program as large and, paradoxically, as deeply personal as this one is. Sometimes we light heartedly poke fun at things to break the tension and show our side to some of the issues, but our intent in these paragraphs has always been to make people smile. We have never intended to insult anyone or cause offense. Please accept our apology and give us another chance. In the future we will try harder to keep communication at a maximum and side comment to a minimum.
And as always, we invite all Savvy Septic readers to add comments to whatever we post here. A symposium should be many voices, not just one or two. You can post your thoughts and ideas by scrolling to the bottom of each blog and clicking on the number of comments listed in italics. You can also navigate on the right-hand side bar to just above the picture of the AdvanTex tanks on a truck, where the Blog Archive lists each blog posted by month. Click on the blog you want to comment on and if you scroll down to the bottom, there is a text box you can write your comments in and post them. We look forward to hearing from you. Until next time, Savvy Septic readers, keep the Septic Sentiment flowing!
PS. Please take an moment to read through all the documents posted to the City of Valdez website concerning Phase I, Phase II, City Council agenda statements, Oversight Group meeting notes, Lesson’s Learned, etc. This documentation provides a much more solid base of information to which the Savvy Septic Blog details compliment.
The Septic Summit the Council Requested is scheduled for June 29th, 2009 at 6:30pm in the City Council Chambers. Please tell your neighbors, your friends, your families, your family’s families, anyone you can think of where and when the summit will be and bring them all along. The more the merrier, that’s our motto!
For anyone who is curious, the SGS sampling process is a formal Quality Assurance/Quality Control Program as required by the state of Alaska and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). A copy of their Quality Assurance Plan is available upon request. All the samples and sampling methods were laboratory certified and the lab report is in conformance with the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program. For more information about their process, contact SGS labs directly at (907) 562-2343 or visit their website: http://www.us.sgs.com.
King Bee Equipment, the Phase I finishing up and Phase II mound system contractor, met with Lanning Engineering and the City of Valdez on Thursday June 18th to look at sites and propose a schedule. The preliminary schedule document is only for planning and will likely change as soon as they start construction (based on King Bee’s experiences here). King Bee is working on both a construction schedule and a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). Both documents are intended to be “living documents” updated weekly or whenever there is a need. The preliminary schedule discussed is as follows:
Proposed Schedule
June 16-21 begin stock piling materials in snow lots
June 22 Begin Phase I
June 23: BK 5 LT 13
June 24: BK 5 LT 13
June 25: BK 5 LT 11 & BK 5 LT 13
June 26: BK 5 LT 2
June 27: BK 1 LT 5, BK 1 LT 2A & USS 5625 LT 3
June 28: USS 3939 LT 1A & USS 3939 LT 4
June 29: BK 9 18 and BK 9 LT 20
June 30: BK 8 LT 21 & BK 9 LT 4
July 1: BK 7 LT 15, BK 8 LT 3 & BK 8 LT 7
July 2: BK 4 LT 6 & BK 4 LT 8
July 3: BK 7 LT 11
July 3rd Finish Phase I work
July 5th Begin Phase II work
July 6-9: BK 9 LT 1
July 9-14: LT 3 Nordic
July 12-16: LT 2 Nordic
July 17-21: BK 7 LT 8
July 21-25: BK 5 LT 17A
July 25-30: BK 5 LT 10
August 1-5: BK 3 LT 9
August 2-7: BK 3 LT 8
King Bee has told us they already have a few small changes to this proposed schedule before construction begins. We will post the revisions as soon as they are sent to us.
Finally, a concern was voiced at the June 15th City Council Meeting about the tone of some of the things written in this blog. The City of Valdez apologizes whole heartedly to anyone who took offense to anything written in the blog. It is intended to function as a communication tool and to give homeowners and Valdez residents insight into the daily and weekly processes that come from implementing a program as large and, paradoxically, as deeply personal as this one is. Sometimes we light heartedly poke fun at things to break the tension and show our side to some of the issues, but our intent in these paragraphs has always been to make people smile. We have never intended to insult anyone or cause offense. Please accept our apology and give us another chance. In the future we will try harder to keep communication at a maximum and side comment to a minimum.
