HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-252A (18)Indian River County
2030 Comprehensive Plan
A . . A
Indian River County Community Development Department
Adopted: October 12, 2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTION 1
Purpose 1
DEFINITIONS 2
BACKGROUND 4
History 4
County Utilities Department 4
Centralized Regional System 5
EXISTING CONDITIONS 8
Sanitary Sewer Process 8
Private Sewer Systems 18
Septic Tanks 18
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
22
Federal
22
State
22
Local
22
ANALYSIS 24
Collection System 24
Treatment 31
Effluent Disposal 35
Summary of Analysis 36
GOAL, OBJECTIVES, AND POLICIES 37
PLAN IMPLEMENTATION 45
EVALUATION AND MONITORING PROCEDURES 49
Appendix A, Sanitary Sewer and Potable Water, 5 Year CIP 53
Community Development Department Indian River County 2
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE
PAGE
3.A.1 Indian River County Wastewater Service Area 6
3.A.2 WWTF Capacity vs. Demand 33
Community Development Department Indian River County 3
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE
PAGE
3.A.1
Sanitary Sewer Facilities in Indian River County
7
3.A.2
County Regional Wastewater Treatment Systems
15
3.A.3
Subdivisions with Increased Health Risks And/Or
21
Increased Probability of Groundwater Contamination
Associated with Continued Septic Tank System Use
3.A.4
Regulation of Sewage
23
3.A.5
Typical Concentrations of Household
27
Wastewater, Septic Tank Effluent, and
Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent
3.A.6
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element Implementation Matrix
46
3.A.7
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element Evaluation Matrix
50
3.A.8
Water and Waste Water Connection Matrix for a New
51
Development
Community Development Department Indian River County 4
INTRODUCTION
Wastewater is a term used to describe water leaving a site as sewage. Generally, this includes
water from the kitchen and bathroom sinks, toilets, dishwashers, clothes washers, and bath
tubs/showers. Each day, every person within Indian River County produces an average of 100
gallons of wastewater.
This wastewater has three possible destinations. First, it may enter an on-site treatment disposal
system, usually a septic tank, where it receives a minimum level of treatment. Second, it may go
to a private sewage treatment plant, generally located near the dwelling unit or other structure.
Private treatment plants usually provide a greater degree of treatment than septic systems. The
third possible destination for wastewater is a regional treatment plant. Such regional plants may
be located many miles from the structure where wastewater is generated. These plants generally
provide a consistently greater degree of treatment than either septic systems or private plants.
Wastewater treatment systems are comprised of three components; these are collection,
treatment, and disposal. The importance of each of these three components varies with the type
of wastewater system. This document will address the collection, treatment, and disposal
characteristics of septic systems, private treatment plants, and regional treatment systems.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element is to:
• identify existing and projected demand and need (demand - supply = need) for sanitary
sewer facilities based on the county's population, existing and future land use, capacity
of existing facilities and any future changes to these facilities;
• identify the operational responsibilities, geographic service areas and levels of service
provided by each facility;
• identify those areas where public sewer will and will not be provided; and
• identify environmentally sound methods of disposing of treated wastes and sludge from
treatment plants.
This sub -element will provide direction for the county in planning for the collection, treatment,
and disposal of wastewater in a manner consistent with federal, state and local laws. In addition,
the Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element will identify proposed locations and levels of service of sanitary
sewer facilities. Finally, this element will establish sanitary sewer policies that complement the
county's future land use pattern and serve as a means of directing future growth in the county.
Community Development Department Indian River County 1
DEFINITIONS
Wastewater means untreated sewage.
Effluent means the liquid by-product of the wastewater treatment process.
Wastewater Collection Network means the system of pipes which convey the untreated
wastewater from individual homes and other establishments to the treatment plant.
Wastewater Interceptors are defined as parts of the collection system which connect directly to
and convey sewage to the treatment plant.
Wastewater Trunk Mains are components of the collection system which connect directly to and
convey sewage to the interceptors through a gravity system.
Pump Stations are mechanical devices used to pump sewage through the collection network
(force mains) for the purpose of transporting the untreated wastewater to the treatment plant.
Force Main means a pressurized segment of the collection system.
Wastewater Treatment Plant means the facility which functions to remove solid and organic
materials from the wastewater.
Wastewater Treatment Process is the means by which solid and organic materials are removed
from the untreated wastewater.
Level of Wastewater Treatment is defined by the proportion of solid and organic materials
removed from the wastewater. The most common levels of treatment are: primary, secondary,
and tertiary.
Primary Treatment removes between 30 and 35 percent of the organic material and up to 50
percent of the solids from the sewage. Because screens and settling tanks are the most common
methods used to remove the solids, this process is also referred to as physical treatment.
Secondary Treatment removes between 80 and 90 percent of the total organic material and
suspended solids from the sewage. This level of treatment generally requires multiple steps
involving one biological process and one or more physical processes for removal of suspended
solids.
Tertiary Treatment is a level of wastewater treatment which removes the organic material and
suspended solids, synthetic organic compounds and inorganic chemicals. If not removed, these
agents may cause pollution problems. Tertiary treatment adds steps to the primary and
Community Development Department Indian River County 2
secondary processes which will remove these pollutants. The most common tertiary processes
remove compounds of phosphorus and nitrogen. The effluent from advanced treatment
processes often approaches the quality of drinking water.
Septic Tank Systems are small scale wastewater treatment systems consisting of two
components. Those components are a septic tank where solids settle out and biological action
occurs, and a drainfield where the remaining liquid is discharged. Septic tank systems provide a
minimal level of wastewater treatment.
Regional Wastewater Treatment Systems are large scale sanitary sewer systems comprised of
three components: collection of raw sewage; treatment of the sewage; and the disposal of the
treated sludge and effluent.
Package Wastewater Treatment Plants are small treatment systems designed and built in modular
units and having components similar to larger regional treatment facilities.
Infiltration means water, other than wastewater, that enters a sewer system (including sewer
service connections and foundation drains) from the ground through such means as defective
pipes, pipe joints, connections or manholes.
Inflow means water, other than wastewater, that enters a sewer system (including sewer service
connections) from sources such as, but not limited to, roof leaders, cellar drains, yard drains, area
drains, drains from springs and swampy areas, manhole covers, cross connections between storm
sewers and sanitary sewers, catch basins, cooling towers, storm waters, surface runoff, street
wash waters or drainage.
Community Development Department Indian River County 3
BACKGROUND
An important aspect of wastewater or sanitary sewer planning involves examining existing
conditions. Prior to that, however, it is helpful to consider the background or history of the
wastewater system in the county. That provides a perspective regarding county policy on this
matter. Instead of a static view of current conditions as the existing conditions section provides,
the background section identifies recent trends in this area.
HISTORY
A review of recent history shows that Indian River County has owned and operated sanitary
sewer facilities for only a relatively short time. Prior to the 1970's, the use of centralized
facilities which provide the highest level of treatment and efficiency was limited to the densest
and most intensely developed urban areas of the county. Those areas were located within or
adjacent to the City of Vero Beach. While centralized sewer service has been available to the
City of Vero Beach since 1926, the rest of the county did not have access to such service until
the late 1970's.
In the past, the use of privately owned sewer facilities provided the county with an alternative to
publicly owned, centralized sewer services. Private sewer facilities are operated by private
companies which are given the authority to provide wastewater service to specified areas. Most
private wastewater systems provide service only to an individual subdivision or development.
Prior to the establishment of the County Utilities Department in 1972, the regulation of
wastewater facilities rested with several state and federal agencies and often focused on the
permitting of new and the expansion of existing treatment facilities. By 1972, the regulatory
agencies were becoming more intent on discouraging the use of individual septic tanks and small
package systems.
COUNTY UTILITIES DEPARTMENT
Authorized to develop procedures and standards for utilities in the county, the County Utilities
Department also issues utility permits. Initially formed to regulate privately owned utility
systems, the Utilities Department was also charged with establishing a countywide utilities
system. At the time that the utility department was created, centralized sewer services in the
county were provided by the City of Vero Beach, by private utility companies, and by private
systems serving individual buildings and developments. A majority of residential developments
in the unincorporated county, however, relied on individual septic tanks for wastewater treatment
and disposal.
Community Development Department Indian River County 4
In 1973, a master sewage plan was developed for the county. That plan identified the need for
publicly owned and operated regional facilities to protect the public health and prosperity of the
community. The plan outlined proposed service areas in the eastern portion of the county as well
as the necessary facilities and capitalization required to implement the plan. The plan also
recommended eventually incorporating private sewer treatment facilities into the county system.
Also in 1973, the County and the City of Vero Beach entered into an agreement regarding the
provision of sanitary sewer services. This agreement established boundaries for areas in the
county that would receive services from the city.
CENTRALIZED REGIONAL SYSTEM
The county's first direct provision of wastewater treatment services took place in 1978, as the
result of problems at two private sewer systems. The Gifford system (later to be known as the
Central Plant) and Ixora Park facilities had experienced system failures that resulted in the
release of raw sewage into the surrounding areas. Because of these problems and their
environmental impacts, the County Utilities Department assumed responsibility for the operation
of these plants. The Central Plant has since been expanded, while the Ixora plant has been
decommissioned.
In 1982, county wastewater services expanded when the Utilities Department took over the
operation of the Vista Royale and Vista Royale Gardens plants in the southern part of the county.
This expansion continued with construction of the West Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant
which began operation in 1986. Located south of SR 60 and east of I-95, the West Regional
Plant provides wastewater service for the rapidly growing SR 60 Corridor area.
Utilities system expansion continued in the 1990's. In 1990, the county completed construction
of the North County Plant. Then, the County acquired the South County Plant from General
Development Utilities in 1993. In 1995, the county purchased the City of Sebastian's utilities
system.
In 1987, Indian River County adopted a Wastewater Master Plan which has been updated several
times since then, most recently in December 2004. That plan identified a system of wastewater
treatment facilities to accommodate the anticipated growth of the county. The Master Plan
identifies five sewer service areas. Those areas are North, West, Central, South, and City of
Vero Beach.
One publicly owned and operated regional wastewater treatment plant exists within each of the
five service areas. In addition to public facilities, septic tanks and private treatment facilities
currently exist and will continue to exist in the county. Table 3.A.1 lists existing wastewater
treatment plants in Indian River County with their capacity and service area.
Community Development Department Indian River County 5
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Community Development Department Indian River County 6
TABLE 3.A.1
SANITARY SEWER FACILITIES
IN INDIAN RIVER COUNTY
SOURCE: Indian River County Utilities Department
Community Development Department Indian River County 7
PUBLIC
PACKAGE
SERVICE AREA
DESIGN CAPACITY IN
OR
OPERATING
OR
GALLONS/DAY
FACILITY
PRIVATE
ENTITY
REGIONAL
1. North
public
IRC
regional
North of 77`h Street to North County
850,000
County
Line & North Barrier Island
2. Central
public
IRC
regional
26th Street and Vero Beach City limits
4,000,000
County
to 691h Street
3. West
public
IRC
regional
South of 26`h Street and west of City of
6,000,000
County
Vero Beach
4. S. County
public
IRC
regional
Southeast mainland
2,000,000
5. Vero
public
Vero Beach
regional
Vero Beach, Ind. Riv. Shores, S. Barrier
4,500,000
Beach
Island
6. Blue
public
IRC
package
Blue Cypress Improvement Dist.
20,000
Cypress
7. Sun -Ag
private
Sun -Ag Co.
package
Sun -Ag Mobile Home Park near
50,000
MHP
Fellsmere
8. Sun -Ag
private
Sun -Ag Co.
package
Sun -Ag Packinghouse near Fellsmere
2,500
Packing-
house
9. Su -Rene Mobile
private
Su -Rene
package
Su -Rene Mobile Home Park
5,000
Home Park
10. Royal Oak
private
Royal Oak
package
Royal Oak Mobile Home Park
5,000
Mobile Home Park
SOURCE: Indian River County Utilities Department
Community Development Department Indian River County 7
EXISTING CONDITIONS
In assessing existing conditions, it is necessary to address the sanitary sewer system on several
levels. First, it is necessary to differentiate among the various types of systems in the county.
