12/18/2018

CitizensEnergyGroup.com/STEP

Septic Tank Elimination Program (STEP) Guide

The ProblemMore than 17,000 homes in Marion County are served by private septic systems. Septic systems have a limited life and eventually fail, seeping human waste into groundwater, backyards and neighborhood ditches and streams. Septic systems are linked to high E. coli bacteria counts in many small neighborhood streams and ditches during dry weather when children are most likely to play in them.

The SolutionTo address health hazards in our neighborhoods, Citizens Energy Group is continuing the City of Indianapolis’ efforts to convert many neighborhoods on septic systems to the sanitary sewer system.

The BenefitsThe benefits of STEP are far-reaching:

• Reduced health hazards from dangerous bacteria exposure due to septic system failures in yards and ditches

• Cleaner area streams and neighborhood drainage ditches

• Future cost savings for repair and/or replacement of septic system (estimated between $3k - $10k)

• Potential increased marketability of property

• STEP helps Citizens comply with a federal mandate to virtually eliminate discharges of raw sewage to area rivers and streams by the year 2025

The CostsIn 2005, the City of Indianapolis stopped using the State’s Barrett Law to construct sewers in areas with septic systems. The Barrett Law often forced property owners to pay more than $12,000 to connect to the sanitary sewer system. Instead, the City began funding STEP through wastewater rates. Today, Citizens is continuing

the City’s approach to STEP and has made significant advancements in reducing the cost to property owners.

In 2016, Citizens adopted a new approach to providing sewer service to properties currently being served by septic systems. As part of this new program, property owners will be able to pay one fee for connection and construction; to one entity (i.e. Citizens Energy Group) if they agree to participate in our program within the allotted time.

As a property owner, there are two main costs to connect to the sewer under the 60-Day Offer (See STEP Enrollment Agreement for specific details):

1. Citizens will be responsible for constructing the sewer system, including the lateral connection to your home, abandoning your septic system and installing a low-pressure system (i.e. grinder pump).

Option A - The cost to property owners for this project is $2,766 per single-family home. This includes the connection fee and related construction costs. The property owner agrees to pay for this in one lump sum

Option B – Opt for the installment plan in which the property owner would be responsible for making sixty (60) equal monthly payments of $46.10 for a total of $2,766

2. Your monthly sewer bill, which you will receive from Citizens Energy Group, previously provided by Indianapolis Water.

If property owner elects to secure their own contractor to construct the lateral, abandon their septic tank and install the grinder pump, Citizens still requires the sewer connection fee ($2,530) and any other permitting fees and charges be paid before construction permits are issued.

Please note: The payment plan option will not be available to property owners not participating in Citizens installation program. Therefore, all fees must be paid in a lump sum payment.

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CitizensEnergyGroup.com/STEP

How To Enroll1. Complete the Septic Tank Elimination Program (STEP)

Enrollment Agreement - This agreement outlines specific details of the work Citizens and/or its contractor(s) will perform to connect your property to the sewer system; access you will need to grant; payment options and other important details related to the program. Agreements must be submitted in person or by mail by the deadline contained on the agreement.

2. Whether you indicate Option A or B for payment on the Enrollment Agreement, you will either be receiving instructions from Citizens regarding your lump sum payment, or your required monthly payment will appear on your sewer bill once your service is connected.

3. If you have questions regarding enrollment or the agreement, please call 317-927-4444 (option 3).

* Please note: If you are or are planning to sell your property, you must disclose participation in a STEP project.

** Neither Citizens, nor our contractors will ever come door-to-door to request payment for STEP.

What If I Miss the 60-Day Offer Enrollment Deadline?From the date of the last public meeting for your project area, you can opt to participate in Citizens 60-Day Offer. However, if you miss that deadline, but would still like to participate in the program, you may elect to take advantage of the Final Offer. The specific details of this offer are outlined in the STEP Enrollment Agreement, but essentially it requires you to pay an additional $500 fee,* a direct pass-through cost to Citizens contractor, before the Final Offer date outlined in your enrollment agreement in order to participate in the program.