And as always, we invite all Savvy Septic readers to add comments to whatever we post here. A symposium should be many voices, not just one or two. You can post your thoughts and ideas by scrolling to the bottom of each blog and clicking on the number of comments listed in italics. You can also navigate on the right-hand side bar to just above the picture of the AdvanTex tanks on a truck, where the Blog Archive lists each blog posted by month. Click on the blog you want to comment on and if you scroll down to the bottom, there is a text box you can write your comments in and post them. We look forward to hearing from you. Until next time, Savvy Septic readers, keep the Septic Sentiment flowing!
PS. Please take an moment to read through all the documents posted to the City of Valdez website concerning Phase I, Phase II, City Council agenda statements, Oversight Group meeting notes, Lesson’s Learned, etc. This documentation provides a much more solid base of information to which the Savvy Septic Blog details compliment.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Effluent Testing & Maintenance Reports
Hello Savvy Septic Fans! This last week has been jam packed with happenings. Last Friday three spray– foamed AdvanTex systems arrived and were unloaded at the Bailer. We just got word that five more tanks are coming today. It’s always quite a sight to see them all lined up along the road out there.
The paperwork with King Bee equipment hasn’t cleared up as fast as either of us wanted but it appears things are finally ready and they expect to be here this Thursday or Friday gearing up for Phase I finishing touches and Phase II mound systems. The contract with Rockwell construction is still on hold until the City Council makes its decision about the AdvanTex effluent quality.
Two residents appeared before City Council June 1st with concerns about the AdvanTex systems. In order to ensure they were in possession of all the facts to respond to each individual concern the City Council decided to organize a “Septic Summit” along with the results of the effluent testing. The Septic Summit will be a meeting involving all interested parties, including the AdvanTex Manufacturer Orenco, Anchorage Tank’s AdvanTex coordinator, the Quanics system designer and installer, the local AdvanTex maintenance man, and hopefully also the DEC. It is our hope that with a mountain of positive evidence presented to back them up, the City Council and any other concerned residents will feel comfortable moving forward with AdvanTex systems. If any Savvy Septic fans out there would like to attend I will get the time and location to you as soon as it is available. The City will also send out mail notifications to all the Alpine Area residents.
The AdvanTex effluent tests were conducted last Wednesday, June 3rd. Dave Toomey, a former SGS labs employee who now works for the City of Valdez, was asked by SGS to collect the samples because he had all the proper training and was still in good relations with his former company. In order to reduce impact to the systems and their owners, Dave and the Valdez AdvanTex Service Provider, Mike Congel, went as one group to each septic system. Mike Congel has to be present to open up the systems anyway and he had scheduled his spring check-ups for the same time. The two were joined by Allen Crume, a member of the Oversight Group following to ensure proper effluent collection methods. Tom Varney and the Anchorage AdvanTex Service Provider were also on hand to train Mike Congel with his first round of spring check-ups and verify that the AdvanTex systems were in good shape and working well. It is our understanding that a few other people trickled in and out of the effluent testing sites too. Together they were quite a gang and unfortunately there was a miscommunication between the City, Anchorage Tank and Dave over who was calling all the residents. In some cases when the train of five cars showed up at their house some people were very surprised and had no idea what was going on. The City takes the private property out at Alpine Woods very seriously and we sincerely apologize to anyone who was inconvenienced by the lack of our communication. Anchorage Tank has also printed an official apology to homeowners in the beginning of their 1 year maintenance report. We expect notification to residents will come much more swiftly the next time there is a need.
Effluent tests generally take 7-10 days for results. SGS, the independent laboratory hired to collect and analyze samples, is testing for fecal coli form, Dissolved Oxygen and TSS. We will get those results to you as soon as possible.
Anchorage Tank’s spring check-up on the AdvanTex systems was very encouraging. They took their own tests and samples to analyze how well the systems were working. On site they measured turbidity, pH and Dissolved Oxygen. Everyone’s system was within the acceptable ranges. Anchorage tank checked all the system components and did not find any significant breaks or damage. All in all they were very satisfied with the over-wintering of the systems. To see a copy of this report click here or visit the City website Septic Replacement Program, Phase I.