This involves separate consideration of the publicly -owned sewer systems, the privately -owned
sewer systems, and individual septic systems. Second, it is necessary to identify individual
service areas for both the public system and private systems. Finally, it is necessary to assess
each type of system and service area in terms of collection, treatment, and disposal.
SANITARY SEWER PROCESS
Within the county, there are various sanitary sewer systems and service areas. Although specific
aspects of the sanitary sewer process vary with the type of system, certain characteristics are the
same, regardless of system type.
Collection
Once wastewater is generated by residences, businesses, industries, and other land uses, it is then
conveyed from an individual establishment to a wastewater treatment plant by the collection
network. Alternatively, the wastewater may go to an individual septic tank for on-site treatment.
Where a centralized system is involved, however, the collection network is generally laid out in a
pattern roughly comparable to the branching pattern of a tree. Whereas the smallest sewer pipes
connect individual establishments to components of the collection system called trunk mains and
interceptors, interceptors and trunk mains connect with and convey wastewater directly to the
treatment plant.
Treatment
After being collected, wastewater is processed by a wastewater treatment plant. Presently, both
Indian River County and the City of Vero Beach maintain regional wastewater treatment plants.
In addition to those five regional facilities, there are four private package wastewater treatment
facilities and the one public package treatment facility (the Blue Cypress Lake wastewater
treatment plant) in the county. The existing wastewater treatment plants use a variety of methods
to treat wastewater.
Once at the treatment plant, the wastewater is treated to remove solid and organic materials. The
level of processing of the wastewater is either primary, secondary, advanced secondary, or
tertiary. Overall, the treatment level is based on the treatment method and the proportion of
materials removed from the wastewater.
Community Development Department Indian River County 8
In addition to differences in the methods of treating wastewater, the existing wastewater
treatment plants also differ in the capacity of the facilities. Expressed in terms of gallons of
wastewater per day, the capacity of a wastewater treatment plant is the number of gallons of
wastewater that the plant can treat on an average daily basis.
By -Product Disposal
The by-products of the treatment process are effluent, screenings and grit, as well as sludge and
septage. Effluent is liquid waste. At county operated wastewater treatment facilities, effluent is
usually disposed of through either discharge to a percolation pond or by reuse. Reuse is an
effluent disposal method involving spray irrigation.
Screenings and grit are the accumulated coarse sewage solids retained by the screening process.
Screenings and grit are disposed of at the county landfill.
Sludge and septage are the biological organisms that accumulate in the plant. Prior to final
disposal, sludge is usually subjected to an additional biological treatment process to remove
pathogens. It is also subject to physical dewatering processes which facilitate transportation and
disposal. Sludge and septage are disposed of at a special facility at the County landfill.
PUBLIC SEWER SYSTEM
The five geographic areas comprising the county public sewer system are: the south regional
area, the west regional area, the central regional area, the north regional area, and the City of
Vero Beach service area. Within the county system, the south county regional plant is connected
to the west county regional plant; the north county regional plant is connected to the central
county regional plant; and there is a limited connection between the central regional plant and
west regional plant. Because the county's regional wastewater treatment plants are
interconnected, there is flexibility as to which plant or plants will need to be expanded to
accommodate future demand.
At the county's central plant, the county also treats the City of Fellsmere's sewage for a bulk
rate. Currently, the city's average daily sewer flow is about 71,000 gallons per day, with a
maximum flow of 100,000 gallons per day.
Besides its regional plants, Indian River County also operates the Blue Cypress Lake package
treatment facility.
In 2006, 21,349 (44.30%) of the unincorporated county's 48,188 residential units were connected
to the regional sewer system. At that time all customers of the county's system, including those
living in municipalities, totaled 24,250.
Community Development Department Indian River County 9
South Regional Sewer Service Area
The South Regional Sewer Service Area is located in the southeast portion of the mainland and
contains the South Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (SRWWTF). The SRWWTF is a
2,000,000 GPD facility which uses biological nutrient removal to provide a tertiary filtration
level of treatment. Effluent from the SRWWTF is reused at various county sites.
In addition to force mains along US 1, the South Regional Service Area collection system
currently extends to the Vero Shores, Garden Grove, and Grove Isle developments, portions of
the Vero Beach Highlands residential subdivision, and other subdivisions within the southern
portion of the county.
South Regional
Plant
Public or Private
Public
Operating Entity
Indian River County
Geographic service area
South County Area
Design capacity in GPD
2,000,000
Current demand in GPD
1,634,000
Level of Service
250 GPD/ERU
Projected facility needs
1,850,000 gal./day 2030
Effluent Disposal Method
Reuse
Effluent Disposal Site
Various
Level of Treatment
Tertiary Filtration
Treatment Method
Biological Nutrient Removal
Screenings/Grit Disposal Site
Landfill
Sludge and Se to e Disposal Site
Sludge Facility at Landfill
Community Development Department Indian River County 10
West Sewer Service Area
The West Regional Service Area includes the unincorporated SR 60 corridor area and the area
southwest of Vero Beach. Within the West Service Area, there is one wastewater treatment
plant. The West Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) is located south of 8th Street,
north of 4th Street, and between 90th Avenue and 82nd Avenue.
This plant, with a 6,000,000 GPD capacity, uses biological nutrient removal to provide a tertiary
filtration level of treatment. Presently, effluent from this treatment facility is reused for spray
irrigation or discharged into a ±165 acre man-made wetland on the treatment plant site.
The West Regional Service Area force mains extend from the West Regional WWTF along the
SR 60 corridor and along 66th Avenue from SR 60 to 4th Street. Force mains also extend from
the West County Plant along 82nd Avenue to the Oslo Road/74th Avenue commercial/industrial
node and to the SR 60/I-95 commercial/industrial node. The system serves the Heritage Village,
Countryside, Cambridge Park, Indian River Estates, Village Green, Vista Plantation, Lake in the
Woods, Sixty Oaks, and Rivera Estates residential developments.
West Regi
nal Plant
Public or Private
Public
Operating Entity
Indian River County
Geographic service area
SR 60 Corridor west of 58t Avenue
Design capacity in GPD
6,000,000
Current demand in GPD
1,950,000
Level of Service
250 GPD/ERU
Projected facility needs
4,850,000 al./da 2030
Effluent Disposal Method
Reuse Irrigation/Wetlands Treatment
Effluent Disposal Site
Golf Courses & West Reg. Wetlands
Level of Treatment
Tertiary Filtration
Treatment Method
Biological Nutrient Removal
Screenings/Grit Disposal Site
Landfill
Sludge and Se to e Disposal Site
Sludge Facility at Landfill
Community Development Department Indian River County 1 l
Central Sewer Service Area
The Central Regional Sewer Service Area includes the portion of the mainland generally
bounded by I-95 on the west, 691h Street on the north, the Indian River Lagoon on the east, and
the City of Vero Beach and 26th Street on the south. This plant located north of 49th Street, in the
unincorporated community of Gifford. The Central Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility
(WWTF) is located within the service area.
This plant, with a 4,000,000 GPD capacity, uses contact stabilization and extended aeration to
provide a tertiary filtration level of treatment. Presently, effluent from the treatment facility is
discharged into percolation ponds or reused for spray irrigation.
Collection lines extend from the plant along 49th Street, between 58rd Avenue and US 1, along
58th Avenue from 26th Street to 65th Street, along 53rd Street from 58th Avenue to the Lateral H
canal and along US 1 from 69th street to Indian River Memorial Hospital. The system also
extends to the Bent Pine and Grand Harbor residential developments, and to much of the Gifford
community.
The Central Regional WWTF is presently accepting flow from the North Regional Wastewater
Treatment Facility, which is temporarily on stand-by. The flow is being transferred from the
north facility to the central facility via a 16" transmission force main located along Old Dixie
Highway from 77th Street to 53rd Street, then into the Central Regional WWTF along the Lateral
H canal.
Central Re ional Plant
Public or Private
Public
Operating Entity
Indian River County
Geographic service area
Vero Beach City Limits to 69t St.
Design capacity in GPD
4,000,000
Current demand in GPD
1,834,000
Level of Service
250 GPD/ERU
Projected facility needs
4,250,000 al./da (2030)
Effluent Disposal Method
Reuse Irrigation/Rib Basin
Effluent Disposal Site
Various Golf Courses
Level of Treatment
Tertiary Treatment
Treatment Method
Contact Stabilization/Extended Aeration
Screenings/Grit Disposal Site
Landfill
Sludge and Septage Disposal Site
Sludge Facility at landfill
Community Development Department Indian River County 12
North Sewer Service Area
The North Sewer Service Area lies north of 77th Street and encompasses the area between I-95
and the Atlantic Ocean. Within this service area, there is one wastewater treatment plant
operated by the county. This plant is the North Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility
(WWTF).
The North County Plant is an 850,000 GPD facility which uses an oxidation ditch and extended
aeration to provide a tertiary filtration level of treatment. Effluent from the North County Plant
is discharged into percolation ponds or reused for spray irrigation.
North Regional Plant
Public or Private
Public
Operating Entity
Indian River Count
Geographic service area
77t Street to North County Line
Design capacity in GPD
850,000
Current demand in GPD
Flow transferred to Central Regional Plant
Level of Service
250 GPD/ERU
Projected facility needs
4,850,000 al./da (2030
Effluent Disposal Method
Percolation Pond/Spray Pond/SprayIrrigation
Effluent Disposal Site
Golf Courses
Level of Treatment
Tertiary Filtration
Treatment Method
Oxidation Ditch/Extended Aeration
Screenings/Grit Disposal Site
I Landfill
Sludge and Septage Disposal Site
I Sludge Facility at landfill
Collection lines extend south from the North County Plant along Old Dixie Highway to 73rd
Street. From there, the lines extend east into the Copeland's Landing residential development.
To the north, lines extend along the US 1 corridor to the county line. A force main runs along
CR 512, from US 1 to I-95, and north along Roseland Road from CR 512 to approximately '/4
mile north of Main Street. Another force main extends west along Main Street from US 1 to
approximately halfway to Roseland Road. Collection lines, including a force main along the
north two miles of Roseland Road, extend to the Roseland area. Collection lines also extend to
several residential developments on the north barrier island, including Sea Oaks, Windsor, and
the Town of Orchid.
Presently, the North Regional WWTF is temporarily shut down, and the flow is being transferred
to the Central Regional WWTF via a 16' force main along Old Dixie Highway from 77th Street
to 53rd Street and then along the Lateral H canal into the Central Regional WWTF.
Community Development Department Indian River County 13
City of Vero Beach Sewer Service Area
The City of Vero Beach sewer service territory encompasses the City of Vero Beach, most of the
Town of Indian River Shores (one multiple -family residential complex is excluded), and the
portion of the barrier island south of the City of Vero Beach. In addition, it serves some of the
unincorporated county area around the city.
The Vero Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant has a design capacity of 4,500,000 GPD. The
method of treatment consists of complete mix activated sludge, followed by water reclamation
processes that include tertiary filtration and high level disinfection. Most effluent from this plant
is used for irrigation by golf courses and residential developments. During and immediately
after periods of extremely high rainfall, however, some effluent is discharged into the Indian
River Lagoon. Sludge disposal is by land application on agricultural properties for beneficial
reuse.
