after the flush - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T12:05:44Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/after+the+flushAlong the Coast: Rising seas threaten wastewater systemshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-rising-seas-threaten-wastewater-systems2019-10-02T17:30:00.000Z2019-10-02T17:30:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960907065,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960907065,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960907065?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Related Story: Gulf Stream: Town wants to know <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/gulf-stream-town-wants-to-know-price-of-putting-in-sewers" target="_blank">price </a>of putting in sewers</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960907259,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960907259,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960907259?profile=original" /></a></strong><strong>Part Two:</strong> Old <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-old-septic-systems-are-entrenched-in-towns-but-fa" target="_blank">septic systems</a> are entrenched in towns but face claims they pollute | Ocean Ridge panel explores <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/ocean-ridge-panel-explores-options-for-town-wide-conversion-to-se" target="_blank">options</a> for town-wide conversion to sewer system | State requires small <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/ocean-ridge-state-requires-small-treatment-plants-to-get-regular-" target="_blank">treatment plants</a> to get regular oversight</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><strong>Part One:</strong> Cities <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-cities-rush-to-fix-aging-sewer-systems" target="_blank">rush to fix</a> aging sewer systems | How <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-how-sewage-flows" target="_blank">sewage</a> flows | Boca Raton's multi-year <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-boca-raton-s-multiyear-project-targets-older-unde" target="_blank">project targets</a> older underground pipes | Editor's Note: Sewage <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/editor-s-note-sewage-disposal-issues-leave-no-time-to-waste" target="_blank">disposal issues</a> leave no time to waste</span></span></p>
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<p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong></p>
<p>Sea level rise isn’t just coming, it’s already here. <br /> Sea levels in South Florida rose an average of 3 to 5 inches between 1992 and 2015, according to estimates from the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, and are expected to rise another 3 to 5 inches by 2030.<br /> The impact can be seen on coastal streets that flood during high or king tides and on beaches where storms like Hurricane Dorian eroded the sand and pushed the ocean closer and closer to the dune line.<br /> “Seasonal high tides are already higher than they’ve been in the past,” says Rebecca Harvey, Boynton Beach’s sustainability coordinator and the steering committee coordinator for the Coastal Resilience Partnership, which includes eight coastal south Palm Beach County communities. <br /> What most of us won’t see is the impact sea level rise is having underground. There, aging centralized sewage treatment systems and older septic systems — some dating back to the 1960s — are interacting with rising groundwater. <br /> For centralized sewage treatment systems, rising groundwater brought on by sea level rise will mean the potential for groundwater and stormwater to enter into pipes, forcing the systems to treat more water than planned. That could overwhelm the capacity of treatment plants and is likely to increase the cost of treatment, which would be passed on to users of the system. <br /> “It costs more money to treat, which means everyone pays more,” said Colin Groff, Boynton Beach’s assistant city manager for public services. <br /> Already municipalities are preparing for rising groundwater by lining pipes and enhancing lift stations to make them less susceptible to rising water levels. <br /> Sea level rise and the interaction between septic systems and rising groundwater is even more problematic. <br /> Simply put, sea level rise reduces the area of unsaturated soil between the bottom of a septic system’s drain field and the groundwater. That means there is less soil for the sewage effluent to percolate through. With reduced percolation, more nutrients — and more fecal coliform bacteria — can make their way into groundwater. <br /> “During times of elevated groundwater levels, septic systems cannot function as designed,” concluded a report produced by Miami-Dade County and released in November. “Improperly functioning septic systems can pose an immediate public health risk. There are also many financial and environmental risks, including contamination of the freshwater aquifer, which is the community’s sole source of potable water.” <br /> People who study climate change say municipalities can take steps to mitigate the problems. Although those steps vary greatly for centralized systems versus on-site treatment systems — septic tanks and package plants — they have a common denominator. <br /> All cost money, and that might not always be easy to come by — in part because what’s underground is not always top of mind. <br /> “If people aren’t seeing the impact, they may be less willing to pay for the infrastructure that’s necessary,” said Katie Hagemann, Miami-Dade County’s resilience program manager for adaptation and one of the contributors to the report. <br /> Miami-Dade, perhaps ground zero for sea level rise in Florida if not the country, is focusing on reducing the number of parcels with septic systems — estimated at more than 105,000.