The City had a meeting with the Oversight Group last Thursday to go over the effluent testing process and work on revising Option 2 (the homeowners who opt to pay for the installation up front themselves and get reimbursed once the approval to operate has been issued by the DEC). The Oversight Group, as always, offered a lot of excellent insight into the process. The City is currently writing up a “Guide to Option 2” that will be available on the website and at the Community Development Office as soon as it approved by City Council.
That’s all the updates we have for now. We hope the Septic Summit will be informative and helpful to everyone and are eager to present as much information as possible to the public and to the City Council. Please check back often. Like the weather in Valdez, you never really know what will happen next.
The paperwork with King Bee equipment hasn’t cleared up as fast as either of us wanted but it appears things are finally ready and they expect to be here this Thursday or Friday gearing up for Phase I finishing touches and Phase II mound systems. The contract with Rockwell construction is still on hold until the City Council makes its decision about the AdvanTex effluent quality.
Two residents appeared before City Council June 1st with concerns about the AdvanTex systems. In order to ensure they were in possession of all the facts to respond to each individual concern the City Council decided to organize a “Septic Summit” along with the results of the effluent testing. The Septic Summit will be a meeting involving all interested parties, including the AdvanTex Manufacturer Orenco, Anchorage Tank’s AdvanTex coordinator, the Quanics system designer and installer, the local AdvanTex maintenance man, and hopefully also the DEC. It is our hope that with a mountain of positive evidence presented to back them up, the City Council and any other concerned residents will feel comfortable moving forward with AdvanTex systems. If any Savvy Septic fans out there would like to attend I will get the time and location to you as soon as it is available. The City will also send out mail notifications to all the Alpine Area residents.
The AdvanTex effluent tests were conducted last Wednesday, June 3rd. Dave Toomey, a former SGS labs employee who now works for the City of Valdez, was asked by SGS to collect the samples because he had all the proper training and was still in good relations with his former company. In order to reduce impact to the systems and their owners, Dave and the Valdez AdvanTex Service Provider, Mike Congel, went as one group to each septic system. Mike Congel has to be present to open up the systems anyway and he had scheduled his spring check-ups for the same time. The two were joined by Allen Crume, a member of the Oversight Group following to ensure proper effluent collection methods. Tom Varney and the Anchorage AdvanTex Service Provider were also on hand to train Mike Congel with his first round of spring check-ups and verify that the AdvanTex systems were in good shape and working well. It is our understanding that a few other people trickled in and out of the effluent testing sites too. Together they were quite a gang and unfortunately there was a miscommunication between the City, Anchorage Tank and Dave over who was calling all the residents. In some cases when the train of five cars showed up at their house some people were very surprised and had no idea what was going on. The City takes the private property out at Alpine Woods very seriously and we sincerely apologize to anyone who was inconvenienced by the lack of our communication. Anchorage Tank has also printed an official apology to homeowners in the beginning of their 1 year maintenance report. We expect notification to residents will come much more swiftly the next time there is a need.
Effluent tests generally take 7-10 days for results. SGS, the independent laboratory hired to collect and analyze samples, is testing for fecal coli form, Dissolved Oxygen and TSS. We will get those results to you as soon as possible.
Anchorage Tank’s spring check-up on the AdvanTex systems was very encouraging. They took their own tests and samples to analyze how well the systems were working. On site they measured turbidity, pH and Dissolved Oxygen. Everyone’s system was within the acceptable ranges. Anchorage tank checked all the system components and did not find any significant breaks or damage. All in all they were very satisfied with the over-wintering of the systems. To see a copy of this report click here or visit the City website Septic Replacement Program, Phase I.
The City had a meeting with the Oversight Group last Thursday to go over the effluent testing process and work on revising Option 2 (the homeowners who opt to pay for the installation up front themselves and get reimbursed once the approval to operate has been issued by the DEC). The Oversight Group, as always, offered a lot of excellent insight into the process. The City is currently writing up a “Guide to Option 2” that will be available on the website and at the Community Development Office as soon as it approved by City Council.