City of Vero Beach Plant
Public or Private
Public
Operating Entity
City of Vero Beach
Geographic service area
City of Vero Beach; Town of Indian River
Shores; South Barrier Island
Design capacity in GPD
4,500,000
Current demand in GPD
3,500.000
Level of Service
250 GPD/ERU
Projected facility needs
4,000,000 al./da (2030)
Effluent Disposal Method
Reuse/Wet Weather Discharge
Effluent Disposal Site
Residential Landscapes/Golf Courses
Level of Treatment
Secondary/High Level Disinfection
Treatment Method
Activated Sludge/Filtration
Screenings/Grit Disposal Site
Landfill
Sludge and Septage Disposal Site
Sludge facility at landfill
Table 3.A.2 summarizes the county regional wastewater treatment system.
Community Development Department Indian River County 14
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
COUNTY REGIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS
TABLE 3.A.2
SERVICE
TREATMENT
DESIGN
2009
TYPES OF
TREATMENT METHOD
TREATMENT
EFFLUENT
PROPORTIONAL
AREA
PLANT
CAPACITY
DEMAND
LAND USES
LEVEL
DISPOSAL METHOD
ALLOCATION
IN GPD
IN GPD
SERVED
NORTH
North County
850,000
Flow
residential,
oxidation ditch and extended
tertiary
percolation pond and
60% Sebastian, 30%
transferred to
commercial,
aeration
spray irrigation
IRC,
Central Plant
industrial
10% Fellsmere
CENTRAL
Central County
4,000,000
1,834,000
residential,
contact stabilization and
tertiary
percolation pond and
100% IRC
includes flow
commercial,
extended aeration
spray irrigation
from north
industrial
regional
WEST
West County
6,000,000
1,950,000
residential,
biological nutrient removal
tertiary
spray irrigation and on-
100% IRC
commercial,
site wetland
industrial
SOUTH
South County
2,000,000
1,634,000
residential,
Biological nutrient removal
tertiary
spray irrigation,
100% IRC
commercial,
percolation pond and
industrial
West Regional Wetland
VERO
City of Vero
4,500,000
3,500,000
residential,
complete mix activated
tertiary
spray irrigation
65% Vero Bch., 24%
BEACH
Beach
commercial,
sludge and high level
IRC,
industrial
disinfection
11% Indian River
Shores
TOTAL
17,350,000
1 8,918,000
Community Development Department Indian River County 15
Comprehensive Plan
Finance
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
Financially, the Indian River County Utilities Department is an enterprise system. That means
that there is no general tax money allocated for the construction or expansion of utility services.
Instead, the County Utilities Department's revenue comes from sources such as water sales,
meter installation charges, hydrant maintenance tax, sewer service charges, effluent reuse sales,
penalties, service charges, capacity charges, and other sources which make the utility department
financially self-sufficient.
According to County regulations, most parcels within 200 feet of a county sewer line must
connect to the county system. Upon connection, a customer incurs certain charges. Those
charges generally cover the costs of capacity producing facility capital improvements. Some
charges, however, can be incurred even before connection. Because unused capacity can be
reserved for future development, wastewater treatment plants are developed with excess
capacity. Since maintaining that excess capacity increases operation and maintenance costs, a
monthly base facility charge applies to capacity reserved for future development.
Other charges include the following:
• Waste water treatment charges
• volume charges
• customer charges
• connection charges
• meter re -reads and leak inspection charges
• delinquency charges
• general service call charges
• meter calibration charges
• damage repair charges
• engineering services charges
• deposits required upon opening
• charges for transferring or reconnecting a service
• additional charges for complex connections
Some charges, such as connection fees, vary based on meter size or type of commercial use. The
Utilities Department may use these revenues to expand facilities or to modify the existing
system. These funds can be used for either capital or operating needs.
Another source of revenue, which can be used only to offset a portion of the capital cost of
expanding system capacity, is the capacity charge. Capacity charges pay for certain necessary
improvements that must be made in order to provide added capacity to meet the needs of new
Community Development Department Indian River County 16
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
residents as well as industrial and business establishments anticipated in future years. The
remaining capital cost is recouped through monthly charges.
As a payment option for extension of the sewer collection system, the county allows a
contribution in aid of construction. After the installation of sewage collection facilities by a
developer, title to those facilities is transferred to the county. The referenced facilities may be
"on-site" or "off-site." These options are discussed below.
• On -Site Facilities
Each developer is responsible for the design, installation, inspection, and testing of the complete
sewage collection system located within the boundaries of the developer's property.
• Off-site Facilities
The location, size or proposed density or intensity of a development project may make service to
the property dependent upon the extension of off-site sewage collection facilities. Off-site
facilities are those mains, sewage collection lines, sewage force mains, and/or pumping stations
adequate in size to transmit sewage collected on the developer's property to a treatment plant or
disposal site.
The county's policy is to expand its sewer system in an orderly and economical manner. That
expansion schedule, however, does not always coincide with a developer's plans. In cases where
the county does not plan to expand its system to serve a project in the timeframe required by a
developer, the developer is required to construct or pay the cost of off-site facilities associated
with that project when the following conditions exist:
• such an extension would require an extraordinary expenditure by the county for
transmission facilities; and
• such expenditure would cost more than the county's standard capacity charge.
In that event, the county may negotiate an agreement which enumerates the following:
• the county's responsibility to provide service to the development and possibly
reimburse the developer for oversized facilities; and
• the developer's responsibility to construct and dedicate to the county the off-site
facilities (possibly oversized to meet future demands).
Community Development Department Indian River County 17
Comprehensive Plan
Refundable Advances
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
In addition to a contribution in aid of construction of off-site facilities, the county may require a
refundable advance by a developer to further temporarily defray the cost of any "off-site"
extension of water and/or sewer mains and pumping stations necessary to connect the
developer's property to the county's water and sewer facilities. This provision recognizes
instances in which a developer may be required to advance funds to construct off-site facilities
sized in accordance with the County's Master Plan. All amounts expended by a developer
pursuant to such an agreement, over and above the developer's need for off-site facilities, may be
refunded to the developer in accordance with the terms and conditions of a refunding agreement
which the county executes with the developer. When the county deems it to be in the best
interest of the county utility system, the County may assume a portion of the material cost of
such projects. Generally, refund agreements provide for a plan of refund based upon the
connection of other properties served by the "off-site" facilities installed by the developer.
Assessment
Another funding option available to the county is assessment. With this method, the Board of
County Commissioners may assess benefitting property owners a proportional share of the cost
of any county project, including utility line extensions. Assessment projects may be initiated by
either the Board or property owners. For utility line extensions, main transmission or collection
lines (Master Plan lines) are not included in the assessment calculations. Those lines are funded
through other sources. Generally, assessments may be financed for up to 10 years, with
assessment interest rates set by the Board of County Commissioners in January of each year.
Usually, the Board adopts the prime rate.
PRIVATE SEWER SYSTEMS
Indian River County has four active private sewer systems, each of which uses package
treatment plants. Two of the county's private plants are operated by the Sun -Ag company.
Those plants are located near the City of Fellsmere, outside of the county's service area. One of
those plants serves a mobile home park, while the other serves a packinghouse. Both of those
facilities use extended aeration to provide a secondary level of treatment. Effluent at those plants
is disposed of through a percolation pond.
The county's other private systems are located at the Su -Rene mobile home park and Royal Oak
mobile home park in the unincorporated county. Those facilities use extended aeration to
provide a secondary level of treatment. Effluent at those plants is disposed of through a
percolation pond.
Community Development Department Indian River County 18
Comprehensive Plan
SEPTIC TANKS
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
The third type of sanitary sewer system utilized in the county is the individual system or septic
tank. Septic systems are generally small and designed to serve one or a limited number of land
uses.
Despite major expansion of the wastewater collection network, many residents within the
unincorporated portion of the county do not have access to regional wastewater treatment
facilities or package treatment plants. For those land uses, wastewater treatment and disposal is
provided by individual septic systems. According to the Indian River County Health Department
(IRCHD), there were an average of 658 new septic systems constructed annually within the
unincorporated county between 1995 to 2006. Of those septic tanks, 5% to 8% were for
commercial uses. Most of the residential septic systems are concentrated in Roseland, Sebastian,
Vero Lake Estates, and the older platted subdivisions south of the City of Vero Beach.
Septic tank systems provide on-site wastewater treatment for both residential and small-scale
commercial developments. Generally, residential septic tanks range in capacity from 900 to
1000 gallons. Commercial septic tanks usually have a larger capacity. Since effluent from
septic tanks is discharged to a drainfield where it is allowed to percolate into the soil, soil
permeability and depth to the water table are limiting factors for septic tank use. To ensure
adequate performance and protection of groundwater quality, elevation of septic tank drainfields
is often required.
A septic tank system consists of two components. One is the septic tank, while the other is the
drainfield. The tank receives sewage from the dwelling unit or commercial establishment and
provides a period of settling, during which time a significant portion of the solids settle out. The
treatment process is accomplished by bacteria which gradually decompose the solids which have
settled to the bottom of the septic tank. The remaining liquids are discharged through
underground drainage pipes into the drainfield and percolate into the soil. Once in the soil,
microorganisms and filtration processes purify the liquids. Every three to five years, the
accumulated solids must be removed from the septic tank. These solids, called septage, are
generally transported to regional sanitary sewer facilities for treatment prior to disposal.
According to the IRCHD, Indian River County is a difficult county in which to install septic tank
systems. There are several factors which account for this difficulty. These factors are:
• a high water table found in almost all areas of the county; and
• soil conditions consisting of an underlying hardpan strata in much of the county.
While a high water table impedes the discharge of liquids into the drainfield, an underlying
hardpan strata may prevent the filtration of effluent into the soil.
Community Development Department Indian River County 19
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
There are also other soil conditions that hinder the use of septic tank systems. Overall, though,
most of the land area within the county is poorly drained and has severe septic tank system
limitations. There are, however, two areas of the county in which the soils are better suited for
the installation of septic tank systems. These areas are as follows:
• Areas of South Florida Coastal Strand on the barrier island; and
• Areas on the mainland in the vicinity of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge.
The areas of the county having "Excessively Drained Soils" and "Moderately Drained Soils" are
better suited for septic tank systems. As shown on Figure 3.E.1 of the Stormwater Management_
Sub -Element, even these two soil types have limitations with respect to septic tank system
suitability. While moderately drained soils have a severe limitation rating for septic tank system
suitability, excessively drained soils percolate so rapidly that they provide very poor filtration.
Septic tanks on these soils have a potential for causing groundwater contamination.
Currently, the IRCHD requires that a septic tank system have a minimum of 42 inches of well
draining soil below the infiltrating surface of the drainfield. During the months of June through
October, the season of greatest rainfall, the water table in much of the county may be only 24
inches below this infiltrating surface. Therefore, fill material is often placed on top of existing
soil. This fill material, which provides the depth necessary for the proper operation of the septic
tank system, is usually a highly porous sand that can purify the liquids discharged into the
drainfield.
In low density areas with adequate soils where septic tanks are appropriate, there can still be
problems if septic tanks are not maintained. Generally, septic thanks need to be pumped on a
regular basis. While there are private septic tank service companies which empty septic tanks
and haul away septage, it is the septic tank owner who is responsible for initiating maintenance
activities.
Even when fill material is placed on a residential lot, there are still areas of the county in which
there are problems with septic tank systems. Besides soil and groundwater conditions, these
problems may be due to inadequate separation between septic tank drainfields and wells.
Without adequate separation, the potential of contamination from septic tanks seeping into wells
is greatly increased.
Presently, the IRCHD requires a minimum separation of 75 feet between wells and septic tanks.
Generally, the IRCHD requires that new lots utilizing well and septic tank systems be a
minimum of 1/2 acre (approximately 20,000 square feet). If a lot is served by a public water
system, a septic tank may be used even if the lot is as small as 1/4 acre (approximately 10,000
square feet).