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960907463,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960907463,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960907463?profile=original" /></a><em>In preparation for sea level rise, municipalities can take a lift station such as this one and raise it more above ground, protecting the electrical panel inside the dark box from water damage. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Sea level rise and centralized systems</strong></span><br /> With groundwater levels increasing as a result of sea level rise, municipalities in south Palm Beach County are taking steps to keep their systems operating efficiently. <br /> Among the challenges facing centralized systems is the possibility of water from the outside entering into the pipes through ways known as inflow and infiltration. <br /> Although pipes in utility systems are often already immersed, increased groundwater can put additional pressure on gravity lines and that can result in more water entering the system through cracks or ruptures, Groff said.<br /> That infiltration could result in hundreds of thousands of gallons of water that doesn’t need to be treated entering the system every day. That would mean pumps having to operate more frequently to push water through sewage systems and centralized plants having to do unnecessary treatment that would stress their capacity.<br /> “If you don’t deal with it at the source, it can create a domino effect,” says Chris Helfrich, director of utility services for Boca Raton. <br /> To prevent intrusion, some local municipalities are lining older pipes with a thin epoxy-infused fabric that expands and hardens into a rigid liner. <br /> Another issue facing centralized systems is the inflow of stormwater from the surface through manholes. As streets flood during heavy storms or king tides, water can seep into gravity lines through holes in manhole covers. Those holes are necessary in most cases to allow gases from the lines to escape. <br /> In an effort to minimize inflow, some municipalities such as Boca Raton add a bowl-like device into the manhole to catch stormwater. <br /> Local utility systems are also taking steps to prevent water from entering lift stations by raising the concrete tops and electrical panels higher above ground. <br /> The cost to do both is minimal, Helfrich said.<br /> Although it’s possible for rising groundwater to push pump stations up, buoyance issues aren’t common, Helfrich said, in part because water in the wet wells of the stations adds weight.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Sea level rise and on-site treatment systems</strong></span><br /> Sea level rise, at some point, likely will have an impact on how well many of the 50,000-plus septic systems in Palm Beach County work, especially those closest to the ocean. <br /> “On the barrier island there could be a big problem with on-site systems, whether septic systems or package plants, because it doesn’t take much for them to be under water,” Groff said. <br /> In conventional septic systems, effluent from tanks enters into a drain field and then percolates through soil where many of the nutrients, such as nitrogen, as well as fecal coliform bacteria, are removed naturally before the effluent reaches the groundwater. <br /> Florida requires that the layer of unsaturated soil — the area between the bottom of the drain field and the top of the water table — be 24 inches deep. As groundwater rises, however, according to the Miami-Dade County report, that layer of soil may no longer meet the depth requirement in many parts of Miami-Dade. <br /> The report best explains how rising sea levels will affect that process and cause septic systems to malfunction.<br /> “Because much of the treatment of wastewater relies upon the unsaturated soil below the drain field, treatment and disposal are less effective as more of the soil becomes permanently saturated with rising groundwater resulting from sea level rise,” the report says. “A higher groundwater table reduces the volume of soil available to treat and dispose of the wastewater, which increases the likelihood of failure and contamination.”<br /> One of the challenges with septic systems is that failure is not always easy to detect. Toilets will still flush and homeowners will be unaware that groundwater levels are too high to ensure effluent is effectively treated. In some cases, if groundwater levels are extremely high, residents may notice squishy wet spots on their lawns. <br /> “If you can’t see it, chances are you don’t know it’s happening,” said state Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, whose district includes parts of coastal Palm Beach County. <br /> Researchers who put together the Miami-Dade County report, which was sparked by a request from a county commissioner and is one of the few comprehensive reports examining sea level rise and septic systems, estimate that more than half of the septic systems in that county are periodically compromised during storms or wet years. <br /> That number is expected to rise from 56% now to about 64% by 2040, according to the report. <br /> While drinking water provided by public utilities is not threatened by failed or compromised septic systems because of the disinfectant process, well water can easily be contaminated.