HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/03/2002, B6 - UPDATE OF THE VOLUNTARY SERVICE LATERAL INVESTIGATION AND REHABILITATION PROGRAM i
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C I T Y OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
FROM: John Moss,Utilities Direct
Prepared By: Bud Nance,Wastewater C tion Supervisor
SUBJECT: UPDATE OF THE VOLUNTARY SERVICE LATERAL
INVESTIGATION AND REHABILITATION PROGRAM
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve modification of the Voluntary Service Lateral Investigation and Rehabilitation
program to:
1. Require program participants to retain private plumbers to perform the video
inspections.
2. Provide an additional $1,000 reimbursement for repair/replacement of the
entire (upper and lower) lateral.
3. Allow properties with multiple units, including duplexes, to participate in the
program.
REPORT IN BRIEF
The City's wastewater collection system and the Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) have
long been experiencing problems associated with excessive wet weather Infiltration and
Inflow (M). In 1989 the City Council directed staff to investigate and work towards the
elimination of IR rather than to design and construct more relief sewers and/or increase
capacity at the Water Reclamation Facility. In 1996 staff presented to Council the
Voluntary Service Lateral Investigation and Rehabilitation Program (VSLIRP) and the
program was implemented in July 1997.
The VSLIRP has been effective in identifying sources of infiltration through privately
owned sewer laterals. Participation in the program has been citywide and limited to
single-family residential homes. The program has been well received by the community
and has assisted many homeowners with the rehabilitation of their aging sewer laterals.
The VSLIRP currently rehabilitates an average of 70 laterals per year.
Implementation of the program requires significant wastewater collection staff resources.
Several areas of the program are recommended for change that will improve program
effectiveness and reduce staff time required for implementation. Recommendations are
also made which will increase the incentive for homeowners to participate in the program
and replace their entire lateral. These changes will enhance the program while at the
Voluntary Service Late:ai Investigation and Rehabilitation Progi4.11
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same time allow wastewater collection staff to more effectively spend their time with this
program and other wastewater collection activities.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of this report is to provide information on the current VSLIRP and
recommendations for program modifications. The program has been in place since July
1997, and over 700 privately owned sewer laterals have been inspected and nearly 350 of
those have been repaired or replaced.
Background
The City's wastewater collection system and the Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) have
long been experiencing problems associated with excessive wet weather Infiltration and
Inflow (UI). The large amounts of I/I can cause spills from the collection system,
overwhelm treatment processes, and cause effluent violations. The City's Wastewater
Management Plan, prepared by Brown and Caldwell consulting engineers in 1987,
identified that the majority of the wastewater collection system surcharging can be
attributed to Rainfall Dependant III(RDI).
In 1989 the City Council directed staff to investigate and work towards the elimination of
III rather than to design and construct more relief sewers and/or increase capacity at the
WRF. In 1991 staff evaluated basin "B" of the. City's wastewater collection system.
Basin "B" had been identified in 1987, as one of four basins most affected by RDI. Staff
investigation of area `B" included mainline CCTV (Closed Circuit T.V.) inspection, flow
monitoring during dry and wet weather conditions and smoke testing over 30,000 feet of
City sewer main. The comprehensive investigation in basin `B" showed that privately
owned sewer laterals were the largest contributors of infiltration in that drainage basin.
In the City of San Luis Obispo, sewer laterals are privately owned from the house to the
City mainline. There are 14 drainage basins and over 100 miles of private sewer laterals
in the City.
In July 1994 staff presented to Council the findings of the comprehensive investigation
performed in drainage basin `B" of the City's wastewater collection system showing that
private sewer laterals were the largest contributor of UI. Council directed staff to return
with a program that would evaluate and manage the private sewer laterals. In March of
1995 staff presented Council a pilot program for televising each lateral and providing a
report on its condition. Council did not approve the program at the time because of
budget considerations and the Council's desire for additional discussion of repair
alternatives and related costs. In response to Council's direction, staff developed the
Voluntary Service Lateral Investigation and Rehabilitation Program for the City's 1997-