Community Development Department Indian River County 20
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
There are many areas of the county in which existing subdivisions contain lots which do not
meet the minimum acreage requirements for well and septic tank systems. Nevertheless,
residential lots that do not meet those standards may be able to utilize septic tank systems
without increased health risks or increased probability of groundwater contamination if soil and
groundwater conditions are favorable. That is particularly applicable to residential lots that are
connected to the regional potable water system. Table 3.A.3 lists subdivisions in the county
urban service area with increased health risks and/or increased probability of groundwater
contamination associated with continued septic tank system use.
Like regional and private wastewater treatment facilities, septic systems also produce effluent
and a solid by-product called septage. While septic tank effluent is discharged into a drainfield
and percolates into the groundwater, the septage is deposited in the septic tank. Periodically, the
septage must be removed from the tank. For residential septic systems, the interval between
removal is typically three to five years. For land uses which generate large quantities of
wastewater, the interval between removal times may be as frequent as once a month. The size of
the septic tank, however, also influences how often removal occurs. When septage is removed
from septic tanks, private contractors must haul the septage to the county's sludge and septage
disposal facility at the county landfill.
TABLE 3.A.3
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY
SUBDIVISIONS WITH INCREASED HEALTH RISKS AND/OR INCREASED
PROBABILITY OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION ASSOCIATED WITH
CONTINUED SEPTIC TANK SYSTEM USE
1. Oslo Park
2. Paradise Park
3. Stevens Park
4. Durrance Place
Source: Indian River County Health and Utilities Departments
Community Development Department Indian River County 21
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
The wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal system is regulated by various agencies at all
levels of government. Table 3.A.4 shows the state and local agencies involved in wastewater
regulation and the types of activities in which they are involved.
111D7017\11
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 (PL 92-500) and its amendments through the
Clean Water Acts of 1977 (PL 95-217) and 1981 (PL 97-117) are the basis for pollution control
regulation in the nation. The goal of these acts is the restoration and/or maintenance of the
chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's water. The act established a national
policy of implementing areawide wastewater treatment and management programs to ensure
adequate control of sources of pollution. Under a provision of PL 92-500, grants are made
available to local governments to construct facilities to treat "point sources" of pollution,
including effluent from sewage treatment processes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
is responsible for implementing the act.
STATE
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the agency responsible for
ensuring that the State carries out the requirements of PL 92-500. In response to PL 92-500,
DEP has adopted Chapters 17-3 and 17-6, FAC. These chapters regulate wastewater facilities
which treat flows exceeding 10,000 GPD.
Within the State, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) regulates septic tanks and drainfield
installations. In each county, the DOH has an office to regulate septic systems. These
regulations have been adopted by rule in Chapter 64E-6. While 64E-6 does not set the criteria
for septic tank effluent quality, it does require that septic tanks be installed in such a manner that,
with reasonable maintenance, they will not create a health hazard or endanger the safety of any
domestic water supply.
In addition to regulating wastewater facilities, 64E-6 also establishes criteria for mandatory
connections to wastewater and potable water systems. According to that regulation, land uses
that are within 500 feet of a gravity line or 1000 sq. ft. of low pressure forcemain with
accessibility to that line through public rights-of-way must connect to the utilities system.
LOCAL
In 1984, Indian River County adopted an ordinance that established the utility rate structure and
a mandatory hookup policy for both residential and non-residential development. County policy
generally states that any development located within 200 feet of a wastewater collection line
must connect. In addition to that ordinance, the Utilities Department also has developed and
Community Development Department Indian River County 22
Comprehensive Plan
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
adopted design standards and review procedures to ensure that all connections to the system are
compatible with the system's design.
TABLE 3.A.4
REGULATION OF SEWAGE
Source: Indian River County Utilities Department
Community Development Department Indian River County 23
Statutory
Agency
Authority
Scope
Activity
DEP
Ch 403 FS
Responsible for all
Permits & inspection of
17-6 FAC
wastewater treatment plants,
wastewater plants over
and wastewater flows greater
10,000 GPD.
than 10,000 GPD.
DOH;
Ch 381 FS
Responsible for all onsite
Inspects, tests, and
County
64E-6 FAC
disposal systems less than
enforces all systems less
Health
10,000 GPD.
than 10,000 GPD.
Department
Responds to all public
complaints.
County Utili-
Local Ordinance
Responsible for review and
Inspects all work on
ties Dept.
Home Rule
construction of the public
county public
wastewater system.
wastewater system.
Regulates franchise of
Regulates franchise
private wastewater plants.
package facilities. Will
not permit package
plants under 20,000
GPD capacity.
Source: Indian River County Utilities Department
Community Development Department Indian River County 23
Comprehensive Plan
ANALYSIS
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
The analysis of the Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element focuses on the three components of the sanitary
sewer system: collection, treatment, and disposal.
COLLECTION SYSTEM
The principal components of the sanitary sewer collection system are pipes and pump stations.
Because Indian River County has a relatively new sanitary sewer system, those pipes and pump
stations are generally in good condition. Overall, most of the major lines are in place and sized
to accommodate future growth.
The county's long range plan for growth and development is reflected in the Future Land Use
Element of the comprehensive plan. That element defines where the community will grow and
where growth will be limited. As indicated in the Future Land Use Element, the urban service
area is the area deemed appropriate for future urban type development. Accordingly, it is within
the urban service area that utility lines and other infrastructure components will be available.
Although regional sanitary sewer service should generally be limited to lands within the urban
service area, there should be some exceptions. Historically, the county has allowed sites
contiguous to the urban service area boundary to connect to the regional sanitary sewer system,
and that is appropriate.
There are also other types of development allowed outside the urban service area, where regional
sanitary sewer service is appropriate and in some cases necessary. These include clustered
development in agricultural planned development projects, new town projects, traditional
neighborhood design projects, agricultural businesses, and agricultural industries. For these
uses, the county should allow connection to the regional sanitary sewer system or construction of
a privately owned system, where connection to the public system is not feasible. In those cases
where a privately owned system is allowed, the county should require that a franchise be
obtained from the county and that any plants and collection systems be built to county standards
and, where deemed appropriate by the county, be dedicated to the county without compensation.
The major collection system issues include service area, system evaluation and maintenance,
system expansion related to serving areas presently served by septic tank systems, and system
expansion to serve new development.
Service Area
Although the sanitary sewer service areas for the county and the City of Vero Beach have been
set for many years, recent events have initiated interest in reconsideration of those service areas.
Of particular concern are the unincorporated areas and the Town of Indian River Shores served
by the City of Vero Beach.
Community Development Department Indian River County 24
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
Currently, Vero Beach serves those areas outside its corporate limits based on interlocal
agreements with the county and the Town of Indian River Shores. While those agreements
expire in 2017, the county and/or Town must provide notice to the City by 2012 if either the
county or the Town wants to terminate its agreement on the 2017 termination date.
In the past, neither the county nor the Town had considered terminating its service area
agreement with the City. Recently, however, the City indicated that water and sewer rates would
increase significantly in the next few years. Also, due to a surcharge of the rates used to offset
the city's general fund, customers became disenchanted with the management of the City of
Vero Beach utility system. Besides the rate increases, the lack of representation in City utilities
rate setting is also a concern for unincorporated county and Town residents. Unlike city
residents, customers living outside the city limits cannot vote in city council elections and
therefore have no representation on utility matters.
For the reasons outlined above, the county's policy should be to maintain a dialogue with the
City and the Town regarding utility service areas and to initiate a study to assess the financial
feasibility of consolidating utility services or terminating the City of Vero Beach service area
agreement in 2017. That study should address the costs and revenues associated with
consolidating utility services or absorbing city utility customers in the unincorporated area and
the Town into the county system.
System Evaluation and Maintenance
The sanitary sewer collection system is evaluated with each application for new development,
and as each package treatment plant is decommissioned. That evaluation is done using a
computer modeling program, known as the "WaterCad" model that evaluates several factors,
including pipe capacity, lift station capacity, horse power requirements for pumps, and hydraulic
pump pressure. In contrast to the City of Vero Beach, which is largely built -out and has
provided utility service for many decades, sewer service is still relatively new to the rapidly
growing unincorporated county. Consequently, the county's collection system is constantly
evaluated.
Within the county's service area, the major collection system problem is low velocity in force
mains. In particular, the 24 inch, 20 inch, and 12 inch force mains in the US 1 corridor have low
velocities even at peak flows. The low velocity is caused by oversized lines and a lack of
wastewater generated. Where the velocity is less than 2 feet/second, solids will settle in
pipelines. Settled solids decrease hydraulic capacity.
Another problem occurs when a mass of accumulated solids become "unsettled" and reaches a
treatment plant in an unexpectedly large concentration. In the past, this situation has resulted in
sewage spills. While increased pipeline maintenance is necessary to prevent a reoccurrence of
such spills, the recent installation of numerous automatic air release valves has corrected the
problem by relieving gases that were preventing the normal flow of sewage through influent
Community Development Department Indian River County 25
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
pipes. In the future, the county's policy should be to continue to install automatic air release
valves in all new lines.
Service to New Development
Through the Utilities Department Wastewater Master Plan, the county has identified main lines
that must be installed along major corridors. Unlike other collection lines, "Master Plan" lines
usually do not connect directly to a wastewater generator. While master plan lines are paid for
by the Utilities Department with revenue from capacity charges and other sources, non -master
plan lines are paid from other sources.
Besides capital improvements programming and the assessment process, another way to expand
the collection system is through the platting and site plan approval requirements of new
development. For example, current comprehensive plan policies and land development
regulations mandate that each new subdivision within the Urban Service Area connect to the
centralized wastewater service system, if the proposed subdivision meets either of the following
criteria.
• It is within one-quarter of a mile of existing wastewater lines; or
• It contains 25 or more lots.
For non-residential projects, only those located more than 1/4 mile from the existing system and
generating less than 2000 gallons per day are not required to connect to the regional system.
Even non-residential projects meeting those requirements must connect if the system expands to
within 1/4 mile of the project.
Those requirements need to be maintained to ensure that expansion of the regional sanitary sewer
system occurs and to ensure that the costs of that expansion are paid by the beneficiaries of the
expansion. Even when a development project does not meet the above criteria, the project must
connect to the regional sanitary sewer system if the project is deemed unacceptable for septic
tank system use due to increased health and groundwater contamination risks.
There are several reasons for requiring nearly all new development to connect to the regional
system. Those reasons are listed below.
• Regional systems are less likely to fail.
• Regional systems are better regulated and inspected.
• Regional systems provide a higher level of treatment. That higher level of treatment
allows the effluent to be reused, rather than injected into the ground where the effluent
increases the risk of groundwater contamination.
Community Development Department Indian River County 26
Comprehensive Plan
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
• Regional systems are economically more efficient to build and operate, but only if all
new development connects to the system.
Septic Tanks
Between 1995 and 2006, 7,239 septic tanks (average of 658 per year) were permitted within the
county.
Generally, septic tanks are a potential source of groundwater contamination, especially in areas
where they are densely concentrated and the water table is high. According to the IRCHD, there
are many cases on record of a well's water source becoming polluted due to septic tank
discharges. As indicated in Table 3.A.5, septic tank effluent is of poor quality by today's
wastewater treatment standards. Consequently, effluent discharges can cause detrimental
increases in nitrogen, chloride, sodium, other ions, total dissolved solids, and the microbiological
levels of the local groundwater.
TABLE 3.A.5
TYPICAL CONCENTRATIONS FOR HOUSEHOLD WASTEWATER,
SEPTIC TANK EFFLUENT AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EFFLUENT
PARAMETER
CONCENTRATION
HOUSEHOLD WASTEWATER
SEPTIC TANK EFFLUENT
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PLANT
Biochemical Oxygen
Demand, 5 -day (BODS),
mg/ 1
430
150
20
Total Suspended Solids,
mg/ 1
370
50
20
Fecal Coliform (per
100m1)
7.5 X105
5X105
200
Total Nitrogen, mg/1
84
30
30
Ammonia Nitrogen, mg/1
64
25
N/A
Total Phosphate, mg/1
61
12
6
Source: Indian River County Wastewater Master Plan
Community Development Department Indian River County 27
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
Generally, the current system of septic tank maintenance is acceptable, particularly for newer
septic tanks meeting current regulations. For older septic tanks, however, lack of maintenance
can be a problem, and there is no program requiring regular maintenance of these septic tanks.