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960907095,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960907095,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960907095?profile=original" /></a><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Preparing for sea level rise</strong></span><br /> Throughout South Florida local governments are preparing their centralized systems for sea level rise. Most municipalities are using the latest technology to examine sewer pipes to make sure they haven’t been damaged by tree roots, corrosion or age.<br /> In south Palm Beach County, municipalities formed the Coastal Resilience Partnership and received grants to help cover the cost of a comprehensive climate change vulnerability assessment. The eight area governments that have signed an agreement to pay for the cost of the study are Boca Raton, Highland Beach, Delray Beach, Ocean Ridge, Boynton Beach, Lantana, Lake Worth Beach and Palm Beach County.<br /> While most communities are being proactive, they still face challenges — one of the biggest being the expense of preparing for an event with a timeline that is difficult to identify.<br /> “There’s a need to work before we see the impacts and we’re not able to predict how soon those impacts will come,” Hagemann said. <br /> In fact, the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact — a collaboration including representatives from Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties — is in the process of updating projections on how soon seas will reach certain levels.<br /> One factor to consider in doing those calculations could be the increasing prevalence of strong tropical systems approaching the coast.<br /> A recent study conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concludes that sea level rise combined with tropical storms could create even greater problems for septic and sewer systems because the two together will push more water into coastal areas than either one would individually.<br /> In Miami-Dade, conversion from septic to centralized sewer is perhaps the most viable option, and the county is looking at how to pay for it and where to begin.<br /> In Ocean Ridge, where residents depend on septic systems and package plants, a Septic to Sewer Citizens Advisory Committee is looking at the feasibility of converting to a centralized system. <br /> “It is obvious that action must be taken to protect our environment and quality of life in Ocean Ridge, but what action?” asked Vice Mayor Don MaGruder, who has been attending meetings of the coastal resiliency partnership.<br /> In Gulf Stream, town leaders are asking their engineering consultant to look into the feasibility of septic-to-sewer conversion. <br /> Caruso, who earlier this year sponsored an unsuccessful bill calling for periodic inspection of septic tanks, says the time for action is now. <br /> “We need to rethink our infrastructure and make accommodations for sea level rise,” he said. “It’s expensive — but we can’t ignore it.”</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:18pt;"><strong>More on sea level rise</strong></span><br /> The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has an interactive website that lets you find a specific location and then allows you to see models of potential sea level rise.<br /> <a href="https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/slr.html">https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/slr.html</a></p></div>Along the Coast: Old septic systems are entrenched in towns but face claims they pollutehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-old-septic-systems-are-entrenched-in-towns-but-fa2019-09-05T14:00:00.000Z2019-09-05T14:00:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960897085,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960897085,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960897085?profile=original" /></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960897455,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960897455,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960897455?profile=original" /></a><strong>Part Three:</strong> <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-rising-seas-threaten-wastewater-systems" target="_blank">Rising seas</a><strong> </strong>threaten wastewater systems <strong>|</strong> Gulf Stream: Town wants to know <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/gulf-stream-town-wants-to-know-price-of-putting-in-sewers" target="_blank">price</a> of putting in sewers</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><strong>Part One:</strong> Cities <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-cities-rush-to-fix-aging-sewer-systems" target="_blank">rush to fix</a> aging sewer systems | How <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-how-sewage-flows" target="_blank">sewage</a> flows | Boca Raton's multi-year <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-boca-raton-s-multiyear-project-targets-older-unde" target="_blank">project targets</a> older underground pipes | Editor's Note: Sewage <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/editor-s-note-sewage-disposal-issues-leave-no-time-to-waste" target="_blank">disposal issues</a> leave no time to waste</span></span></p>
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<p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong></p>