That’s all the updates we have for now. We hope the Septic Summit will be informative and helpful to everyone and are eager to present as much information as possible to the public and to the City Council. Please check back often. Like the weather in Valdez, you never really know what will happen next.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Rumor Control
Because this is, after all, a Symposium of Shameless and Spellbinding Septic Sentiment, I would like to bring forth another, less concrete piece of the Septic Replacement puzzle that plays a large role in our lives at Community Development: the rumor mill. We were thinking about a sidebar on the website called “rumor of the day” where we could share with the world the most recent one we had heard. This would be a good way to make light of an issue that has a much darker and damaging side to it than people probably realize. In the course of a week, we hear everything from “The City made things worse out at Alpine Woods” to “None of the systems were installed correctly” to “All of the systems out there have failed” to “The City spent $40,000 on septic systems that don’t work and now they aren’t going to do 10-mile snow removal anymore”. It’s okay to laugh, we sometimes do, but the damage these rumors do to the smoothness of the program’s implementation and the delay these rumors cause to the timeline is undeniable. They undermine the faith people have in a program that was generously put in place by the City Council to protect the health and safety of the neighborhood. And the truth of the matter is, when rumor after rumor comes to Community Development and the staff has to spend as much time implementing the program as they spend patiently listening to someone rant about how abused they are because they heard the City is going to evict them from their house unless they accept a system that will ruin their life forever, etc., etc., etc., its hard on morale. So, for our sakes as well as for the benefit of the neighborhood, we would like to set the record straight:
Before Phase I, several residents were using outhouses and neighbor’s bathrooms because their septic systems had failed completely. Some systems were leaking raw sewage onto people lawns and others were cesspools below the surface. The City cleaned these situations up, free of charge. Brand new septic tanks and secondary treatment pods were set up to clean up effluent. As an added precaution, UV light filters were installed to further disinfect effluent. As an additional added precaution, all new tanks were discharged into existing or brand new drainfields (neither precaution was a requirement from the DEC). How this situation, regardless of a person’s faith in an AdvanTex system, could be worse than raw sewage on the ground we can’t be sure. But that’s the rumor.
Installation was done late in the year at the end of a very rainy season last year. In our lessons learned meetings, the main thing everyone wanted to avoid was a fall / early winter install again. They were difficult and yards couldn’t be cleaned up before the snow flew. However, at each critical point during installation an inspection was conducted by a licensed engineer. These inspections were documented and photos of all installations were taken. The city has kept all the documentation and photos to back up that the systems were installed correctly despite the difficult construction conditions. Additionally, Mike Congel, the licensed maintenance man for the AdvanTex systems, did inspections and system start up check lists of his own to verify everything was working and installed correctly. Several installation sites do have some small remaining checklist items to take care of and Mike Congel will likely make some spring / summer time adjustments to the system when he does his annual septic system health check up, but by no means does that mean they are all falling apart. Anyone who would like to see how the systems were installed is welcome to take a look at our documentation and decide if they think 18 systems were installed wrong. It sounds hard to believe. But that’s the rumor.
A particularly disturbing and prevailing rumor is that some or all of the AdvanTex systems out there aren’t working properly or have failed. This is simply not true. All the systems have worked properly all winter long. There has been no raw sewage on the ground. None of them have backed up. The one instance we had in which a homeowner was without septic for a while was due to an old pipe collapse. This old pipe had nothing to do with the AdvanTex system and was hooked into to save damaging a well-liked tree. Along these lines, a point on which there is some confusion is whether or not cold temperatures mean the septics have failed. The Alaska Department of Environment Conservations (ADEC) has written several letters to Alpine Woods residents saying cold temperatures are not a surprise and the systems are still in compliance. The City has taken measures to insulate systems, both in Phase I and for the remaining phases. Furthermore, the temperature data is a small sample of systems reflecting the most extreme conditions in the neighborhood and one cold system does not mean they all have failed. It’s important to remember even running cold, these things are still running through a UV light for disinfection and they are still being pumped into drainfields where normal septic system treatment also takes place. Under no circumstances are they creating more of a health hazard then was already there by running colder than their optimum temperatures. More importantly, the temperature monitoring data and the AdvanTex alarm systems have shown they do not freeze in extreme cold conditions. Adding insulation to the systems will only make a good situation better. When someone says it’s ridiculous that city would spend $40,000 on septic systems that don’t work - it is ridiculous. The City has too many processes, approvals, and safeguards to allow for that to happen. There have been no AdvanTex system failures. But that’s the rumor.
