Greetings Savvy Septic Readers. The City has been working on the draft effluent testing results for some time now and has a largely complete version ready for public consumption. We want to warn readers however, that the summary about the regulations from Origin Technical Services (OTS) is very technical. Unfortunately the issue that they speak to in their summary of the results cannot be easily condensed.
Click here for the November Effluent Testing Results.
Basically, when the City got the effluent testing results back we asked OTS to give us a summary stating which systems, if any, were not meeting ADEC standards and what the overall performance of the systems appeared to be to them. Their answer to us was there aren’t any well-defined ADEC standards to impose on our AdvanTex treatment systems. OTS has been working with the ADEC to get something in writing that will define those standards once and for all, but so far we have not reached that point. As soon as we get standards from ADEC in writing, we will share them with the Alpine Woods community as well as the larger Valdez area (these standards impact everyone). We are hopeful the standards will be available for the Septic Work Session with City Council that is still being scheduled. In the meantime, Anchorage Tank and the service provider Mike Congel continue to monitor these systems closely. Having instant feedback on how a septic system is working is a new process for everyone and we intend to work through it and learn together. The City will be testing all systems in late winter and then again in spring.
City Hall has been working hard on setting a date for the City Council work session involving an ACAT presentation of their concerns with the replacement program and suggestions for moving forward (we affectionately call it Septic Summit #2). It was originally scheduled for December but ACAT did not have enough time to put their presentation together and City Council did not want to have the meeting unless everyone was prepared and everyone could attend (that includes ADEC, Origin Technical Services, ACAT members, ACAT guests, Lanning Engineering and an Orenco systems engineer). So far we have not been able to find a date that suits everyone’s calendars. We will keep trying however, and will post the official date as soon as it is set.
Finally, Community and Economic Development is happy to announce the links to the installation pictures on the Phase I and Phase II pages of the septic replacement program website have finally been uploaded. For anyone who has ever tried to click on the photo link and been disappointed by the lack of a hotlink, today is the day to try again. We will be working on more things to add but if anyone would like to see something different or better on the City’s Alpine Woods website, please send us your suggestions. We love input! Hope everyone’s Holiday time was merry and warm. Stay tuned for more septic savvy updates.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Thursday, December 10, 2009
December 15th Special Meeting Postponed!
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!
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!
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.
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