According to the County Health Department, a required septic tank maintenance program could
reduce septic tank failures and associated adverse impacts; however, such a program would be
costly and difficult to implement. In the future, the focus of the county and the IRCHD should
be on providing public education programs on the proper use, inspection, and maintenance of
septic tanks.
Several features inherent to the operation of septic tank systems make them prone to
contaminating groundwater without any visual indication. For example, septic tanks that are
undersized or not emptied often enough can accumulate sludge and scum, resulting in a poorer
quality effluent. If high groundwater conditions (within 3 to 4 feet of drainfield elevation) exist,
additional fill is needed. Once a septic tank system is installed and buried, these and other
operating problems cannot be recognized until the entire system fails and raw (untreated) sewage
backs up into the house plumbing or seeps above ground. Thus, a septic tank system that
appears to be functioning properly may, in reality, be providing very poor "treatment". This
problem is more likely to occur in areas of higher residential density and in areas with a high
concentration of commercial/industrial use.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service, most of
Indian River County's soil has severe limitations for the use of septic tank systems. Combined
with the County's high water table, this creates a high potential for groundwater contamination
problems.
For those reasons, the IRCHD requires that the bottom of drainfields be at least 42 inches above
the water table. To meet this requirement, fill material or an approved sand filter may be added
to the site. Also, a minimum separation requirement between wells and septic tank system
drainfields and a minimum lot size requirement must be met. Under those conditions, septic tank
performance is considered adequate for developments within the County.
Another problem with septic tank systems is the possibility of wastewater leachate from a septic
tank entering open bodies of water in the County. This problem must be examined carefully,
especially on the barrier island, in areas near the Indian River Lagoon, in areas near the St.
Sebastian River, and in areas adjacent to canals, lakes or wetlands.
To summarize, the problems with septic tank systems are listed below:
• Physical limitations existing in Indian River County
o A high water table is found in almost all areas of the county, especially during the months
of June through October.
Community Development Department Indian River County 28
Comprehensive Plan
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
o Ninety-three percent of the county's soil has an underlying spodic horizon (a restrictive
layer often comprised of sandy clay loam) and, therefore, is not suitable for septic tanks.
This problem can be solved in areas with a low residential density by some modification
of design and construction of septic tanks.
• Health and safety
o Poor quality of septic tank effluent compared to wastewater treatment plant effluent.
o High risk of groundwater contamination and spread of communicable disease.
o Cost and insufficiency of monitoring process.
o Inappropriate septage disposal.
• Environmental Consideration
o Groundwater contamination.
o Leachate to surface water bodies.
For those reasons, there is a need to expand the regional wastewater treatment system to areas
where existing or future land uses, soil and groundwater conditions, proximity to surface water
bodies, and/or lot size make continued use of septic systems unacceptable due to increased health
and groundwater contamination risks.
With this in mind, the county should always allow the voluntary expansion of the regional
sanitary sewer system to existing developments within the urban service area. Additionally, the
county must determine under what conditions to impose retrofitting on existing development.
As indicated in the finance section of this element, a major portion of the cost of service
expansion to existing subdivisions is funded through assessments. In the past, some residents
have objected to the costs of such assessments, often citing an inability to pay.
Throughout the county, many older residential subdivisions contain lots smaller than the
IRCHD's current '/2 acre minimum. Because these subdivisions generally contain households in
the lower portion of the county's income range, retrofitting those subdivisions with centralized
sewer service would cost those households a greater portion of their income than would be
associated with the average county household.
Under certain conditions, the increased health and groundwater contamination risks associated
with septic tank systems may be insignificant. This is often the case in residential developments
that are connected to a regional potable water system. If conditions are favorable and the units
are connected to a regional potable water system, even residential developments with lots smaller
than 1/2 acre may be served by septic tank systems without significantly increasing health and
Community Development Department Indian River County 29
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
groundwater contamination risks. Therefore, expanding the system to include all existing
residential subdivisions with lots smaller than 1/2 acre is not needed.
Instead, the county must establish criteria to differentiate between areas where retrofitting is
required and areas where retrofitting is allowed. Because the cost of retrofitting projects within
the urban service area is relatively constant, the most appropriate criteria to use to identify areas
to retrofit are increased health risks and increased groundwater contamination risks. When any
of the following conditions exist and the IRCHD verifies that the health and groundwater
contamination risks cannot be sufficiently reduced by any means other than connecting to the
regional system, retrofitting must occur.
• Areas with small lot sizes. Where units are not connected to a regional potable water
system, this refers to lots of/2 acre or less.
• Areas with intense land uses. Intense land uses means commercial/industrial uses or
residential uses greater than 6 units/acre.
• Environmentally Sensitive Areas. This means areas within 500 feet of aquifer recharge
zones, as identified in the Aquifer Recharge Sub -Element of this plan; within 500 feet of
any public water supply well; within 500 feet of the Indian River Lagoon, the St.
Sebastian River, or any body of water that drains into them.
• Areas identified by the IRCHD as potential threats to public health or a history of septic
tank failures.
• New developments on oceanfront and riverfront lots
For planning purposes, a history of septic tank failures is defined as follows:
For subdivisions of 10 or fewer lots, this means 20% failures in five years. For subdivisions of
11 to 75 lots, this means 10% failures in eight years. For subdivisions of more than 75 lots, this
means 2% failures in ten years. Residential subdivisions that meet those criteria are identified in
Table 3.A.3.
Generally, the most effective and efficient way to correct the wastewater problem of those
subdivisions is to connect them to the regional system. Other options could involve adding fill
and/or pumping the wastewater to another septic tank. Although the costs and effectiveness of
these options vary due to specific circumstances, they seldom justify not connecting to the
regional system. In the future, the county should continue to offer its assessment program that
provides sanitary sewer to the neighborhoods where individuals benefiting from the connection
to the sanitary sewer system pay for the cost of service expansion.
Community Development Department Indian River County 30
Comprehensive Plan
TREATMENT
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
In addition to septic tank systems, public and private treatment plants provide wastewater
treatment within the county. In Indian River County, large regional public treatment plants now
predominate. Consequently, major treatment issues in the county relate primarily to ensuring
sufficient capacity (either on-site or off-site) to accommodate projected growth.
If wastewater demand were allowed to exceed the county's treatment capacity, untreated sewage
would have to be discharged. That would result in health hazards and environmental degradation
of surface water bodies. To prevent such an occurrence, the county must continue its policy of
approving new development only when sufficient capacity will be available. In this regard, the
county's computerized concurrency management system and its capital improvements plan
ensure that capacity will be available to serve new development concurrent with demand.
Public Treatment Plants
Besides producing high quality effluent, all public treatment plants currently have more than
enough capacity to accommodate existing demand. The following sections discuss the county's
future wastewater treatment needs and alternatives to meet those needs.
Projection of Future Demand
Assumptions
The comprehensive planning process is an opportunity for the county to complete an assessment
of its long range sanitary sewer needs. Such a needs assessment must consist of an analysis that
is more than a straight line linear projection. Future projections should utilize certain
assumptions based on past trends, present conditions, and future desires. The main assumptions
utilized in the sanitary sewer needs assessment are as follows:
• The county will be the primary provider of sanitary sewer collection, treatment, and
disposal;
• The City of Vero Beach will continue to serve the City of Vero Beach, the Town of
Indian River Shores and a portion of the unincorporated county; and
• 90% to 95% of future new development will connect to the regional sewer system.
The county will continue to maintain these policies and evaluate the feasibility of regional
system versus package treatment plants for the above referenced type of developments.
Community Development Department Indian River County 31
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
The existing conditions section of this sub -element provides a discussion of the existing capacity
of centralized wastewater treatment facilities, with an emphasis on the county system. That
discussion addresses the supply side of the wastewater treatment system. This section considers
the demand side.
The information for this section is based on the permanent and functional population projections
contained in the Introductory Element and on the projected land use patterns contained in the
Future Land Use Element. That information is also consistent with the county utilities master
plan. To develop these projections, the county used data such as historic growth, population
estimates, number and type of dwelling units, and developed commercial/industrial acreage.
As with other facility analyses, planning for wastewater treatment facility expansion requires a
rational approach to projecting growth over a finite planning period. Past experience has shown
that using the historic growth of existing facilities in conjunction with population projections is
the most accurate method of projecting wastewater generation rates for future treatment facility
expansions.
Capital Improvements
According to the county sanitary sewer master plan, the total design capacity of the county
sanitary sewer system in 2030 is projected to be 19 million gallons per day (MGD), while total
demand is projected to be about 12.62 million gallons per day (MGD). To get to a 19 gallon per
day capacity, either the north county regional plant and/or the west regional plant will be
expanded in each of the following years: 2010, 2015, and 2025. The increases will be: 2 mgd in
2010; 2 mgd in 2015; and 3 mgd in 2025. This information is shown in the graph below.
Because all of the plants in the county system are interconnected, there is flexibility as to which
plant or plants will be expanded to accommodate future demand.
Community Development Department Indian River County 32
Comprehensive Plan
Figure 3.A.2
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
To ensure sufficient capacity through 2030, the county should take the following steps:
• Begin planning and preliminary design for expansion when a plant's Average Daily
Demand is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 5 years;
• Prepare plans and specifications for expansion when a plant's Average Daily Demand
is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 4 years;
• Submit a complete construction permit application to the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) for expansion when a plant's Average Daily
Demand is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 3 years; and
• Submit an application for an operation permit for the expanded facility to DEP when
a plant's Average Daily Demand is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 6
months.
Taking these steps within the referenced timeframes will ensure that the county has sufficient
time to design, permit, and construct needed plant capacity. At the same time, these timeframes
decrease the chances that plants will have many years of unused capacity.
A list of sanitary sewer capital improvements is provided in the Capital Improvements Element
(CIE) of the county's comprehensive plan and provided in Appendix "A" of this sub -element.
Since the county's CIE must be updated annually, projects completed will be dropped from the
list of capital improvements and new projects will be added as needed.
Community Development Department Indian River County 33
WWTF Capacity vs. Demand
20.00
19.00
18.00
16.00
16.00
14.00
14.00
.62
14.00
8.85
9.60
12.00
8.00
12.85
12.85
12.62
7
Overall WWTF Capacity
11.60
ill 10.00
- .
6.00
5.72
t Demand with Concurrency
4.91
4.70 4.70
5.10
3.89
Demand W/O Concurrency
A 8.00
6.35
U
6.00
4.00
2.00
0.00
Ob
2005
2010
2015 2020 2025
2030 2035
2000
To ensure sufficient capacity through 2030, the county should take the following steps:
• Begin planning and preliminary design for expansion when a plant's Average Daily
Demand is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 5 years;
• Prepare plans and specifications for expansion when a plant's Average Daily Demand
is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 4 years;
• Submit a complete construction permit application to the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) for expansion when a plant's Average Daily
Demand is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 3 years; and
• Submit an application for an operation permit for the expanded facility to DEP when
a plant's Average Daily Demand is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 6
months.
Taking these steps within the referenced timeframes will ensure that the county has sufficient
time to design, permit, and construct needed plant capacity. At the same time, these timeframes
decrease the chances that plants will have many years of unused capacity.
A list of sanitary sewer capital improvements is provided in the Capital Improvements Element
(CIE) of the county's comprehensive plan and provided in Appendix "A" of this sub -element.
Since the county's CIE must be updated annually, projects completed will be dropped from the
list of capital improvements and new projects will be added as needed.