<p>When it comes to sewage treatment in Florida, septic systems get no respect. <br /> One of the most basic forms of treating sewage, septic systems have long been used in Florida, with estimates of close to 2.8 million systems statewide and more than 50,000 in Palm Beach County alone. <br /> In the coastal areas of South Palm Beach County, septic systems are common and used by the majority of single-family homes in Ocean Ridge, Manalapan and Gulf Stream.<br /> As populations, especially in urban areas, continue to grow, conventional septic systems are coming under fire from environmental advocates and others who say that nutrients found in water coming from septic tanks and going into the ground are creating ecological issues at an increasing rate. <br /> “Septic systems leach into the ground water and surface water,” says state Rep. Mike Caruso of Delray Beach, whose district includes much of the barrier island in South Palm Beach County. “We’re creating the perfect environment for blue green algae growth.” <br /> Caruso, a Republican, is so concerned that he teamed with Rep. Will Robinson, R-Bradenton, to introduce legislation last session that would have required routine inspections of septic tanks. The legislation died in committee. <br /> “We can’t continue the way we are,” Caruso said. <br /> In fact, science and technology have helped make septic systems more environmentally friendly for decades. <br /> “Septic systems get a bad rap because what we think about are conventional systems,” said Roxanne Groover, executive director of the Florida Onsite Wastewater Association. “We have gotten a lot better because people are working together to reach higher standards.”<br /> Advanced systems have been developed to help reduce nutrients — including nitrogen and phosphorus — in the effluent coming out of septic systems. “We’re smarter now,” Groover said. “As we get smarter, we get more responsible.”</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Impact on coastal waters</strong></span><br /> Still, older conventional systems are likely to be the most common in South Florida, and the often nutrient-rich effluent coming from those systems is having an impact on the marine environment, said Dr. Brian Lapointe, a research professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. <br /> “We’re increasingly seeing problems in coastal waters that are the result of nutrient enrichment from human activity,” he said. “Sewage can be a major contributor to nutrient pollution.”<br /> Both leaky municipal sewage systems and septic systems contribute to algae growth. <br /> In the case of septic systems, effluent percolates through the soil and makes its way into groundwater, which then goes into canals. Water that is rich in nutrients, especially nitrogen, can feed the growth of blue green algae in waterways. It can also reach the ocean and feed the growth of red tides and brown seaweed, Lapointe said. <br /> There was a small blue green algae bloom in the Lake Worth Lagoon in 2016, and a brief flare-up of red tide occurred along much of the South Florida coast in 2018. <br /> In a 2008 study reported in a paper produced by University of Florida IFAS Extension, researchers found that almost 40 percent of the state’s septic systems were located in coastal areas. Sandy soil in those areas allows for “rapid transport of contaminants into the groundwater,” especially during the rainy season when the water table is high.<br /> “Everybody has been led to believe that all the nutrients are coming from farms,” Lapointe said. “There is more than 21/2 times more nitrogen from sewage than from fertilizer going in the groundwater and feeding algae blooms.” <br /> Although the scientific community agrees that nitrogen feeds algae blooms, skeptics question whether sewage is the primary source.<br /> In addition to nutrients, conventional septic systems could be a source of fecal coliform bacteria getting into groundwater and estuaries, said Lapointe, who was the lead scientist on a fecal bacteria study in the mid-1990s at Jupiter Creek. The study, funded by the Loxahatchee River District, led to the conversion from septic to sewer in that area. <br /> Another study in an area near Florida’s Suwannee River, conducted for the Florida Department of Health and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration several years ago, found a significant reduction in fecal coliform bacteria in canals leading to the river once a regional treatment plant, which replaced onsite treatment systems, was built and operated. In the river, however, no significant reduction of fecal coliform was found.<br /> Lapointe said there is evidence that fecal coliform bacteria is reaching coastal waters and the ocean, especially during periods of heavy rain when salinity — which the bacteria don’t like — is reduced.<br /> Still, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County said there is no link between beach closings and bacteria from septic systems that the department is aware of. <br /> One of the challenges for people hoping to gauge the impact of nutrients and fecal bacteria from septic systems is that there is really no routine testing of effluent coming from conventional systems. Advanced systems, however, do often require additional oversight, including annual inspections.<br /> “Testing for nitrogen, fecal coliform and other components is only done during special research projects, such as research projects performed by department staff, contractors for the department, or other researchers,” a spokesman from the Florida Department of Health wrote in an email.