MEMORANDOM. Date: July 25, TOWN OF SEWALL S POINT COMMISSIONERS 1 S. Sewall s Point Road Sewall s Point, FL (772)

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1 301 N.W. Flagler Avenue Stuart, Florida (772) Fax: (772) MEMORANDOM Date: July 25, 2017 To: TOWN OF SEWALL S POINT COMMISSIONERS 1 S. Sewall s Point Road Sewall s Point, FL (772) From: Joseph W. Capra, P.E., Town Engineer CAPTEC ENGINEERING, INC. 301 NW Flagler Avenue Stuart, FL (772) RE: SEPTIC TO SEWER DISCUSSION In response to the recent Septic to Sewer discussions on how the Town should utilize the $500,000 State Appropriations for the Sewers in Town. Recommendation: After review of several Options; if the Town should accept the State Appropriations I would recommend the Town consider utilizing the funds for extending sewer lines across SRA1A into S. Sewall's Point to give all Town Property Owners the opportunity to connect to Martin County Utilities facilities. The $500,000 will extend across SRA1A, provide access to service to the Commercial properties, Town Hall and extend to just south of the Rio Vista Subdivision in South Sewall's Point. If the Town could apply for other grants or find other funding, this line would then be extended to the High Point Subdivision for an additional $350,000. Background Information Research/ Education of the Septic to Sewer Issues: 1. The Town Commission began this study after completing a Strategic Plan which plans to make major improvement to S. Sewall's Point Road in the next 2 3 years. This Town right of way is limited in size and located where a Sewer System should be placed in the future. If the Town where to extend sewers to S. Sewall's Point in the next 20 years, now would be the time. 2. The Education program included several key points: a. The Town heard about the Martin County Utilities study that reviewed 24 Communities within the County adjacent to the major water ways and ranked them based on several factors for conversion to septic to sewers. The Town ranked as the 12th Community to have Sewers extended. Currently, the County is working on about one community per year for extension. The County applied for grants on all communities, emphasizing the highest ranked communities

2 Page 2 of 5 Given the Town s need to pave S. Sewall's Point Road, this County Program would need to be expedited. The Town was successful in a portion of the grant funding that they requested for the State Legislation, hence the Town was awarded the $500,000 State Appropriation. b. The Town heard from other local communities in the area on how they have started a conversion of Septic to Sewers; The Town learned how Martin County Utilities utilizes a Special Assessment program to extending utility lines. They currently are utilizing a Vacuum Sewer program in the N. River Shores Subdivision which will require a Mandatory Assessment for the project. This is similar program Martin County Utilities will recommend for the Town. The Town also learned how the City of Stuart and City of Port St. Lucie utilize a Grinder System located at each property. Their Assessment are voluntary or when a septic tank system fails. The Town also heard how the City of Vero Beach, which utilizes a Step System, uses parts of the existing properties Septic System and transmits the sewerage to the regional treatment plant. Finally the Town heard about New Private Property Owner utilizing on site Septic Systems which treat sewage better than the current Septic Systems. The preference of the majority of the Town Commission has been to only consider a voluntary program. c. The Town heard different views on the environmental impacts of septic tanks on the St. Lucie Estuary and the Indian River Lagoon. We briefly considered a Study immediately adjacent to the Indian River Lagoon/St. Lucie Estuary to observe Town data on this issue. The Town currently has put this Study on "hold" based on recent Studies by the FDEP in the area. d. The Town has been provided maps, attachments that illustrate the location of Sewers in the Town. The areas north of SRA1A in N. Sewall's Point have active Sewers in the newer communities such as Castle Hill/Plantation/River Oaks and the Harbor Bay Plaza/Benihana's. There is a pressure sewer line in N. Sewall's Point Road which allows hook up to the adjacent Subdivisions and individual properties with Grinder Systems. Within the communities of Knowles and River Crest there are inactive dry sewers that will need inspection and pump stations to allow active service to each community. In South Sewall's Point (south side of SRA1A to High Point) all communities are on septic tanks, however 10 Communities have dry inactive sewer lines located in the road right of