99 Financial Plan.
Prior to implementation of the program in July 1997, neighborhood meetings were
conducted to familiarize homeowners with the program and gather comments and
concerns. The meetings emphasized that the program was not mandatory and depended
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Voluntary Service Late'rat Investigation and Rehabilitation Progrwri
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upon the public's input and participation to develop a successful repair program. The
response from the community was very positive. Property owners showed an
overwhelming interest in the program as many of them have sewer laterals constructed
with Orangeburg pipe and inferior pipe materials. The meetings also provided
information to the property owners on the impacts that privately owned sewer laterals
have on the collection system and the WRF. No significant changes were made to the
program from the comments collected at the meetings and the program was implemented
as it was presented to Council.
The.City's VSLIRP Program
The VSLIRP program provides staff expertise, technical and financial assistance to
customers who wish to repair or replace their sewer laterals. The program presented to
Council requires an interested homeowner to contact the City and file a VSL RP
application. City staff then videotape the lateral and provide the homeowner with a
report detailing the problems with the lateral and recommendations for repair. The
program is voluntary and there is no obligation to have the lateral repaired or replaced
after the inspection. If the homeowner wants to make the repair or replacement, they
solicit bids from contractors and have the work performed. After the repair/replacement
the lateral is re-inspected by City staff and the homeowner is reimbursed 50% of the cost
up to $1,000.00. The program will make only one reimbursement for each property and
is only for single-family residences.
Since the beginning of the program homeowner participation has continued to increase.
The VSLIRP program has always utilized all of its $75,000 in annual funding before the
year's end. This equates to approximately 75 laterals being repaired each year. The
program's real strength lies in City staff technical expertise and customer service.
Replacing a deficient lateral can be an overwhelming experience for a customer who is
unfamiliar with the project, solicitation of bids and high cost. Staff assists the
homeowner throughout the process. The majority of customers are pleased with the
program, specifically the customer service aspect.
Program Components and Recommended Modifications
Inspection
The inspection uses a closed-circuit television (CCTV) to inspect each lateral and provide
the property owner a detailed evaluation with recommendations for the most cost
effective rehabilitation. Following repair there is a final inspection to ensure that the
work was done correctly.
The video inspections require a significant amount of time from two staff members.
Since program implementation, a number of private contractors in the area have acquired
video inspection equipment. Because of the significant staff resources required to
perform this component of the program, staff is recommending requiring the inspection
to be provided by a private contractor. This would allow City staff to concentrate on
mainline maintenance and alleviate many of the workload issues the wastewater
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Voluntary Service Laterai Investigation and Rehabilitation Progrwn'
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collection section currently faces. Staff would continue to review the videotapes and
provide technical assistance and recommendations to the homeowners regarding the most
cost effective repair.
Repair
Most laterals that are inspected are eligible for full replacement because of poor condition
from inferior materials, and/or poor installation. The majority of homeowners have opted
to replace only the upper lateral, or the portion that runs from their home to the property
line. This is generally because of the high cost associated with excavating in the street.
Although upper lateral replacement does replace the defective pipe underneath the most
permeable surfaces where I/I has the greatest impact, it still can leave inferior pipe under
the street. Full replacement of these laterals would be most advantageous to the customer
and the City.
In order to provide additional incentive to the homeowners to repair/replace the entire
lateral when necessary, and in recognition of the significantly higher cost of full
replacement, staff is recommending increasing the reimbursement amount for a complete
(upper and lower) lateral repair/replacement to $2,000 with the additional $1,000
reimbursement provided only when replacement of the lower lateral is also completed.
Reimbursement for upper lateral only repair/replacement will remain limited to $1,000.
Staff recommends continuing to limit the City's participation to no more than 50% of the
cost.
Connection of the lateral to the City's mainline is at the "wye" connection. A builder to
provide service to the property typically installs this connection. In some cases the wye
connections have problems that result in customer service problems. These problems are
typically at the point of connection of the lateral to the wye. Most of the problems with
the wye connection are because of poor installation; roots growing into the wye, and
cracking at the connection or a "dropped" or misaligned connection. Problems with the
wye at the point of the lateral connection are the responsibility of the homeowner. The
lateral program currently will replace and install the wye at no charge to the customer,
however the customer's contractor is responsible for exposing the connection and
backfilling the excavation. Not all problems with wyes are the homeowner's
responsibility. Some problems including cracks on the City mainline portion are the
City's responsibility. Staff is recommending no change to the program relative to our
treatment of the wye connection.