<br /> There are special circumstances where water samples are required by the department of health and there are annual inspections required for commercial uses and in special cases. Routinely, however, the department inspects only the construction of new systems, existing system modifications and repairs and tank abandonment.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Two types of systems</strong></span><br /> While septic systems are often painted with the same broad brush, the Florida Onsite Wastewater Association’s Groover says that not all systems are the same and that many variables can determine the quality of effluent from those systems. <br /> Essentially there are two types of septic systems, the conventional anaerobic system and the more advanced aerobic treatment system. <br /> In the conventional system, wastewater from a home flows into a buried septic tank. In the tank, solids settle to the bottom. Bacteria that thrive without oxygen — anaerobic bacteria — inside the tank get to work on organic material in the liquid, breaking it down and producing the effluent. <br /> The effluent then leaves the tank and is dispersed through pipes into a drain field. It then continues to percolate through a thin layer of bacteria that digest some of the excess nutrients as well as fecal coliform bacteria and viruses. <br /> More advanced septic systems use oxygen to break down the organic matter in the tank. In these aerobic treatment units, wastewater from the home enters a tank where solids fall to the bottom. The remaining wastewater flows into a separate treatment unit where oxygen is added through an aerator. Strengthened by the oxygen, the aerobic bacteria break down the organic material faster and more effectively than in a conventional tank. <br /> These systems are also more effective in removing nutrients, such as nitrogen, than are traditional systems because the effluent has less organic material. Different types of aerobic treatment systems are designed to meet even higher standards, with some using additional processes. <br /> A homeowner who has an aerobic treatment system must get an operating permit from the state and have a maintenance contract with an approved company. In some cases, homeowners can be trained to do their own maintenance. <br /> Aerobic treatment units are usually required of new-home builders who want to reduce the footprint of the system drain field, need a reduced setback, or want to build a larger home than the lot size would otherwise be allowed to support. Lab samples are required in these instances. <br /> Aerobic treatment systems are more expensive than traditional systems. People in the business estimate the cost to be twice as much, somewhere around $10,000 for products and installation. Costs vary depending on the system. <br /> How well a conventional septic system works depends on variables ranging from the size of the property to the size of the home and the number of people living in it. Rural areas, where homes are spread far apart, may be better-suited for traditional septic systems than urban areas, especially those near water, where it’s important to make sure that the system is working properly. <br /> Age is also a factor, with older systems more likely to fail because of leaks in the septic tank or an aging drain field no longer allowing effluent to percolate through the soil. <br /> “Just because you can flush, doesn’t mean your system is working and just because it’s working, doesn’t mean it’s treating properly,” Groover said.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Mandate from the state</strong></span><br /> There are no state mandates for communities in Palm Beach County to use advanced aerobic systems with every new septic installation or to convert to centralized sewage treatment systems. <br /> The state Legislature did, however, impose a mandate on the Florida Keys in 1999 — when every part of the Keys was required to have advanced wastewater treatment or the best available technology installed within 11 years. Septic tanks and cesspits were no longer acceptable. <br /> The result was a series of regional plants as well as some municipal plants at a cost of about $1 billion. <br /> For the Keys, the mandate was as much about economics as the environment. With a tourist-based economy, improving near-shore water quality was essential. <br /> To fund the project, the Keys looked to the federal government and the state, which both helped — though not as much as had been promised. Monroe County also used an infrastructure sales tax, in addition to assessments, to help cover the costs. <br /> “It was absolutely the right thing to do,” said Kevin Wilson, an assistant Monroe County administrator. “It’s hard and expensive but it can be done. It just takes commitment and persistence.”<br /> In a few other scattered areas of the state, homeowners are required to use advanced systems when replacing or installing new septic systems. <br /> Groover says that she and her association are not averse to reasonable mandates, but says they need to be tailored to individual situations. <br /> “One size doesn’t fit all,” she said. “You have to assess the needs of each community.” <br /> Caruso, the state representative, says he believes there could be a statewide mandate within 10 years that could affect South Florida coastal communities. If so, he says, it would most likely have to be phased in over several years. <br /> Standing in the way, however, could be a lack of political will, with legislators reluctant to pass bills that will financially burden their constituents and communities. <br /> That reluctance, Caruso says, is why the septic tank inspection bill went nowhere. Still, he says, he plans to introduce the legislation again next session. <br /> “We should no longer sit back and ignore science,” he said. “We as individuals can’t fix the sugar industry, we can’t fix the dairy industry and we can’t fix Lake Okeechobee. What we can fix is what’s in our own backyards.”