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10.3.16_NBWA.Summary.Pres.Final.PPt

Protect Your Home, Health and Environment

March 2010

The Problem, Privately-Owned Laterals. You Can Help Solve It!

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Our Program For Today

Background Information about laterals

The problem: privately-owned sewer laterals

What agencies are doing to solve the problem

Recommended solutions and actions

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Co-Sponsors of the Lateral Studies• Central Marin Sanitation Agency• Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District• North Marin Water District• Sausalito Marin City Sanitary District• Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin• Novato Sanitary District• San Rafael Sanitary District• Ross Valley Sanitary District• Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County• North Bay Watershed Association

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Storm Drains Are NOT Sanitary Sewers

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Storm Drains collect stormwater and runoff, then discharge it untreated into the Bay

Sanitary Sewers collect sewage, then deliver it to a treatment plant where it is cleaned, discharged into the Bay or recycled

Private Laterals connect a home or business to the sanitary sewers

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Lower Lateral

Overflow Prevention DeviceUpper Lateral

Collection Pipeline

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What a Private Lateral Is

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Laterals are a Concern• Laterals are the privately-owned

connections to the publicly-owned sewer pipelines

• Many are old and poorly maintained

• Roots enter breaks, then enter mainlines, causing blockages that can damage homes and the environment

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A root removed from a sewer pipeline. Similar but smaller roots can block and break laterals

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ABOUT HALF OF SEWER SPILLS ARE CAUSED BY LATERALS

Public Sewer Mains 950 miles

Private Sewer Laterals 817 miles

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Fats, Oils, Grease, Roots Cause SpillsBlockages occur in sewer mains and laterals

from roots, buildup of grease and other substances, causing backups and spills

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Inflow & Infiltration (I&I) Also Cause Spills

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Infiltration – Indirect flow of stormwater into a sanitary

sewer system at open joints and cracks

Inflow – direct flow of stormwater into a sanitary sewer system ..from downspouts, drains, yards, ,,parking lots and streets

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Inflow and Infiltration: Key to Lateral Problems

• Stormwater enters cracks and breaks in laterals, manholes and other places

• Wastewater volumes can increase 1000% or more

• Sewer pipeline and treatment systems become overloaded

• Sanitary sewer overflows result. They are prohibited and subject to fines

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Inflow & Infiltration Can Overwhelm Treatment Plants

Central Marin Sanitation Agency, Dec. 31, 2005. Massive inflow of stormwater through laterals and sewer pipes overflow the treatment plant

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Regulatory Hammer

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• East Bay Cities given limits on wastewater volume they discharge to treatment plant in 2009.

• Will require fixing lateral problem by a set deadline. Costs could be $2 billion!

• Similar requirements expected to be imposed everywhere in next 5 to 15 years

• Goal: develop our own cost-effective solutions—before we are forced to do it some other way

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Costly FinesExamples of Fines in the Past Year for Violations

Agency Fine

City of Pacifica $2,300,000

Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin $1,600,000

City of Carlsbad/ City of Vista $1,100,00

City of San Mateo $950,000

Town of Hillsborough $405,000

Santa Margarita Water District $133,000

City of Redding $83,000

Crystal Springs CSD $24,000

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Costly Lawsuits

In Addition to Regulatory Fines:– Clean Water Act allows third party lawsuits

– Expensive judgments and settlements have resulted from legal action by environmental groups

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Summarizing the Solution

We must decrease inflow and infiltration, stop sewer overflows and spills, to:

– Protect the environment

– Protect public health

– Comply with new regulations, avoid regulatory fines

– Avoid costly lawsuits

– Avoid heavy cleanup costs

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What Public Agencies Are Doing

1. Decrease I&I from public systems through an aggressive pipeline repair /rehabilitation program

2. Construct storage tanks and/or ponds to temporarily store high flows to treatment plants

3. Expand treatment plant capacity

4. Develop lateral programs for our area

Sanitary agencies are currently taking all these steps1604/18/23

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Sanitary Agencies Investing In Solutions• Developing options for requiring inspections and repair

of privately-owned sewer laterals and assisting property owners to carry those out

• Invested $200 million in pipelines, pumps, ponds and treatment facilities from 2001-07

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Public Agencies Can’t Do It AlonePast decisions were made using different

standards than today’s

– Cheaper to build larger treatment plants for high flows than to fix mains and laterals

– Blending and treating high stormwater flows was ok

– Decisions were made to leave laterals alone – the problem was considered too difficult

But with over $200 million being invested in public systems, it’s now time to deal with private laterals

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Public Agency Options for Assisting Private Property Owners Laterals are private NOT public property, complicating

public agency options for developing solutions• 12 approaches to solving lateral problems were studied

by members & technical consultant• Evaluated price, effectiveness and ownership (public

vs. private)• Four approaches were recommended for further

evaluation by the consultant

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12 Approaches Evaluated

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• Identify and eliminate inflow into public sewers and laterals

• Reduce Infiltration into Public Sewers

• Continue Status Quo- Private Ownership of Laterals

• Use incentives to reduce I/I Entering Laterals

• Mandatory Disclosure of Lateral Problems at time of Sale

• Public Rehab/Replacement of Lower Lateral during Public Sewer Rehab/Replacement Projects

• Mandatory Inspection and Repair/Rehab/Replacement when Lateral does not meet Agency Standards

• Public Ownership of Lower Lateral

• Public Ownership of Lateral (Upper and Lower)