We would like to think it goes without saying that the City is not going to discontinue snow removal in Alpine Woods nor will they evict people who do not put AdvanTex systems on their property. The program is entirely voluntary and we meet with homeowners continuously throughout the process to make sure they get the best system for their needs and that fits into their lots. The City studied package treatment systems extensively and picked AdvanTex for a variety of good reasons, but other systems like the Garness Quanics system and the Lifewater Engineering systems are reasonable alternatives for residents. The City would happily reimburse any resident who chose a Quanics or any other reasonable treatment system. Mound systems, when they can fit in a lot, are also an acceptable alternative. We are installing 8 for Phase II and expect many more before the program is over. We are not forcing people to accept an AdvanTex system or move out of their homes. But that’s the rumor.
There are of course, many other damaging rumors floating around town and surfacing in surprising places and we will try and keep everyone abreast of the rumors and prove ourselves over and over again to the community, but at some point there is not enough time in the day. We invite you to really think about the next allegation you hear against the Septic Replacement Program and if it sounds outrageous and doesn’t make sense, it probably isn’t true. The simplest conclusion is usually the best. And if someone tells you there are evil gremlins plotting the demise of Alpine Woods in the Community and Economic Development office of City Hall, well, that probably isn’t true either although we certainly invite you to come and see. At least I hope it isn’t true. But that’s the rumor… :)
Before Phase I, several residents were using outhouses and neighbor’s bathrooms because their septic systems had failed completely. Some systems were leaking raw sewage onto people lawns and others were cesspools below the surface. The City cleaned these situations up, free of charge. Brand new septic tanks and secondary treatment pods were set up to clean up effluent. As an added precaution, UV light filters were installed to further disinfect effluent. As an additional added precaution, all new tanks were discharged into existing or brand new drainfields (neither precaution was a requirement from the DEC). How this situation, regardless of a person’s faith in an AdvanTex system, could be worse than raw sewage on the ground we can’t be sure. But that’s the rumor.
Installation was done late in the year at the end of a very rainy season last year. In our lessons learned meetings, the main thing everyone wanted to avoid was a fall / early winter install again. They were difficult and yards couldn’t be cleaned up before the snow flew. However, at each critical point during installation an inspection was conducted by a licensed engineer. These inspections were documented and photos of all installations were taken. The city has kept all the documentation and photos to back up that the systems were installed correctly despite the difficult construction conditions. Additionally, Mike Congel, the licensed maintenance man for the AdvanTex systems, did inspections and system start up check lists of his own to verify everything was working and installed correctly. Several installation sites do have some small remaining checklist items to take care of and Mike Congel will likely make some spring / summer time adjustments to the system when he does his annual septic system health check up, but by no means does that mean they are all falling apart. Anyone who would like to see how the systems were installed is welcome to take a look at our documentation and decide if they think 18 systems were installed wrong. It sounds hard to believe. But that’s the rumor.
A particularly disturbing and prevailing rumor is that some or all of the AdvanTex systems out there aren’t working properly or have failed. This is simply not true. All the systems have worked properly all winter long. There has been no raw sewage on the ground. None of them have backed up. The one instance we had in which a homeowner was without septic for a while was due to an old pipe collapse. This old pipe had nothing to do with the AdvanTex system and was hooked into to save damaging a well-liked tree. Along these lines, a point on which there is some confusion is whether or not cold temperatures mean the septics have failed. The Alaska Department of Environment Conservations (ADEC) has written several letters to Alpine Woods residents saying cold temperatures are not a surprise and the systems are still in compliance. The City has taken measures to insulate systems, both in Phase I and for the remaining phases. Furthermore, the temperature data is a small sample of systems reflecting the most extreme conditions in the neighborhood and one cold system does not mean they all have failed. It’s important to remember even running cold, these things are still running through a UV light for disinfection and they are still being pumped into drainfields where normal septic system treatment also takes place. Under no circumstances are they creating more of a health hazard then was already there by running colder than their optimum temperatures. More importantly, the temperature monitoring data and the AdvanTex alarm systems have shown they do not freeze in extreme cold conditions. Adding insulation to the systems will only make a good situation better. When someone says it’s ridiculous that city would spend $40,000 on septic systems that don’t work - it is ridiculous. The City has too many processes, approvals, and safeguards to allow for that to happen. There have been no AdvanTex system failures. But that’s the rumor.