</p></div>Along the Coast: Cities rush to fix aging sewer systemshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-cities-rush-to-fix-aging-sewer-systems2019-07-31T17:30:00.000Z2019-07-31T17:30:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:18pt;"><em>Health, environmental and cost concerns loom</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960885464,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960885464,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960885464?profile=original" /></a>Doug Levine, manager of the South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment plant, checks on one of the trio of million-gallon secondary clarifier tanks where solids are removed from sewage. About 17 million gallons are treated each day at the plant, which is undergoing a multiyear upgrade. <strong>Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><em><strong>Related Stories:</strong> Cities <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-cities-rush-to-fix-aging-sewer-systems" target="_blank">rush to fix</a> aging sewer systems | How <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-how-sewage-flows" target="_blank">sewage</a> flows | Boca Raton's multi-year <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-boca-raton-s-multiyear-project-targets-older-unde" target="_blank">project targets</a> older underground pipes | Editor's Note: Sewage <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/editor-s-note-sewage-disposal-issues-leave-no-time-to-waste" target="_blank">disposal issues</a> leave no time to waste</em></p>
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<p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong></p>
<p>We live in a flush and forget world.<br /> Most of us don’t fully understand what happens when we flush our toilets, or send gallons of water down the drain while taking a shower, doing laundry or washing dishes.<br /> Yet at a time when our sewer lines are aging and our septic systems are being blamed for everything from algae blooms to illness, ignoring what is under our roads and yards may no longer be an option. <br /> “You can’t just put something in the ground and expect it to last indefinitely,” says Jason Pugsley, vice president of Florida operations for Baxter & Woodman, an engineering firm that works with several municipalities in Palm Beach County. “Our infrastructure in Palm Beach County is getting to the point where we need to consider either replacing it or significantly improving the systems.” <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960885296,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960885296,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960885296?profile=original" /></a>There is a huge cost associated with replacing or improving traditional sewage-collection systems — largely coming out of the wallets of water and sewer customers. <br /> There is also a significant cost to the environment, to health and to other existing infrastructure that comes with not acting now and recognizing that some types of buried pipes — though not all — are close to the end of their life expectancy.<br /> While we often hear about water service failures, such as the one in Fort Lauderdale last month that affected about 220,000 people, we hardly ever learn about sewer line problems. <br /> For example, through mid-July this year, 67 spills in Palm Beach County were reported to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which keeps records of such incidents. <br /> They ranged from a spill of 100 gallons from a broken main in Boca Raton in April to a spill of 2,500 gallons of raw sewage just last month in Delray Beach. That spill, due to a sewer line blockage caused by grease buildup, led to sewage flowing into a parking lot near Veterans Park and into a storm-drain system leading to the Intracoastal Waterway. <br /> A barrier that had been previously installed by a contractor at a nearby project contained 90 percent of the discharge before it got into the waterway, according to the city.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960885677,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960885677,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="550" alt="7960885677?profile=original" /></a><em>ABOVE: A pair of 36-inch pipes, one from Delray Beach and the other from Boynton Beach, flow into the South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Plant. BELOW: Two screen devices remove non-biodegradable items from the sewage before it is treated. Toys, jewelry and even rolls of cash have been recovered from the flow.</em></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960886058,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960886058,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="500" alt="7960886058?profile=original" /></a><br /> Blockages are just one reason sewage lines can fail, according to local utility directors. Another is corrosion, caused often by the buildup of gases inside the lines, and yet a third — perhaps the most common — are accidental ruptures caused by work crews. <br /> Weather can also play a role in system failures, with heavy rains shifting the ground on which lines rest and causing separation at the joints.