3 Page 3 of 5 ways. These lines vary in age and will need inspection, pump stations and a pressure main in S. South Sewall s Point Road to become active. This proposed option gives the property owners, both commercial and residential, a pressure main to hook up to sewers. 3. Town Resident/Commercial property response in the public meetings: a. In the many meetings several residents expressed concern about: i. The total cost of the systems. The cost varies and the more people that participate in a system brings the cost down. The total system cost includes: a) sewer items located in the road right of way; and b) sewer service items located on the private property. Grants typically can be used on work within the Public Right of Way and the private property sewer items are typically paid by the private property owners. The County will offer a low interest 20 years finance package on the cost of these facilities within the Road Right of Way. ii. The need for the Town to hook up all residents. The low lying areas along the east side of both North and South Sewall's Point Roads are closer to the water table and both environmental experts expressed concern about these areas. The proposed sewer line in S. Sewall's Point Road will address these properties. iii. The true environmental impact the Town septic tanks have on the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Lucie Estuary (see #ii above). iv. The requirement for mandatory assessment and hook up from the Utility Department. The greater the cost of the initial investment, such as a Vacuum System, the greater potential for mandatory assessment. The County does not require mandatory hook up for the Vacuum System service. v. The requirement for mandatory hook up by the State Laws. The State Law does require hook up, if all the components to tie in to the system are in place. The placement of a sewer pressure main in a road right of way does not require hookup. If all items are in place (such as pressure lines, lift stations, vacuum lines, gravity lines) then hook up may be required. The Municipalities; like the City of Stuart and City of Port St. Lucie which utilizes the Grinder System usually require hook up if the properties septic tank system fails. b. The groups that have expressed hook up, however will need to follow the Martin County Special Assessment program if they intend to accept the finance package. 4. It is my understanding that the Knowles Subdivision residents have signed a petition to hookup by the 50% plus 1 of the residents. Currently, these residents have an option to hook up because they have the N. Sewall's Point Road pressure sewer main in front of the Subdivision. They also have dry inactive sewer mains. The County has reviewed the condition of these

4 Page 4 of 5 lines and they do need to be relined and services need to be replaced. In addition, their number of lots require them to install the larger lift station to meet the County requirements. All construction cost and contingencies/engineering cost put their cost at close to $700,000 for the work in the public right of way. This is very expensive; whereby a different type system, a system with more connections or the need to obtain more grants are a better option. The Town could utilize the grant for this Subdivision and get the price down for these +/ 30 properties. If the total State Appropriation was utilized in Knowles each property assessment would be about $7,000 per ERC. However, the intent expressed when pursuing the State Appropriation was to provide the availability of Sewer Service to more Town residents, would not be met. I would either recommend: a. Pursuing a separate grant to help the Knowles residents. At the current County estimate for service of $12,000 per household on a Vacuum System, the grant would need be for more than $330,000. b. Utilizing a portion of the State Appropriation for the Knowles Subdivision and a portion for crossing SRA1A to connect the Commercial/Town home parcels is also an option. 5. The Commercial properties on the south side of SRA1A have expressed in a Town meeting their interest in hooking into the Martin County Utilities Sewer System. This requires the sanitary sewer pressure main be extended across SRA1A and then to the Commercial/Town Hall properties and they would need to construct Grinder System to tie in this line crossing. The line across SRA1A would cost under $100,000. This line extension is included in the 2 nd paragraph of this memo. This option extends the pressure sewer main down S. Sewall's Point Road to as far as the Appropriation money will extend the lines. This option assumes the Commercial Property Owners/Town Hall pays for their own Grinder Systems and Pipes. 6. The State Appropriation $500,000 grant: The Town pursued 2 different grants for extending sewers to Town property owners. The original grants that the Town pursued, were not granted. The intent of the grant was to make sewers available to all 1000± Town properties. The State will expect us to make sewers available to as many property owners as possible. They also provide grants by economic benefit to the State. We believe the Commercial property conversions to sanitary sewers provides the economic benefit. Currently, the Town is getting information from the State on the Appropriation. The State will want our Contract in place by October We understand that there is no match and that the Town is given 2 years to complete the project. The Town will present to the State a Contract that will define what Town will provide as deliverables to obtain reimbursement for the Appropriations Funding. Partial funding reimbursement can be provided, if approved in the beginning of the project and in the contract.

5 Page 5 of 5 Typically, the Town would accept the funding and they could give the funding to a County project. This may be appropriate from the agreement on the partial payment of the Knowles/Commercial property projects. However, if the Town pursues the funding for South Sewall's Point Road pressure pipe line, the Town should design/construct these lines with the S. Sewall's Point Road roadway and drainage project. This will provide cost savings but also avoid complications with the warranty of the road/drainage and utility work. In conclusion, if the Town accepts the $500,000 State Appropriation for septic to sewer, I believe that the use of funding to extend lines across SRA1A and south along S. Sewall's Point would meet the intent grant/exposure to for most Residents and Commercial properties to the potential for sewer hook up. It also avoids the mandatory assessment process, does not impose a mandatory hook up and does not require the State Law on mandatory hook up. This program will assume that in future the local Subdivisions in Town will petition for sewer hook up. The line in S. Sewall's Point Road will be transferred to Martin County Utilities and they will set up special assessment programs as the neighborhoods initiate Septic to Sewer. As the Town initiates the use of Special Assessments with the County, Inter Local Agreements will be put in place between the Town and County. The Town can also help in future grant request to help the Communities lower their assessments. Please contact me if you should have any questions. JWC/gc P:\000\023\ Septic to Sewer\Memos\Sewer discussion doc

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