We would like to think it goes without saying that the City is not going to discontinue snow removal in Alpine Woods nor will they evict people who do not put AdvanTex systems on their property. The program is entirely voluntary and we meet with homeowners continuously throughout the process to make sure they get the best system for their needs and that fits into their lots. The City studied package treatment systems extensively and picked AdvanTex for a variety of good reasons, but other systems like the Garness Quanics system and the Lifewater Engineering systems are reasonable alternatives for residents. The City would happily reimburse any resident who chose a Quanics or any other reasonable treatment system. Mound systems, when they can fit in a lot, are also an acceptable alternative. We are installing 8 for Phase II and expect many more before the program is over. We are not forcing people to accept an AdvanTex system or move out of their homes. But that’s the rumor.
There are of course, many other damaging rumors floating around town and surfacing in surprising places and we will try and keep everyone abreast of the rumors and prove ourselves over and over again to the community, but at some point there is not enough time in the day. We invite you to really think about the next allegation you hear against the Septic Replacement Program and if it sounds outrageous and doesn’t make sense, it probably isn’t true. The simplest conclusion is usually the best. And if someone tells you there are evil gremlins plotting the demise of Alpine Woods in the Community and Economic Development office of City Hall, well, that probably isn’t true either although we certainly invite you to come and see. At least I hope it isn’t true. But that’s the rumor… :)
Daily Details
Over the past several days Community Development has been ironing out details with King Bee Equipment, the contractor for the 8 mound systems and the contractor for finishing up Phase I installations. We have been told they will be down here as soon as they can fly their lead construction man in from Florida. Today we are meeting to finalize the hydro seeding requirements and the change order to add blueboard insulation to all the Phase I pods. Even though the results are very preliminary, the more recent temperature monitoring data suggests there may be a high correlation between pod temperature and ambient air temperature, meaning that there is significant heat exchange between the atmosphere and the pods. This means the blueboard insulation should really help keep pod temperatures higher in the winter. Just as a reminder to all remaining phases though, the City has ordered the new AdvanTex tanks to have spray foam insulation over 2/3rds of the system.
We have also been working on the effluent testing requested by the City Council. The DEC finally got a list of their requirements to us last Thursday and we forwarded them on to the independent lab we had contacted. We had not heard back from them as of yesterday but hopefully will make some progress with them today. In the mean time, we are struggling with the construction delay that was caused by the City Council halting the contract award. Several Phase II residents were counting on early summer installs which Community Development has been working toward since January of this year, and now we will need to write them all a letter explaining the delay. To complicate matters, several confirmed Phase II candidates had personal issues come up and have asked to be released from Phase II option 1. The City tries to be as accommodating as possible and the lawyers are still working through the details of what this means, but it may substantially change our contract with Rockwell Engineering even though it hasn’t been awarded yet (see how complicated the details can really get?). Our main hope is that we can work through an agreement that is fair for everyone involved without causing further delay to the remaining Phase II construction. Stay tuned for daily detail updates.
We have also been working on the effluent testing requested by the City Council. The DEC finally got a list of their requirements to us last Thursday and we forwarded them on to the independent lab we had contacted. We had not heard back from them as of yesterday but hopefully will make some progress with them today. In the mean time, we are struggling with the construction delay that was caused by the City Council halting the contract award. Several Phase II residents were counting on early summer installs which Community Development has been working toward since January of this year, and now we will need to write them all a letter explaining the delay. To complicate matters, several confirmed Phase II candidates had personal issues come up and have asked to be released from Phase II option 1. The City tries to be as accommodating as possible and the lawyers are still working through the details of what this means, but it may substantially change our contract with Rockwell Engineering even though it hasn’t been awarded yet (see how complicated the details can really get?). Our main hope is that we can work through an agreement that is fair for everyone involved without causing further delay to the remaining Phase II construction. Stay tuned for daily detail updates.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A Note On Our Projects History
Good Morning Savvy Septic Fans-
Welcome to the new Alpine Woods Septic Replacement Blog! Savvy Septics will be a great place to come and check out the everyday trials and tribulations of a project as large as this one, as well as to share in our accomplishments and triumphs. Feel free to respond to whatever we write with questions, comments and suggestions. The more open communication we have, the better the project runs.