<br /> Age doesn’t always equate to system failures. A big factor is the material used to produce the pipe and whether that material is right for the environment the pipe is in. <br /> Improper installation can also be an issue.<br /> “If a pipe is really old and installed correctly, it can last a long time,” said Brent Whitfield, District 1 vice president of the Florida Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Failure has many impacts</strong></span><br /> When sewer lines do fail, the impact can be widespread and problematic. Raw sewage, in extreme cases, can seep into homes, wash out or flood roads and flood waterways. It also can attract mosquitoes and other unwelcome pests. <br /> Then there’s the indirect impact. Boca Raton Utility Services Director Chris Helfrich recalls being in a Broward County restaurant on Christmas Eve years ago when a sewer-line break forced the restaurant to close — not because of sewage but because utilities will often shut off water service when there’s a sewage failure to stem the flow. <br /> There are also health and environmental concerns that come from raw sewage leaks.<br /> “Sewage can be one of the major contributors to nutrient pollution problems,” says Dr. Brian Lapointe, a research professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. Sewage, he says, is a big contributor of nitrogen, which is a factor in the growth of algae as well as the seaweed that invades the beaches. <br /> Earlier this year Lapointe presented to the Florida Senate Agriculture, Environment and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee research linking septic systems and algae blooms. But he also points out that sewage leaking from failing lines can seep into groundwater and create environmental and health problems due to fecal bacteria and viruses. <br /> Then there are the costs associated with spills — not just of the cleanup but of the work that’s done to keep failures from happening in the first place. <br /> In southern Palm Beach County, communities are allocating millions of dollars in their 2019-2020 budgets to evaluate the condition of their sewage collection systems and making improvements. <br /> “Our City Commission has made it very clear that infrastructure is a top priority,” said Delray Beach Assistant City Manager Caryn Gardner-Young.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Plan rather than react</strong></span><br /> For those responsible for municipal wastewater treatment systems, the possibility of a major failure or an undetected leak is what keeps them up at night. It’s also what keeps them planning ahead to ensure their systems are structurally sound and properly maintained. <br /> “You never stop your diagnosis,” Gardner-Young said. <br /> Boca Raton’s Helfrich says that the focus is on preempting problems rather than reacting to a crisis. <br /> “Let’s not get into a catastrophic failure,” he said. “Let’s plan, be preventative and be proactive.” <br /> In addition to closely evaluating the integrity of the lines, utility departments keep a close eye on lift stations, which pump sewage through the pipes. Lift station failures, often caused by power outages especially after a storm or hurricane, can also cause spills, but technology is making it possible for operators to monitor stations remotely and respond to disruptions.<br /> Like most cities, Boca Raton is always monitoring its 550 miles of wastewater infrastructure, making sure the lines are properly maintained and keeping an eye on potential trouble spots. Now, with aging pipes in certain sections of town, the city is sinking $20 million into infrastructure improvement in the coming year; it will include roads, sidewalks, water lines and sewer lines. <br /> In Boynton Beach, where the utility serves 115,000 customers in a area that includes about 450 miles of wastewater pipes and extends outside the city limits, $6 million is earmarked in the city’s proposed budget for renewal and replacement of the system. The utility also recently completed improvements to the wastewater system in the Leisureville community.<br /> Delray Beach, which has about 275 miles of wastewater lines, has close to $10 million tentatively allocated for sewer improvements in the coming fiscal year. <br /> Projects are also underway in some of the smaller coastal towns. In South Palm Beach, for example, the town is undergoing a lining of the sewer pipes, with the cost expected to be somewhere between $225,000 and $250,000. <br /> Highland Beach, which has some aging clay pipes, is evaluating the infrastructure and looking at the possibility of using a lining system on gravity pipes, similar to those used in South Palm Beach and Leisureville. <br /> Lantana is allocating about $150,000 in next year’s budget for lining of pipes. <br /> In most cases, lining old non-pressurized pipes is an effective and cost-efficient alternative to replacing those lines. <br /> “When you line pipes, you save money,” says Colin Groff, Boynton Beach’s assistant city manager for public services.<br /> One of the most ambitious upgrading projects in the area is taking place at the South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Plant, which treats about 17 million gallons of sewage a day from Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Highland Beach. The plant is located on South Congress Avenue at the Delray and Boynton Beach border.