Repair Methods
The VSLIRP program has encouraged the use of more innovative trenchless technologies
to rehabilitate sewer laterals where appropriate. Trenchless methods can be used only
where the lateral has adequate grade and meets the method's other criteria. Below is a
brief discussion of these methods:
Conventional: The conventional "dig and replace method" is usually the recommended
way to replace sewer laterals. The pipe can be realigned to grade and properly replaced
and inspected to City standards and specifications. Ninety percent of laterals that need to
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Voluntary Service Laterai"Investigation and Rehabilitation Prognun
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be replaced can be done conventionally and cost effectively. While staff prefers the
conventional dig and replace, it also has the most negative impacts on City streets,
property and landscaping.
Pine Bursting: Pipe bursting is a "no dig" trenchless technology used to replace sewer
laterals. This method pulls a tool or "head" through the existing lateral and a continuous
length of high-density polyethylene pipe (HDPE). Pipe bursting if installed properly has
minimal impacts on property compared to conventional pipe replacement. A small entry
excavation is required outside the house and an excavation at the connection point, either
by the curb, or at the City sewer main if rehabilitating the complete lateral.
Inversion Linin: Inversion lining is another trenchless technology that installs a PVC
coated tube impregnated with epoxy liquid resin.. The tube and resin bonds with the host
pipe. The lining is pulled through the existing lateral with a tag line. This process is not
approved to line orange burg pipe. Orangeburg pipe is not suitable for inversion lining
because it is often collapsed and does not provide an appropriate host pipe to bond with.
Reimbursement
When the lateral program was first introduced the average cost to replace a complete
sewer lateral was estimated at$2,000. To provide incentive for homeowner participation,
a reimbursement of 50% of the eligible costs up to a maximum reimbursement of$1,000
was recommended. Costs for performing this work are now averaging $4,500.00 for full
replacement (upper and lower lateral). As stated previously, this is the most significant
factor for homeowners when determining the extent of repair they wish to complete. In
recognition of these higher costs, staff is recommending increasing the total
reimbursement amount to $2,000 for the entire lateral, leaving reimbursement at $1,000
for the upper lateral only. In no case should reimbursement exceed 50% of the cost.
Permits and Fees
In October of 1997, Council authorized waiver of the City's encroachment, plumbing and
sewer wye installation fees for this program. This request was made because it was soon
discovered that a significant portion of the lateral program's funding would be
reimbursing other City programs, including the sewer fund. The Community
Development Department agreed to waive the plumbing permit fee, and wastewater
collection staff performed the encroachment permit inspections for the Public Works
Department to offset their increased workload.
After implementation, wastewater collection staff discovered that performing the
encroachment permit inspections were taking a significant amount of time and affecting
the section's primary maintenance duties. The wastewater collection section is not set up
to perform these inspections cost effectively. As of July of 2001, Public Works staff has
resumed performing the inspections and Utilities reimburses the direct cost of the
inspections. This cost is approximately $15,000 annually and is transferred directly from
the Sewer fund to the General fund. No modification of the permit and fee waivers for
this program is recommended.
GQ -5
Voluntary Service Lateral Investigation and Rehabilitation Progr&Li
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Program Eligibility
Currently the program only allows single-family residences to participate in the program.
This limitation was established because laterals from single-family residences contribute
the majority of the VI from private systems and require the most financial assistance.
Commercial business and apartment complexes typically have less permeable surface
(landscaping) and thus do not contribute III as significantly as do single family
residences. Additionally, since they are typically income generating, they have not been
eligible for the program reimbursements. Staff does provide technical assistance to all
properties upon request. Staff has allowed Single Family Residences (SFR) with a
second unit on the property to participate in the program, but have only reimbursed for
the portion that serves the SFR. Currently staff uses the City's Land Use program to
determine who is eligible. If the Land Use program does not list the property as SFR,
then staff will deny the application.