Now for a quick overview of the past. Some time ago the DEC came down to Alpine Woods and was concerned about the status of the septic systems installed there. In 2006, the City hired an Anchorage-based engineering firm, HDR, to do an in depth study of the subdivision. They located all the wells and septics that they could and marked the locations with a GPS. They used a computerized mapping program (a GIS, or Geographic Information System) to measure the distances between wells, septic systems and surface water. They estimated the distances between septic systems and ground water using a groundwater level surface they created by averaging and interpreting monitoring well level measurements. When all was said and done, they created maps of all the lots they estimated had violations with DEC code.
There are 3 main septic violations by DEC Code
1. Horizontal distance from well to septic system is under 100 ft.
2. Horizontal distance from septic system to surface water is under 100 ft.
3. Vertical distance from septic system to ground water is under 4 ft.
Nearly all the lots had at least one DEC violation according to HDR. The City of Valdez and City Council felt it would be too difficult to sort through which violations the City may have had a hand in approving a long time ago and which ones the homeowners needed to fix themselves so, for the overall health and safety of the subdivision, they directed the City of Valdez to move forward with a program to replace all the septic systems.
The Community and Economic Development Department came up with a rough plan for subdivision wide septic replacement, attempting to identify the most unsafe septics and address them first, with each subsequent phase addressing the lesser and lesser violations. The engineering and permitting for the program was put out to Bid in the fall of 2007 and a Fairbanks-based engineering firm, Lanning Engineering, won the bid. They quickly went to work scoping out the problem.
By early summer of 2008, the City of Valdez, Lanning Engineering, and the newly formed Alpine Woods Oversight Group (AWOG) had met several times to discuss what the best options for the community would be. Guided by Lanning Engineering and the thoughtful input of the Oversight Group, the City chose the AdvanTex treatment systems as best option for Valdez not only because they had a proven track record in Anchorage and an impressive and sophisticated monitoring system, they also had a lower operating cost for the property owner. 20 properties were identified as good Phase I candidates for septic replacement.
After construction plans were finalized and everything had been submitted to the DEC for review and approval, the City decided to bid each lot individually to give local contractors a chance to do the installs. In August of 2008, only one local contractor bid, Alpine Construction, and he was awarded the 9 lots he submitted for. The summer had been very rainy and the fall proved no different. A little ways into the install Alpine Construction realized they were over committed and did not have all the necessary equipment to finish the job before winter. Alpine Construction called in King Bee Equipment, a contractor out of Fairbanks who also bid on the remaining contracts. King Bee took over installing several of Alpine Construction’s lots and began working on their own installs in September. By November, it was snowing and the ground was beginning to freeze. The site engineer, Sheldon Shaw, made sure all the septics were functioning but stopped any remaining installation. Putting topsoil and trying to grade it in November would not have been appropriate or effective. Phase I contracts were extended until June 30th, 2009, when topsoil, grass seeding, and other minor installation finishes could take place. In total, 17 AdvanTex treatment systems and 1 raised bed system were installed.
During the winter of 2008-2009, Phase I residents were allowed to comment on what they felt went good and what they felt needed improvement. The City also talked to the contractors, engineers, and electricians and put together a lessons learned document to guide them through the Phase II process.
Early in 2009, a rough draft of suitable candidates for Phase II was sent out to residents. Those residents who were available and interested enrolled and met with the City during March and early April to choose their septic system and approve its planned location. By April of 2009, construction documents had been prepared and installation plans were ready to be submitted to the DEC. 20 AdvanTex tanks were ordered from Anchorage tank, with an additional 8 mound systems planned. As of today, May 19th, 2009, the mound system contract has been awarded to King Bee construction. The lowest bidder on the AdvanTex system contracts, Rockwell Engineering, had the award tentatively postponed until the June 15th City Council meeting.
This summery is the bare bones of the project and does not include the many complicated and intricate details that occur daily throughout the replacement process, but hopefully this gives the readers a good idea of the background our Savvy Septics have. In the future blogs can be more detailed and address smaller issues. Thanks for finding us. Happy reading and posting!