<br /> The raw sewage pumped into the plant is first screened for foreign objects — think toys and jewelry — and then filtered to get out grit and sand. Then the sewage is treated with a process using natural bacteria before solids and liquids are separated. Treated wastewater from the plant is either used as reclaimed water — often for irrigation — or injected into a deep well. <br /> Work on the 40-year-old plant began last year and will continue for another two years. It is focused on replacing aging equipment and systems, helping the plant operate more energy-efficiently and adding about 6 million gallons per day of capacity through these improvements. <br /> Funding for the $20 million project — and for just about all of the projects in the area currently planned or in the works — comes not from taxpayer dollars but from user fees. <br /> Utility customers in most communities with central sewage collection systems pay for basic infrastructure costs such as pipes and upgrades in the base rate in their monthly utility bills. They pay for the cost of treating wastewater in the portion of their bills based on consumption. <br /> “All customers pay this part of the rate based on how much they use,” Groff said.<br /> New customers pay an additional fee to connect to the utility.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>It’s an ideal time to do work</strong></span><br /> So why are all of these system evaluation and improvements happening now? <br /> The economy may play a role, say those in the industry, including Boca Raton’s Helfrich. During the Great Recession, many municipalities saw less money coming in as a result of foreclosures and a slowdown in building. With the economy improving and new users coming online as a result of a building boom, enterprise funds are growing. <br /> Another factor may be the improvements in technology that make it easier for utilities to determine the condition of pipes without having to dig them up. <br /> In Boynton Beach and several other communities in the area, a motorized camera inside a segment of pipeline can record a 360-degree view. Geographic information system (GIS) mapping technology is also helping utilities get a better understanding of what is underground.<br /> Then there’s the lining system that towns and cities are using on pipes that are generally not under pressure. <br /> “The lining process consists of inserting an epoxy-infused fabric into the pipe segment where it is expanded, by use of steam,” says Joseph Paterniti, Boynton Beach’s utilities director. The material, which is just millimeters thick, then sticks to the pipe and hardens to a rigid liner. <br /> Perhaps the biggest reason for the focus on evaluating the condition of systems and plants is the fact that infrastructure is aging. <br /> Although some types of pipes — such as ductile iron — can last for a century or more, pipes made years ago with materials including cast iron, asbestos cement and vitrified clay don’t hold up to time as well. <br /> “Infrastructure is aging and all the pipes that are clay will have to be replaced or lined,” the society of civil engineers’ Whitfield said. <br /> With many of those pipes installed in the late 1960s or early 1970s, there is a strong belief it’s time to make sure they’re holding up or are ready to be hauled out.<br /> “Once you get to the 50-year mark you should do a comprehensive review or overhaul the system,” Baxter & Woodman’s Pugsley said.</p>
<p><br /> <strong>Next month:</strong> A look at septic systems in coastal communities.</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:18pt;"><em>How our cities, towns dispose of wastewater</em></span></p>
<p><strong>Boca Raton</strong> — Sewage from the barrier island crosses under the Intracoastal Waterway in two pipes and is treated at the city’s treatment plant.<br /> <strong>Highland Beach</strong> — Wastewater is pumped to Delray Beach and treated at the South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Plant.<br /> <strong>Delray Beach</strong> — Wastewater from east of the Intracoastal Waterway is taken to the regional treatment plant via a single pipe across the waterway.<br /> <strong>Gulf Stream</strong> — Many homes have septic systems, but some wastewater from multifamily communities is pumped to Boynton Beach, then onto the treatment facility. <br /> <strong>Briny Breezes/St. Andrews Club</strong> — Sewage is pumped to Boynton Beach via one pipe under the Intracoastal Waterway, then onto the treatment facility. <br /> <strong>Ocean Ridge</strong> — There is no central wastewater collection system. Homes are on septic systems. Some multifamily communities rely on small “package plants” that treat wastewater and release it to drain fields or through injection deep into the ground.<br /> <strong>Manalapan</strong> — Most of the properties are on septic with the exception of the shopping plaza, hotel and Town Hall, which are connected to the Lake Worth Beach system. That city sends wastewater it collects to the East Central Regional Wastewater Treatment Facilities in West Palm Beach.<br /> <strong>Hypoluxo Island/Lantana</strong> — Town sends wastewater to Lake Worth Beach via a pipe under the Intracoastal Waterway for treatment at the regional treatment facilities. <br /> <strong>South Palm Beach</strong> — Sends its wastewater to Lake Worth Beach for treatment at the regional facilities.</p>
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<p><span style="font-size:18pt;"><strong>Ocean Ridge septic-to-sewer discussion</strong></span><br /> The Town of Ocean Ridge invites residents to a meeting of its Septic to Sewer Citizens Advisory Committee at 9 a.m. Aug. 8 to speak about residential septic tank and/or drain field issues. Condo association representatives are also invited to speak about the status of their wastewater treatment facilities.</p></div>