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!