*The $500 fee must be paid upfront and separately from your enrollment costs of $2,766. Payment cannot be made in installments.

What’s Changed with STEPBesides the new lower cost of STEP and the ability for property owners to have Citizens handle the related construction, connections will primarily be to a low-pressure sewer system.

CitizensEnergyGroup.com/STEP

Cross-section of Grinder Pump (pre-installation)

What is a Low-Pressure System• Low-pressure systems (LPS) require a pumping unit

(i.e. grinder pump) at each property

• Grinder pumps are connected to a smaller diameter sewer in the public right-of-way (i.e. street)

- Sewer is under “low pressure”

- Eventually, the small diameter pipe connects to a gravity sewer system to be carried to the treatment plant

• LPS requires a control/alarm box on the house to alert property owner of any issues

• LPS requires a valve pit at the property line similar to a water meter pit

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Grinder PumpsWhat is a grinder pump?

A grinder pump is a pumping unit consisting of a pump and small pipe from the unit to the sewer system. Installed outside of your home, grinder pumps are used to discharge wastewa-ter from your home to the sewer system in the street or right-of-way.

Does a grinder pump need regular maintenance or need to be pumped out, like my septic system?

Septic systems need to be pumped because they are tanks and need to peri-odically have the contents removed. Grinder pumps do not need to be pumped out because they pump out the sewage once the contents reach a certain level. Grinder pumps av-erage eight years between service calls, so minimal regular maintenance is required when operated under normal conditions.

How long will my grinder pump last and what does it cost to fix/replace it?

If properly maintained, the average life of a grinder

Surface View of the Grinder Pump (post-installation)

pump is 20 years. Each pump comes with a standard two-year parts and labor warranty. On average, the cost to replace a grinder pump is around $2,500.

What are the electrical requirements for operating the grinder pump?

For optimal performance, 240 volt 1 phase 30 amp ser-vice is best, but 20 amp is acceptable. The cost for elec-tricity to the grinder pump is similar to that of a 40-watt light bulb, which is about $15 to $20 per year.

What happens during a power failure?

If the power goes out, the grinder pump and its alarm system will not work because they both require electric-ity. However, the pump unit does have storage capacity.

During power outages, the two largest producers of wastewater, dishwashers and washing machines, are not in use; therefore, your water usage decreases. Because the length of the power outage cannot be planned, you should conserve water to the best of your ability. In some cases, a panel with a generator receptacle and auto-transfer switch are available on the pump.

How big is the grinder pump, and what does it look like?

There will only be two parts of the pump above the ground: the alarm panel and lid. The alarm panel is en-closed in a small weatherproof box so that it can be accessed easily. The grinder pump lid is about 26 inches in diameter and rises approximately 2 inches above the ground. The lid can be painted and/or hidden by plants.

My septic tank sometimes has an odor. Will the grinder pump also produce an odor?

No. When wastewater sits, as it does in a septic system, it becomes septic and produces a distinctive odor. Since the grinder pump will remove wastewater by pumping it into the sewer system, you should not notice any odor.

CitizensEnergyGroup.com/STEP

Above: Street view of a typical STEP construction site.

Agencies Involved in STEPCitizens will construct sewers in the public right-of-way, oversees STEP project implementation and the STEP installment payments plan.

The Marion County Health Department notifies property owners when they are required to connect to the sewer system and will enforce sewer connections.

For detailed information regarding fees, please visit: www.CitizensEnergyGroup.com/Notices for the Wastewater Terms and Conditions.

Above: Here is a view of the grinder pump in the trench. This is prior to piping, refilling the trench with soil and leveling of the site.

Above: Grinder pump being installed. This view shows the trenching required for a typical installation.

Above: Directional boring machines allow pipe to be installed under streets without disruptive street cutting and excavation.