Community Development Department Indian River County 33
.62
8.85
9.60
8.00
7
7
- .
6.00
5.72
4.91
4.70 4.70
5.10
3.89
To ensure sufficient capacity through 2030, the county should take the following steps:
• Begin planning and preliminary design for expansion when a plant's Average Daily
Demand is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 5 years;
• Prepare plans and specifications for expansion when a plant's Average Daily Demand
is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 4 years;
• Submit a complete construction permit application to the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) for expansion when a plant's Average Daily
Demand is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 3 years; and
• Submit an application for an operation permit for the expanded facility to DEP when
a plant's Average Daily Demand is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 6
months.
Taking these steps within the referenced timeframes will ensure that the county has sufficient
time to design, permit, and construct needed plant capacity. At the same time, these timeframes
decrease the chances that plants will have many years of unused capacity.
A list of sanitary sewer capital improvements is provided in the Capital Improvements Element
(CIE) of the county's comprehensive plan and provided in Appendix "A" of this sub -element.
Since the county's CIE must be updated annually, projects completed will be dropped from the
list of capital improvements and new projects will be added as needed.
Community Development Department Indian River County 33
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
Within the county, a number of existing residential developments are not connected to the county
sanitary sewer system. If all unserved developments were connected to the regional sanitary
sewer system, there would be significant additional wastewater treatment demand. For a number
of reasons, however, most unserved developments will never connect to the regional system.
In many cases, septic systems are adequate to accommodate individual single family houses, and
there is no need to retrofit existing subdivisions with sanitary sewer lines. Where subdivisions
are served by a centralized potable water system, there are seldom problems caused by lots
having individual septic tanks. Given the high cost of retrofitting existing subdivisions with
sanitary sewer lines and given the limited benefits of connecting, it is unlikely that many existing
subdivisions will be retrofitted with sewers in the future.
There are, however, some circumstances where connecting existing subdivisions to the sanitary
sewer system would be beneficial. Those circumstances mostly relate to a subdivision's
proximity to a waterbody. Because septic tanks can leach pollutants and those pollutants can
impact the ocean, the Indian River Lagoon, the St. Sebastian River, or other surface water
bodies, the county has an interest in promoting the connection of waterfront subdivisions to the
sanitary sewer system.
In the future, the county should continue to offer its assessment program that provides sanitary
sewer to those neighborhoods where individuals benefiting from the connection to the sanitary
sewer system pay for the cost of service expansion.
Wastewater Needs and Land Use
With the 1990 adoption of the comprehensive plan, the county established its urban service area.
The intent of the comprehensive plan is to direct most growth into that area and to provide urban
type services to development in the urban service area.
Since adoption of the 1990 comprehensive plan, the regional wastewater collection system has
been extended to all commercial/industrial areas in the county, including the three I-95
commercial/industrial nodes. As a result of that expansion, the development potential of land
within the urban service area has greatly increased for both residential and commercial/industrial
projects.
Although the regional sanitary sewer system service area has been greatly expanded, there are
still several areas such as Oslo Park, Vero Lake Estates, Paradise Park and other areas which are
not yet served. In the future, the county should evaluate whether or not unserved areas should be
connected to the regional sanitary sewer system.
Community Development Department Indian River County 34
Comprehensive Plan
Private Treatment Plants
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
As indicated in the background section of this Sub -Element, the reason that the County started
direct provision of wastewater treatment services was due to problems at private package
treatment facilities. In many cases, the problems with private plants were due to the operational
aspects of the plant, rather than with the plant itself. Because of those problems and their
environmental impacts, the County Utilities Department has decommissioned all but four private
plants. Customers formerly served by private plants that have been decommissioned have been
connected to the county system.
To avoid a repeat of past problems, to ensure the financial viability of the regional system, and to
discourage urban sprawl, new package treatment plants are generally prohibited within the urban
service area. Consistent with the provisions of the Future Land Use Element of this plan,
package treatment plants or connection to the regional system may be allowed outside of the
urban service area to serve development projects that meet the following specific criteria:
• clustering of residential development within agricultural areas;
• clustering of residential development within privately owned upland conservation
areas;
• clustering development within mixed use districts; or
• traditional neighborhood design communities.
• agricultural businesses and industries (including biofuel facilities)
In the future, the county will continue to maintain and enforce the above referenced policies.
EFFLUENT DISPOSAL
Another wastewater treatment issue concerns long range plans for effluent disposal. With
respect to effluent disposal, the county has several alternatives. Those alternatives include
requiring new commercial and/or residential development to use reuse water, retrofitting existing
development to use reuse water, or creating wetlands with reuse water.
While retrofitting existing development is, by a large margin, the most expensive of these
options, requiring that new development accommodate reuse water is somewhat less expensive.
In fact, new commercial areas are currently required to accommodate reuse lines. Even some
single-family and multiple -family residential developers, although not required to, have chosen
to incur the extra expense of building their projects to accommodate reuse water.
Currently, reuse through spray irrigation is the county's primary effluent disposal method. This
method is consistent with the county's emphasis to conserve potable water. For that reason, the
county utilities department is planning to modify the county's sanitary sewer system connection
Community Development Department Indian River County 35
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
regulations to require that all new subdivisions of 25 or more lots within one-quarter of a mile of
an existing re -use line connect to the re -use line for irrigation purposes.
Perhaps the most successful and efficient effluent reuse method currently used by the county is at
the West County Plant. At that site, a ±165 acre man-made wetland has been created and
maintained with effluent from the plant. Besides the creation of habitat for many species of
plants and animals, the benefits of that method of effluent disposal include greatly decreased
operating costs.
Although the wetland at the West County Plant is adjacent to the plant, such man-made wetlands
are not required to be located near a treatment plant. If not located near a plant, however, they
must be located near a reuse water transmission line.
Because the long term benefit of developing such wetlands may outweigh the initial land
acquisition and construction costs, the county should begin studying the feasibility of developing
additional wetlands.
SUMMARY OF ANALYSIS
Currently, the county's sanitary sewer system is meeting the needs of the community. There is,
however, a need to expand the regional wastewater treatment system. That expansion is needed
to meet the demand of projected population growth through 2030, and is currently planned to
occur with incremental plant expansions.
While the county's wastewater system works well, septic tanks are still an issue. In the future,
the county needs to ensure that even fewer new units use septic tanks, while also connecting
existing septic tank users to the regional system where problems exist. To address the thousands
of existing septic tanks, the county and Health Department need to evaluate the feasibility of
establishing a mandatory septic tank maintenance system.
Although the county has successfully extended sewer lines within the urban service area, the
county needs to continue to expand its collection system to serve the entire urban service area.
Along with that, the county needs to expand its reuse system.
Community Development Department Indian River County 36
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
GOAL, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
Indian River County shall have an efficient system of sanitary sewer disposal that prevents
degradation of existing resources, promotes orderly growth and development, and meets existing
and projected demands.
OBJECTIVE 1 Service Concurrent with Development
Through the time horizon of the plan, there will be sufficient capacity in the regional sanitary
sewer system to accommodate all new development within the urban service area.
POLICY 1.1: New development within the unincorporated portion of Indian River
County shall be approved only when capacity is available, either on-site or off-site, to
provide needed sanitary sewer service.
POLICY 1.2: The county utilities department, on an annual basis, shall inspect all
private wastewater treatment plants in Indian River County.
POLICY 1.3: The county hereby adopts a sanitary sewer level of service standard of 250
gallons per day per equivalent residential unit with a peak monthly flow factor of 1.25.
That standard shall be utilized for determining the availability of facility capacity and the
demand generated by a development.
POLICY 1.4: Through its computerized permit tracking and its concurrency management
system, the county shall continue to implement procedures to update facility demand and
capacity information as development orders and permits are issued.
POLICY 1.5: The Planning Division, on an as needed basis, shall provide summary
reports containing capacity and demand information for each public wastewater treatment
plant within the county service area.
POLICY 1.6: Consistent with the county's water and wastewater connection matrix, the
county shall continue to allow the use of septic tank systems in rural areas for single-
family units and for domestic waste disposal by small retail establishments. The use of
septic tank systems must be approved by the Health Department and be consistent with
Rule 64E-6, FAC.
Community Development Department Indian River County 37
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
OBJECTIVE 2 Regional System Expansion/Correction of Deficiencies
By 2015, at least 50% of all existing residential units in the county will be connected to a
regional sanitary sewer system. This will be an increase from 44% in 2006.
POLICY 2.1: The county shall continue to offer the utility assessment program to areas
with septic service within the County Utilities Department service area.
POLICY 2.2: The county shall continue to offer up to 10 year financing for all utility
assessments.
POLICY 2.3: The county shall given priority for the provision of public sanitary sewer
services to the subdivisions on the list of subdivisions designated as requiring sanitary
sewer service due to public health threats.
POLICY 2.4: The county shall provide sanitary sewer service to areas where the lack of
such service is determined to be a public health threat. The county shall recover costs
through those connecting to the system and directly benefitting from the improvement.
POLICY 2.5: Consistent with its interlocal agreements with the City of Sebastian and the
Town of Orchid, the county shall provide sanitary sewer services to those municipalities.
POLICY 2.6: Prior to 2011, the County will coordinate with the City of Vero Beach and
the Town of Indian River Shores to prepare a financial analysis of options related to the
possibility of consolidation of utility services. This analysis may consist of, but is not
limited to: the possibility of the County serving utilities to the Town of Indian River
Shores, currently served by the City of Vero Beach and the Unincorporated area of the
South Barrier Island, currently served by the City of Vero Beach, full consolidation of the
City of Vero Beach Utility with the Indian River County Utility or making no changes in
the existing utility service areas. Based on the results of a financial analysis of the various
service options, the Board of County Commissioners will consider implementing the
results that show the best financial and operational benefits.
OBJECTIVE 3 Surface Water and Groundwater Qualitv
Through the time horizon of the plan, the county will have no instances of sanitary sewer
facilities contaminating surface water or groundwater resources.
POLICY 3.1: The IRCHD shall conduct annual inspections of septic tanks that are
associated with heavy commercial, industrial, and manufacturing uses. The results of
these inspections shall be used to prioritize sanitary sewer service expansion.
Community Development Department Indian River County 38
Comprehensive Plan
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
POLICY 3.2: The county shall regularly monitor all centralized sanitary sewer facilities
to ensure that they do not contaminate surface water or groundwater resources.
POLICY 3.3: To ensure that hazardous waste is not discharged into ground or surface
water, the IRCHD shall conduct random samplings of on-site sewage systems for
businesses which have been identified as hazardous waste generators. Violators shall be
prosecuted according to federal, state and/or local regulations.
OBJECTIVE 4 Water Conservation
Through the time horizon of the plan, 100% of the wastewater effluent produced by the county
centralized sanitary sewer facilities will be reused.
POLICY 4.1: The county shall continue to reuse wastewater by spray irrigation, with
percolation ponds and wetlands as back-up.
POLICY 4.2: The county shall require large volume irrigation users, such as
developments with golf courses, to use reuse water for spray irrigation.
POLICY 4.3: The county shall continue to enforce Land Development Regulations that
require developments that use treated wastewater for spray irrigation to construct and
dedicate to the county the effluent transmission lines needed to transport the effluent to
the development.
POLICY 4.4: The county shall require all new subdivisions or residential projects of 25
or more lots/units within one-quarter of a mile of an existing re -use line to connect to the
re -use line.
OBJECTIVE 5 Capital Improvements
By 2014, the county will have completed the sanitary sewer improvements listed in the county's
5 year Capital Improvements Program in order to maximize the use of existing facilities and
discourage urban sprawl (current Five Year Capital Improvements Plan shown in Appendix A).
POLICY 5.1: In conformance with the review process for the Capital Improvements
Element of this plan, the county shall maintain a five-year schedule of capital
improvement needs for public facilities.