Welcome to the new Alpine Woods Septic Replacement Blog! Savvy Septics will be a great place to come and check out the everyday trials and tribulations of a project as large as this one, as well as to share in our accomplishments and triumphs. Feel free to respond to whatever we write with questions, comments and suggestions. The more open communication we have, the better the project runs.
Now for a quick overview of the past. Some time ago the DEC came down to Alpine Woods and was concerned about the status of the septic systems installed there. In 2006, the City hired an Anchorage-based engineering firm, HDR, to do an in depth study of the subdivision. They located all the wells and septics that they could and marked the locations with a GPS. They used a computerized mapping program (a GIS, or Geographic Information System) to measure the distances between wells, septic systems and surface water. They estimated the distances between septic systems and ground water using a groundwater level surface they created by averaging and interpreting monitoring well level measurements. When all was said and done, they created maps of all the lots they estimated had violations with DEC code.
There are 3 main septic violations by DEC Code
1. Horizontal distance from well to septic system is under 100 ft.
2. Horizontal distance from septic system to surface water is under 100 ft.
3. Vertical distance from septic system to ground water is under 4 ft.
Nearly all the lots had at least one DEC violation according to HDR. The City of Valdez and City Council felt it would be too difficult to sort through which violations the City may have had a hand in approving a long time ago and which ones the homeowners needed to fix themselves so, for the overall health and safety of the subdivision, they directed the City of Valdez to move forward with a program to replace all the septic systems.
The Community and Economic Development Department came up with a rough plan for subdivision wide septic replacement, attempting to identify the most unsafe septics and address them first, with each subsequent phase addressing the lesser and lesser violations. The engineering and permitting for the program was put out to Bid in the fall of 2007 and a Fairbanks-based engineering firm, Lanning Engineering, won the bid. They quickly went to work scoping out the problem.
By early summer of 2008, the City of Valdez, Lanning Engineering, and the newly formed Alpine Woods Oversight Group (AWOG) had met several times to discuss what the best options for the community would be. Guided by Lanning Engineering and the thoughtful input of the Oversight Group, the City chose the AdvanTex treatment systems as best option for Valdez not only because they had a proven track record in Anchorage and an impressive and sophisticated monitoring system, they also had a lower operating cost for the property owner. 20 properties were identified as good Phase I candidates for septic replacement.
After construction plans were finalized and everything had been submitted to the DEC for review and approval, the City decided to bid each lot individually to give local contractors a chance to do the installs. In August of 2008, only one local contractor bid, Alpine Construction, and he was awarded the 9 lots he submitted for. The summer had been very rainy and the fall proved no different. A little ways into the install Alpine Construction realized they were over committed and did not have all the necessary equipment to finish the job before winter. Alpine Construction called in King Bee Equipment, a contractor out of Fairbanks who also bid on the remaining contracts. King Bee took over installing several of Alpine Construction’s lots and began working on their own installs in September. By November, it was snowing and the ground was beginning to freeze. The site engineer, Sheldon Shaw, made sure all the septics were functioning but stopped any remaining installation. Putting topsoil and trying to grade it in November would not have been appropriate or effective. Phase I contracts were extended until June 30th, 2009, when topsoil, grass seeding, and other minor installation finishes could take place. In total, 17 AdvanTex treatment systems and 1 raised bed system were installed.
During the winter of 2008-2009, Phase I residents were allowed to comment on what they felt went good and what they felt needed improvement. The City also talked to the contractors, engineers, and electricians and put together a lessons learned document to guide them through the Phase II process.
Early in 2009, a rough draft of suitable candidates for Phase II was sent out to residents. Those residents who were available and interested enrolled and met with the City during March and early April to choose their septic system and approve its planned location. By April of 2009, construction documents had been prepared and installation plans were ready to be submitted to the DEC. 20 AdvanTex tanks were ordered from Anchorage tank, with an additional 8 mound systems planned. As of today, May 19th, 2009, the mound system contract has been awarded to King Bee construction. The lowest bidder on the AdvanTex system contracts, Rockwell Engineering, had the award tentatively postponed until the June 15th City Council meeting.
This summery is the bare bones of the project and does not include the many complicated and intricate details that occur daily throughout the replacement process, but hopefully this gives the readers a good idea of the background our Savvy Septics have. In the future blogs can be more detailed and address smaller issues. Thanks for finding us. Happy reading and posting!
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