Because a large amount of the City has mixed uses in many of the neighborhoods and
SFR residences with additional units or duplexes, and because these properties may have
sirnilar amounts of permeable surface over their laterals as a SFR, staff is proposing
including properties that have additional units, including duplexes. Addition of these
properties should not be a major impact to the program and will help reduce UI. Staff
recommends not providing reimbursement for apartment complexes or commercial
properties.
Summary
The Voluntary Service Lateral Rehabilitation Program has been effective in identifying
and correcting sources of infiltration through privately owned sewer laterals. The
majority of the laterals inspected have been identified to be direct sources of infiltration.
Approximately half of the applicants participating in the program have rehabilitated at
least a portion of their lateral and been reimbursed for their participation. The VSLIRP
program goal has been to rehabilitate 75 laterals the first year of the program and 100 the
following years. The program has rehabilitated approximately 70 laterals each year.
Participation within the program has been citywide for single-family residential homes
only. It is difficult to quantify the impact the VSL RP program has in the reduction of
inflow/infiltration, but the program does allow us to address the private component of the
sewer system.
The program has provided homeowners with educational information on poor lateral
conditions and its relationship to inflow/ infiltration. Homeowners usually have some
awareness of the costs associated with the management of their lateral, but are unaware
of the impacts III has on the collection system and at the WRF. The program has created
a positive working relationship with property owners and City staff by providing
professional and technical assistance to the homeowner. This customer service aspect is
the most important component of the program.
The program has impacted mainline preventative maintenance and has increased staff
workload. Recommendations from this report will allow wastewater collection staff to
f
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Voluntary Service Lateral Investigation and Rehabilitation Program
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spend more work hours on critical components of this program and urgent mainline
maintenance activities.
Below is a summary of the recommended changes to the lateral program:
1. Have private plumbers perform the video inspections. Streamline the VSLIRP
program application process. Staff recommends having the property owner
submit an application with an evaluation of the lateral that has been inspected by a
licensed plumber. Staff will review the application and videotape and provide the
applicant with recommendations for cost-effective rehabilitation. This
recommendation can be implemented immediately.
2. Provide an additional $1,000 reimbursement for repair/replacement of the
entire (upper and lower) laterak. Staff's original recommendation was based on
an average cost to replace a defective lateral for $2,000. Today the average cost
to replace a lateral from the house to the City main averages $4,500. The
additional $1,000 for replacement of the entire lateral will encourage more
property owners to participate in the program to replace their entire lateral.
3. Allow properties with multiple units, including duplexes, to participate in the
program. The current program accepts only single-family residences. The City
of San Luis Obispo has numerous multi-family properties that have very similar
UI conditions as a single-family residential property. The goal of the program is
to encourage repair or replacement of sewer laterals in need of repair that may be
contributing to M. This goal does not distinguish property type.- This
recommendation can be implemented immediately.
CONCURRENCES
This report has been reviewed by the Public Works and Community Development
Departments and they concur with the recommendations.
FISCAL EMPACT
Currently the Voluntary Service Lateral Investigation and Rehabilitation Program rebates
property owners 50% up to $1,000 per property and has approved annual funding from
the Sewer Fund of $75,000. Staff's recommendation is to increase the reimbursement
funding to $2,000 for the entire lateral per property. The fiscal impact of this change will
depend largely on the number of properties now choosing to repair/replace their entire
lateral. Following Council approval of the recommended actions, staff will evaluate any
increase in program participation and cost and return at mid-year or the 2003-05
Financial Plan with an analysis and a recommendation for increased funding if warranted.
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Voluntary Service Laterai Investigation and Rehabilitation Progr uii
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ALTERNATIVES
1. Maintain the current program. This alternative is not recommended; as it does
not address the workload issues of the wastewater collection staff and limits
participation in the program. That is not to say that the current program has been
less than successful or poorly received by the community..
2. Recommend staff to develop a lateral inspection and retrofit upon sale program.
This alternative is not recommended at this time: Developing a program to repair
or replace upon sale would accelerate the replacement of deficient laterals and
further reduce the impacts of III, but would have significant financial impacts on
the sellers of homes as well as workload impacts on staff to introduce and manage
such a program.