POLICY 5.2: Proposed capital improvement projects shall be evaluated and ranked
according to the following three priority level guidelines:
Community Development Department Indian River County 39
Comprehensive Plan
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
• Level One - whether the project is needed to protect public health and safety, to
fulfill the county's legal commitment to provide facilities and services, or to preserve
or achieve full use of existing facilities.
• Level Two - whether the project increases efficiency of use of existing facilities,
prevents or reduces future improvement costs, provides service to developed areas
lacking full service or promotes in -fill development.
• Level Three - whether the project represents a logical extension of facilities and
services within the urban service area.
POLICY 5.3: In order to guarantee provision of more than the minimum level of service,
the county shall take the following steps:
• begin planning and preliminary design for expansion when a plant's Average Daily
Demand is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 5 years;
• prepare plans and specifications for expansion when a plant's Average Daily
Demand is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 4 years;
• submit a complete construction permit application to the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection for expansion when a plant's Average Daily Demand is
projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 3 years; and
• submit an application for an operation permit for the expanded facility to DEP when
a plant's Average Daily Demand is projected to equal or exceed its capacity within 6
months.
POLICY 5.4: The county shall treat sanitary sewer provision as an enterprise system
which is financially self-supporting.
POLICY 5.5: The County Utilities Department shall fund sanitary sewer capital
improvements and expansions through user fees, impact fees, developer's agreements,
assessments and other appropriate fees and funding mechanisms.
POLICY 5.6: The county shall pursue state and federal sources of funding available for
the improvement and expansion of utility services.
POLICY 5.7: All improvements, replacement, expansion, or increase in capacity of
county facilities shall be consistent with adopted level of service standards for facilities.
Community Development Department Indian River County 40
Comprehensive Plan
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
POLICY 5.8: Consistent with the policies of the Future Land Use Element of this plan,
provision of centralized sanitary sewer service shall be limited to the following areas:
• Areas within the Urban Service Area;
• Areas where the county has legal commitments to provide facilities and services as
of the date of adoption of this plan;
• Areas outside of the Urban Service Area where at least a portion of the site is
contiguous to an Urban Service Area boundary as depicted on the Official Future
Land Use Map. These areas are subject to the following provisions:
o The maximum density of such land shall be as shown on the Future
Land Use Map, and the provision of centralized sanitary sewer service
shall not be justification for an increase in maximum density;
o Sanitary sewer line extensions shall be limited to laterals and minor
lines connecting land uses to main lines; and
o In no case shall centralized sanitary sewer lines be permitted to extend
more than 500 feet from the centerline of a roadway which is an Urban
Service Area boundary, or more than 500 feet from the Urban Service
Area boundary when the boundary is not a roadway.
• Development projects located outside of the Urban Service Area that meet the
criteria of the policies of the Future Land Use Element for:
o clustering of residential development within agricultural;
o clustering of residential development within privately owned upland
conservation areas;
o clustered development within mixed use districts;
o traditional neighborhood design communities;
o public facilities such as public schools; and
o agricultural businesses and industries (including biofuel facilities)
• Areas where, consistent with Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element Policy 2.4, the lack of
centralized sanitary sewer service is determined to be a public health threat.
POLICY 5.9: The county shall install automatic air release valves in all new sewer lines.
Community Development Department Indian River County 41
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
OBJECTIVE 6 Package Treatment Plants
Through the time horizon of the plan, there shall be no instances of package treatment plant
failures, or illegal or unsafe package treatment plant discharges.
POLICY 6.1: The county shall limit the use of package wastewater treatment systems to
areas that meet the following criteria governing connection to the county sanitary sewer
system:
• Development served by existing package treatment plants may continue to treat their
sewage in that manner until centralized service becomes available. At that time, all
development within 1/4 mile of a county sewer line shall be connected to the county
system. Development whose sewage treatment systems causes a public health
problem must connect to the regional system regardless of the distance to sewer
lines.
• Package treatment plants shall be allowed in areas of development outside of the
Urban Service Area when such development meets the criteria of policies of the
Future Land Use Element for:
o clustering of residential development within agricultural areas;
o clustering of residential development within privately owned upland conservation
areas;
o clustering development within mixed use districts;
o tradition neighborhood design communities; or
o agricultural businesses and industries (including biofuel facilities)
POLICY 6.2: The county shall ensure that, prior to the issuance of development orders
or permits, the applicant has demonstrated that the project complies with applicable
federal, state, and local permit requirements for package treatment plants.
POLICY 6.3: The county shall require that issuance of permits for replacement or
expansion of existing package treatment plants be conditioned upon compliance with the
most updated version of DEP regulatory requirements and Federal and State water quality
standards as identified in the "Regulatory Framework" section of the sub -element.
POLICY 6.4: To ensure proper maintenance and operation, the Utilities Department
shall inspect all package treatment plants on an annual basis.
POLICY 6.5: The county shall require all new package wastewater treatment plants to be
built according to current federal, state, and county requirements. In addition to
obtaining a county permit demonstrating compliance with county regulations, any
developer building and operating a package wastewater treatment plant must obtain a
Community Development Department Indian River County 42
Comprehensive Plan
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
state permit demonstrating compliance with state and federal regulations. Those
regulations include but are not limited to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972
(PL 92-500) and its amendments through the Clean Water Acts of 1977 (PL 95-217) and
1981 (PL 97-117), Chapters 381 and 403 of the Florida Statutes, and Rules 17-3 and 17-6
of the Florida Administrative Code. Both state and county permits are required for the
construction of a plant, and for any future expansion or modification of a plant.
POLICY 6.6: At the time the county approves any new package treatment plants, the
county will require, that at the time deemed appropriate by the county, the package
treatment plant and associated sewer collection system shall be dedicated to the county
for operation and maintenance without compensation.
POLICY 6.7: The county shall continue to enforce ordinances requiring pre-treatment of
commercial and industrial waste before discharge into the county system.
POLICY 6.8: The county shall require all future connections to the regional sanitary
sewer system to be consistent with the attached water and wastewater connection matrix.
OBJECTIVE 7 Septic Tank Systems
By 2020, the number of new septic tank systems permitted annually will not exceed 450.
POLICY 7.1: The county shall limit the use of septic tank systems to areas that meet the
following criteria governing connection to the county sanitary sewer system:
• With the exception of those identified in Table 3.A.3, residential subdivisions
served by existing septic tank systems may continue to treat their sewage in that
manner.
• Commercial/industrial uses and residential subdivisions identified in Table 3.A.3
may continue to treat their sewage with existing septic tank systems until
centralized sewer service lines are extended to within 1/4 mile of the site. At that
time, all residential units in those subdivisions and all commercial/industrial uses
shall be connected to the county system. Developments whose sewage treatment
systems cause a public health problem must connect to the regional system
regardless of the distance to sewer lines.
• Use of septic tank systems for new development shall be prohibited unless:
o such development meets the criteria set on the water and wastewater
connection matrix; or
o such development consists of clustered residential development within
privately owned upland conservation (C-3) areas. Even under those
Community Development Department Indian River County 43
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
circumstances, no individual septic tank systems may be associated
with individual residential units. If located outside of any
conservation designated areas or areas that are environmentally
sensitive or significant, however, centralized community septic tank
systems may be provided to each pod of clustered residential
development.
o Septic tank systems shall be allowed in areas of development outside
of the Urban Service Area when such development meets the criteria
of policies of the Future Land Use Element for:
- clustered residential development within agricultural
planned development projects;
- clustered development within new town projects;
- traditional neighborhood design communities; and
- agricultural businesses and industries (including biofuel
facilities)
POLICY 7.2: The county shall ensure that, prior to the issuance of development orders
or permits for projects to be served by septic tank systems, the applicant has
demonstrated that the project complies with Florida Department of Health and Rule 64E-
6, FAC, permit requirements for septic tank systems.
POLICY 7.3: The county shall require that issuance of permits for replacement of
existing septic tank systems be conditioned upon compliance with the most updated
version of DEP regulatory requirements and Federal and State water quality standards as
identified in the "Regulatory Framework" section of the Sub -element.
POLICY 7.4: The county, in coordination with the IRCHD, shall establish public
education programs on the proper use, inspection requirements, maintenance, and
abandonment of septic tanks. The tank abandonment process shall be based on current
state and local regulations.
Community Development Department Indian River County 44
Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
An important part of any plan is its implementation. Implementation involves execution of the
plan's policies. It involves taking actions and achieving results.
For the Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element, implementation involves various activities. While some of
these actions will be ongoing, others are activities that will be taken by certain points in time.
For each policy in this element, Table 3.A.6 identifies the type of action required, the responsible
entity for taking the action, the timing, and whether or not the policy necessitates a capital
expenditure.
To implement the Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element, several different types of actions must be taken.
These include: expansion of plant capacity, extension of the collection network, enforcement of
land development regulations and ordinances, execution of interlocal agreements, coordination,
and preparation of studies and evaluation and monitoring reports.
Overall plan implementation responsibility will rest with the planning department. Besides its
responsibilities as identified in Table 3.A.6, the planning department has the additional
responsibility of ensuring that other entities discharge their responsibilities. This will entail
notifying other applicable departments of capital expenditures to be included in their budgets,
notifying other departments and groups of actions that must be taken, and assisting other
departments and agencies in their plan implementation responsibilities.
Community Development Department Indian River County 45
Comprehensive Plan
TABLE 3.A.6
SANITARY SEWER SUB -ELEMENT
IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
POLICY#
TYPE OF ACTION
RESPONSIBILITY
TIMING
CAPITAL EXPEND.
1.1
Land Development
Regulations
Planning
Ongoing
NO
1.2
Monitoring Procedures
Utilities
Ongoing
NO
1.3
Land Development
Regulations
Planning
Ongoing
NO
1.4
Monitoring Procedures
Utilities/Planning
Ongoing
NO
1.5
Summary Reports
Planning
As Needed
NO
1.6
Land Development
Regulations
Utilities/IRCHD
Ongoing
NO
2.1
Service Provision
Utilities
Ongoing
YES
2.2
Service Provision
Utilities
Ongoing
NO
2.3
Evaluation Process/
Service Provision
Utilities/IRCHD
Ongoing
YES
2.4
Evaluation Process/
Service Provision
Utilities/IRCHD
Ongoing
YES
2.5
Coordination
Utilities/BCC
Ongoing
NO
2.6
Feasibility Study
Utilities/Planning
Ongoing
NO
3.1
Annual Inspections
IRCHD
Ongoing
NO
3.2
Monitoring Procedures
Utilities
Ongoing
NO
3.3
Monitoring Procedures
IRCHD
Ongoing
NO
4.1
Reuse Water by Spray
Irrigation
Utilities
Ongoing
NO
4.2
Land Development
Regulations
Utilities
Ongoing
NO
4.3
Land Development
Regulations
Utilities
Ongoing
NO
4.4
Land Development
Regulations
Utilities
Ongoing
NO
5.1
CIP Maintenance
Finance/Utilities
Ongoing
NO
Community Development Department Indian River County 46
Comprehensive Plan
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
POLICY#
TYPE OF ACTION
RESPONSIBILITY
TIMING
CAPITAL EXPEND.