• Add Storage Facilities for Peak Flows

• Increase Secondary Treatment Capacity

Click for Details

TechnicalSummary

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Four Approaches Recommended

1. Identify and eliminate inflow into public sewers and sewer service laterals

2. Use incentives to reduce inflow and infiltration entering sewer service laterals

3. Public rehabilitation/replacement of lower lateral during public rehab./replacement projects

4. Mandatory inspection, repair/rehabilitation/ replacement when sewer service lateral does not meet agency standards

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TechnicalSummary

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Private Lateral Inspection Program Elements

• Triggers for Inspection/Testing• Inspection and Testing Methods• Control Mechanism• Incentives and Affordability

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TechnicalSummary

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Potential Triggers for Inspection/Testing

• Sale of Property/Transfer of Title• Remodel above a threshold value• Change in Use• Change of Customer• Wastewater Agency Discretion

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In area with high I/I Smoke testing shows problem Inspection shows blockage or

problem Overflow causes a nuisance

Connection of additional living quarters or plumbing fixtures

Following lateral repair and replacement

TechnicalSummary

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Inspection &Testing Methods

• Closed-circuit TV Inspection (recommended)

• Low Pressure Air Test• Water Leakage Test

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TechnicalSummary

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Inspection and Testing MethodsRecommend Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program (PACP)

• National program with certificate issued by the National Association of Sewer Service Companies

– Includes standards for judging quality of lateral

– Plumber’s certificate requires about 1.5 days training, passing an exam and $750

– Ensures consistent judging of videos and demonstrates qualified plumbers

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TechnicalSummary

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Control Mechanism

• Agencies issue a certificate of compliance to property owner

-- duration is typically 10-20 years, depending on the nature of work completed

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TechnicalSummary

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Incentives and Affordability

• Lateral replacement costs typically range from $2,000 to $6,000

• To help property owners, agencies can consider: – Grants, – Low-interest loans, – Liens against property with reimbursement in future

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TechnicalSummary

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Incentives and Affordability cont.

• Additional incentives to defray property owners costs can include:– Agency lateral repair/replacement insurance– Agency administered master contracts for work at

discounted, guaranteed cost – lateral repair during mainline repair at property-

owner expense– lateral repair during mainline repair at agency

expense

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Next Steps

Review the problem and potential solutions with the public at local agency board meetings

Using public input and staff recommendations, agency boards will consider adopting local ordinances and programs to implement solutions

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TechnicalSummary

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Meanwhile, Here’s How You Can Help

Inspect your lateral

Maintain your sewer lateral: use a qualified plumber or contractor

Obtain a permit from your sanitary agency before making lateral repairs

Disconnect outdoor drains that go to sewer laterals

Participate and provide input as your local agency develops its solutions

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For More Information:Contact Your Local Agency or

www.SavRBay.org

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1 - 8 0 0 - S A V E - R - B A Y# Description Pros Cons1* Identify and Eliminate Inflow into Public Sewers

and Sewer Service LateralsEffective approach to reduce inflow portion of peak flows. Most effective when coupled with flow monitoring to identify areas with high levels of inflow.

Must repeat fieldwork periodically to maintain inflow at low levels. Requires notification to the public prior to testing. Some property owners will act to prevent discovery of prohibited connections. To be effective, requires repairs to public facilities and enforcement of corrective actions for private property.

2 Reduce Infiltration into Public Sewers Actions needed are within public agency authority.

Rehabilitation projects are expensive. Impacts associated with construction work.

3 Continue Status Quo - Private Ownership of Sewer Service Laterals

Inexpensive. Property owners act when lateral fails. Ineffective at reducing infiltration into sewer laterals.

4* Use Incentives to Reduce I/I Entering Sewer Service Laterals

Inexpensive. Voluntary nature of approach limits effectiveness. Voluntary repair/rehabilitation may not occur where needed.

5 Mandatory Disclosure of Sewer Service Lateral Problems at Time of Sale (includes upper and lower lateral)

Inexpensive Voluntary nature of approach limits effectiveness. Voluntary repair/rehabilitation may not occur where needed.

6* Public Rehabilitation/Replacement of Lower Lateral during Public Sewer Rehabilitation/Replacement Projects

Addresses all lower laterals over time.

Expensive – adds 50% to the cost of public sewer rehabilitation/replacement.

7 Public Rehabilitation/Replacement of Sewer Service Lateral during Public Sewer Rehabilitation/Replacement Projects

Very Effective Significantly more expensive that Approach #5.

8* Mandatory Inspection and Repair/Rehabilitation/Replacement when Sewer Service Lateral does not meet Agency Standards

Address all sewer laterals over time. Fair - cost of individual lateral paid by property owner.

Repair/rehabilitation may not occur where needed. Requires long time (25+ years) to address majority of laterals.

9 Public Ownership of Lower Lateral Partial solution - effective at reducing infiltration entering through lower lateral.

Partial solution – may increase infiltration entering through the upper lateral. Expensive.

10 Public Ownership of Sewer Service Lateral (includes upper and lower lateral)

Effective. Expensive.

11 Add Storage Facilities for Peak Flows Cost effective approach to reducing peak flows.

Difficult to site storage facilities. Public opposition to storage facilities. Potential for odors and vectors if not properly operated.

12 Increase Secondary Treatment Capacity Provides secondary treatment for all sewage within design criteria.

Requires space for additional treatment facilities. Expensive to construct. Expensive to operate. Increased energy use. Not feasible in all locations.

* Recommended elements for consideration in Marin County.33

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