3. Provide a different reimbursement amount or reapportionment for upper vs.
lower laterals. This alternative is not recommended. The current program is
working very well and has been well received by the community. The analysis of
the current program identified higher than anticipated costs associated with
replacing the lower" lateral and the recommendations of this report are intended to
address that issue.
GA tilities/Council Agenda Reports/2002 Council Agenda ReportsNSLRP report
Barbara Ehrbar-9/3/02 Agenda item 6. vol-ntary sewer lateral replacement program Page 1
RED FILE----
MEETING AGENDA
From: Chris <sloverby@pacbell.net> DA aITEM # ��
To: "asettle@slocity.org"<asettle@slocity.org>, Christine Mulholland
<CMulholl@ci.san-luis-obispo.ca.us>, Bud Nance<BNANCE@ci.san-luis-obispo.ca.us>, Jan Marx
<JMARX@ci.san-luis-obispo.ca.us>, "jewan@slocity.org"<jewan@slocity.org>, Ken Hampian
<KHAMPIAN@ci.san-luis-obispo.ca.us>, Ken Schwartz<KSchwart@ci.san-luis-obispo.ca.us>, Mom
<cathyinlb@mmintemet.com>, Fred Overby<graceumc_pastor@mmintemet.com>,jon voorhies
<jonvoorh ies@hotmail.com>
Date: 8/29/02 10:OOPM
Subject: 9/3/02 Agenda item 6. voluntary sewer lateral replacement program
Chris and Amy Overby
2030 Hutton St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
August 29, 2002
Re: Sewer Lateral Program-Agenda Item#6 for Sept 3, 2002
Dear Council Members:
We are writing to request that the sewer lateral program be updated to
more adequately reflect current costs.
A few months ago we noticed sewage leaking onto our lawn near the
sidewalk. We called our plumber, who was able to temporarily fix the
leak, but advised us that there was a more serious leak. Upon
inspection and videotaping bySLO Plumbing it was found that the main
sewer leak is occurring at the'w ye", or connection to the city pipe.
This connection is over 40 feet away from our property line. It is
located on the opposite side of the street,just a few feet from the
sidewalk. We were astonished to find that we are required to pay for
something that is so far across (and under)a public street. We were
told by the city, that this portion is the homeowner's responsibility
because the city does not have access to this section of the sewer. My
question is, how does the homeowner have access to something buried 4 to
5 feet under a city street?
We discovered that the city has a voluntary sewer lateral replacement
program,which pays for"50%"of the cost of replacing old sewer lines,
up to$1000. VGe called several plumbing contractors recommended by the
city,to obtain estimates. These estimates ranged from $4700.00 to
$8300.00. Two contractors did not even provide estimates, one fled from RECEIVED
our home during the estimate, and three other contractors would not
return our calls. In talking with plumbing contractors and city AUG 0 2002
workers,we determined that the average cost of sewer lateral
replacements is around $5000. Therefore, the city's 50% reimbursement,
up to$1000 is nowhere near 50%, by current prices. SLO CIN CLERK
Due to the high cost and difficulty finding a reliable contractor to do
the work,we were unable to begin repair of our sewer until yesterday.
Our bill is estimated to be $5100, primarily due to the cost of tearing UNCIL ❑ CDD DIR
up and repaving over 30 feet of the street. i F ❑ FIN DIR
ffI CAO ❑ FIRE CHIEF
We believe that the city should be responsible for the sewer lines Ed' NEY ❑ PW DIR
underneath city streets. However, revising the reimbursement cap to Q' RK/ORIG ❑ POLICE CHF
truly pay for 50%of the homeowner's cost, or up to$2500,would show ryb� 1iREC DIR
❑ LITIL DIR
- ❑ HR DIR
Barbara Ehrbar-9/3/02 Agenda item 6. v ntary sewer lateral replacement program 2
that the City of SLO is willing to protect the environment by supporting
conscientious homeowners who are paying greatly to fix sewer leaks under
the streets of SLO.
Thank you for you consideration of this matter.
Chris and Amy Overby