5.2
CIP Evaluation &
Finance/Utilities
Ongoing
NO
Prioritization
5.3
Capacity Monitoring &
Utilities
Ongoing
YES
Plant Expansion
5.4
Land Development
Finance/Utilities
Ongoing
NO
Regulations
5.5
Land Development
Utilities
Ongoing
YES
Regulations
5.6
Funding Mechanism
Utilities/Finance
Ongoing
NO
5.7
Improvement/
Utilities
Ongoing
YES
Replacement/Expansion
5.8
Land Development
Utilities/Planning
Ongoing
NO
Regulations
5.9
Installation of Air
Utilities
Ongoing
Yes
Release Valves
6.1
Land Development
Utilities/Planning
Ongoing
NO
Regulations
6.2
Land Development
Utilities/Planning
Ongoing
NO
Regulations
6.3
Land Development
Utilities/Planning/
Ongoing
NO
Regulations
IRCHD
6.4
Plant Inspections
Utilities
Ongoing
NO
6.5
Land Development
Utilities/Planning
Ongoing
NO
Regulations
6.6
Land Development
Utilities/Planning
Ongoing
NO
Regulations
6.7
Land Development
Utilities
Ongoing
NO
Regulations
6.8
Land Development
Utilities/Planning
Ongoing
NO
Regulations
7.1
Land Development
Utilities/Planning
Ongoing
NO
Regulations
7.2
Land Development
Utilities/Planning/
Ongoing
NO
Regulations
IRCHD
7.3
Land Development
Utilities/Planning/
Ongoing
NO
Regulations
IRCHD
Community Development Department Indian River County 47
Comprehensive Plan
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
POLICY#
TYPE OF ACTION
RESPONSIBILITY
TIMING
CAPITAL EXPEND.
7.4
Public Education
Program
Utilities/ IRCHD
Ongoing
NO
Community Development Department Indian River County 48
Comprehensive Plan
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
EVALUATION AND MONITORING PROCEDURES
To be effective, a plan must not only provide a means for implementation; it must also provide a
mechanism for assessing the plan's effectiveness. Generally a plan's effectiveness can be judged
by the degree to which the plan's objectives have been met. Since objectives are measurable and
have specific timeframes, the plan's objectives are the benchmarks used as a basis to evaluate the
plan.
Table 3.A.7 identifies each of the objectives of the Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element. It also
identifies the measures to be used to evaluate progress in achieving these objectives. Most of
these measures are quantitative. Besides the measures, Table 3.A.7 also identifies timeframes
associated with meeting the objectives.
The utilities department staff will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the Sanitary
Sewer Sub -Element. This will involve collection of data and compilation of information
regarding facility capacity, expansion, and new development permitted. This will be done on a
regular basis. As part of the county's concurrency management system, the county will
continually monitor facility capacity to ensure that wastewater level -of -service standards will be
maintained.
While monitoring will occur on a continual basis, formal evaluation of the Sanitary Sewer Sub -
Element will occur every five years in conjunction with the formal evaluation and appraisal of
the entire comprehensive plan. Besides assessing progress, the evaluation and appraisal process
will also be used to determine whether the Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element objectives should be
modified or expanded. In this way the monitoring and evaluation of the Sanitary Sewer Sub -
Element will not only provide a means of determining the degree of success of the plan's
implementation; it will also provide a mechanism for evaluating needed changes to the plan
element.
Community Development Department Indian River County 49
Comprehensive Plan
TABLE 3.A.7
SANITARY SEWER SUB -ELEMENT
EVALUATION MATRIX
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
OBJECTIVE #
MEASURE
TIMEFRAME
1
Availability of Sufficient Capacity
Through the
time horizon of
the plan
2
% connected to regional system
By 2015
3
# of instances of sanitary sewer facilities contaminating
Through the
surface water or groundwater resources
time horizon of
the plan
4
% of wastewater effluent reused
Through the
time horizon of
the plan
5
Completed improvements
Through the
time horizon of
the plan
6
# of package treatment plant failures and # of illegal or
Through the
unsafe package treatment plant discharges
time horizon of
the plan
7
# of new septic tank systems permitted annually
By 2020
Community Development Department Indian River County 50
Comprehensive Plan
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
TABLE 3.A.8
WATER & WASTEWATER CONNECTION MATRIX FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT
* Daily flow refers to water consumption or sewer generation.
**The applicant for any development project, where such project will not connect to a
centralized system, must sign a developer's agreement with the Indian River County Utilities
Department to operate on a private system with a commitment to connect to the regional system
when service is available. These agreements shall be conditioned upon demonstration of
compliance with applicable federal, state, and local permit requirements. When using a private
system or on-site facilities, the developer must construct a dry line or wet line at the time of
construction, if required by the Utilities Department. The final determination for the type of
Community Development Department Indian River County 51
Inside of the Urban Service Area
Connect
Not Connect
Single Family:
Within 200' of system
X
Outside of 200' of system
X**
Residential Projects:
Subdivision, multi -family, site plan, PD, DRI
Within 1/4 mile of the system
25 units or more
X
Less than 25 units
X
Outside of 1/4 mile of system
25 units or more
X
Less than 25 units
X**
Non -Residential Projects:
Subdivision, site plan, PD, DRI
Within 1/4 mile of system
2,000 gallons daily flow or more*
X
Less than 2,000 gallons daily flow*
X
Outside of 1/4 mile of system
2,000 gallons daily flow or more*
X
Less than 2,000 gallons daily flow*
X**
* Daily flow refers to water consumption or sewer generation.
**The applicant for any development project, where such project will not connect to a
centralized system, must sign a developer's agreement with the Indian River County Utilities
Department to operate on a private system with a commitment to connect to the regional system
when service is available. These agreements shall be conditioned upon demonstration of
compliance with applicable federal, state, and local permit requirements. When using a private
system or on-site facilities, the developer must construct a dry line or wet line at the time of
construction, if required by the Utilities Department. The final determination for the type of
Community Development Department Indian River County 51
Comprehensive Plan
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
non-residential establishment which can utilize a private system shall be made by the Utilities
Department, Community Development Department, and Environmental Health Department.
System Availability: A system is considered available when a collection or distribution line
exists in a public easement or right-of-way.
Distance Determination: Distance determinations are made from the nearest point of the project
(area of development) to the public facility directly through public easements or public rights-of-
way.
Community Development Department Indian River County 52
Comprehensive Plan
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
Indian River County Five
Appendix A: Sanitary Sewer and Potable Water
5 Year CIP
Year Schedule
of
FY 2010/11
FY 2011/12
Revenue FY 2009/10
FY 2010/11
FY 2011/12
FY 2012/13 FY 2013/14 Total
Capacity Charges &User Fees $ 17,299,793
$ 1,200,000
$ 1,500,000
$ 1,500,000 $ 1,500,000 $ 22,999,793
Total Revenue $ 17,299,793
1 $ 1,200,000
$ 1,500,000
$ 19500,000 $ 19500,000 $ 229999,793
Expenditures
FY 2009/10
FY 2010/11
FY 2011/12
FY 2012/13
FY 2013/14
Total
Revenue Source
Capacity Charges &
Misc Water Improvements
$
250,000
$
250,000
$
250,000
$
250,000
$
250,000
$
1,250,000
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
Misc Sewer Improvements
$
175,000
$
175,000
$
175,000
$
175,000
$
175,000
$
875,000
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
West Reg WWTF Expansion 2.0 to 6.0 MGD
$
1,024,382
$
-
$
-
$
$
-
$
1,024,382
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
77th West of Kings Tuscann Lakes
$
112,237
$
112,237
$
112,237
$
-
$
$
336,711
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
12WM 17th St. SW from 27th Av to 43rd Av
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
610,000
$
$
610,000
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
(Convert 8"FM) 16" Reuse Lateral G Conversion
$
840,343
$
$
-
$
-
$
$
840,343
User Fees
FM and WM on 4th st from 82nd to 98th ave and on
Capacity Charges &
98th from 4th to 8th
$
-
$
$
-
$
$
1,000,000
$
1,000,000
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
Convert North County Brine Line to Reuse Main
$
1,295,000
$
$
-
$
$
$
1,295,000
User Fees
12" WM on 27th Ave from 13th st SW to 17th St SW
Capacity Charges &
(Madera Isles & Echo Lake
$
-
$
$
-
$
341,000
$
$
341,000
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
Tie South Cow Brine Line to Existin FM
$
270,000
$
$
-
$
$
$
270,000
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
58th Av 65th St to 69th St & along 61st and 69th St
$
50,000
$
500,000
$
450,000
$
232,000
$
$
1,232,000
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
N of Windsor & Polo Club Extension
$
-
$
-
$
225,000
$
20,000
$
$
245,000
User Fees
Svice Transmission Lines Oslo Pk, Villages of VB
Capacity Charges &
Gardens
$
-
$
$
-
$
700,000
$
$
700,000
User Fees
Install 12" WM along 66th Ave from 16th St to SR
Capacity Charges &
60 & 16" WM along 16th St.
$
609,356
$
$
$
-
$
$
609,356
User Fees
Community Development Department Indian River County 53
Comprehensive Plan
Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element
Comparison of Expenditures to
Revenue
FY 2009/10
FY 2010/11
FY 2011/12
FY 2012/13
FY 2013/14 Total
Total Revenue
Capacity Charges &
Install Wells and Piping at North County RO Plant
$ 1,965,580
$
$
$
$
$ 1,965,580
User Fees
$ 3,305,400
$ 1,925,000 $ 22,999,793
Annual Balance
$6,1719516 1
-$290469877 1
-$1,8949239
-$1,8059400
Capacity Charges &
Install Well No.7 st S. Co. RO Plant
$ 1,200,000
$
$
$
$
$ 1,200,000
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
Falcon Trace Developer's Agreement
$ 44,502
$ 44,502
$ 44,502
$
$
$ 133,506
User Fees
Install 6" FM in Conjunction with 43rd Ave Road
Capacity Charges &
Widening
$ 335,000
$ -
$ -
$
$
$ 335,000
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
Install 6" FM along 16th St west of 43rd Ave
$ 100,000
$
$ -
$
$
$ 100,000
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
16" WM from Kingshighway Tank to College Lane
$ 290,450
$
$ -
$
$
$ 290,450
User Fees
Install 24" WM along 77th St from 66th Ave to 70th
Capacity Charges &
Ave then North to CR 510
$ -
$
$ 500,000
$ 880,000
$
$ 1,380,000
User Fees
N. Reg. Reuse Sto. & Repump Facility with
Capacity Charges &
Transmission Mains to Barrier Island
$ 1,501,327
$ 1,125,038
$ -
$ -
$
$ 2,626,365
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
Construct 8" WM on Oslo from 8th Ct. to 9th Ct.
$ 30,000
$ -
$
$
$
$ 30,000
User Fees
Construct 12" WM along 53rd St. E/O RR, Lat H
Capacity Charges &
Canal
$ 795,000
$
$
$
$
$ 795,000
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
Construct 20"WM on 66th Av 41st to 77th St
$ -
$
$
$
$ 500,000
$ 500,000
User Fees
Construct 20" WM on 66th Av from 20th St. to 41st
Capacity Charges &
St.
$ -
$ 1,000,000
$ 1,500,000
$
$ -
$ 2,500,000
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
Verona Trace Developer's Agreement
$ 40,100
$ 40,100
$ 40,100
$
$
$ 120,300
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
Madera Isle/Echo Lake Dev Agreement
$ -
$
$ 97,400
$ 97,400
$
$ 194,800
User Fees
Capacity Charges &
Upgrade Dataflow System w/Auto Valves
$ 200,000
$ -
$ -
$ -
$
$ 200,000
User Fees
Total Expenditures
$ 11,128,277
$ 3,246,877
$ 3,394,239
$ 3,305,400
$ 1,925,000
$ 22,999,793
Comparison of Expenditures to
Revenue
FY 2009/10
FY 2010/11
FY 2011/12
FY 2012/13
FY 2013/14 Total
Total Revenue
$ 17,299,793
$ 1,200,000
$ 1,500,000
$ 1,500,000
$ 1,500,000 $ 22,999,793
Total Expenditures
$ 11,128,277
$ 3,246,877
$ 3,394,239
$ 3,305,400
$ 1,925,000 $ 22,999,793
Annual Balance
$6,1719516 1
-$290469877 1
-$1,8949239
-$1,8059400
-$4259000 $0
F:\Community Development\Comprehensive Plan Elements\sanitary sewer element\Sanitary sewer element.doc
Community Development Department Indian River County 54