Thank you April Garcia, Water Treatment Plant Operator, for responding to the errors and confusion generated from the posting in last weeks Weekender and discussed here on the blog. It is refreshing to have a water department employee that is responsive to issues discussed on this blog.
Below is the Email and corrected flyer I received from April.
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| April Garcia, Plant Operator |
George,
Please find attached the most current version of the RV flyer. We revamped it a while ago because the original flyer was confusing and people did not know the proper way to flush their holding tanks. I apologize the older version ended up in the weekender. I have revamped it again to make the WAC more clear. The WAC requires high health hazards such as septic to be eliminated or protected. Septic is unique in that no preventer is really sufficient, only an air gap is allowed between septic and potable water.
Septic connected to drinking water is very serious. Under certain hydraulic conditions the RV septic could backflow into the drinking water. If we see a septic cross connection we will talk to the owners and let them know how to fix it. If the cross connection is not resolved we will require protection at the meter. Since we have no authority over private property all we can do is request the cross connection be removed and then protect the drinking water by having an RP installed or in severe cases water terminated.
We do drive by checks of RVs during our usual business. We do not trespass to do compliance checks. To-date only one member has attached a garden hose to their RV septic and failed to remove it after numerous requests. These members were required to install an RP at the meter.
The RV sanitary cleaning station is protected at the meter by a reduced pressure assembly (RP). Because there is no in-premise protection of the clean out station, the water faucets at the compactor and RV site are labeled “do not drink”.
Thank you,
April Garcia
14 comments:
I find it interesting that the apology made by April does not say who made the error of the posting. I suspect it was another office error.
I've found these folks to be very happy to explain things having to do with the Water System. This flyer is more clear, though not being an RV owner, I'm still not clear on some of this.
What does this reference to an "air gap" mean ? It is stated as if obvious, but I haven't a clue what this means. What is a "cross-connection" ? What I gather is that, like sprinkler systems and hot tubs, RVs can put a particularly strong load on the system, and if the procedures used are not correct, there can be cross-contamination. We'd expect that everyone would want to know the potential hazards so they can be avoided with certainty.
It appears that this is an attempt to provide RV owners with specific directions pertaining to flushing RV septic tanks, though it still seems a bit vague, at least to me. This does seem to be a very important matter to address, and challenging to prevent improper RV maintenance to their septic.
From what we have heard, it seems that more substantial backflow valves at the meters installed about a year ago, would have prevented this from being an issue. But the choice made was intended to keep the cost to members low, and the number of households that needed additional valves was only a small percentage.
Given the ridiculous extent of HOA harassment of RV owner/Trustee Johansen, and others, the trust in BOT integrity is hanging by a thread. It doesn't appear that this is "targeting" RV owners, and is an important issue to address for the good of the community. Thanks April !
Steve you can google the water terms mentioned and you will be fully inform pretty quickly
Info about all that is mentioned above was sent out when program started. It should be sent to all new owners since that time. It can also be found on the Surfside web site. This blog is a good source of things that are happening in Surfside. But members can find better sources for these kinds of facts on the Surfside website. I.e the cross connection section.
Give me a break SS should not be involved in this do water officer go to camp grounds and to peoples homes where there a rv and even more so what about all the single lots in ocean park with 5, 6 or more rv. Who is policing them No one you know because the can figure it out. SS we are not in I need of your policing we are adults and we can read our owners manual and there is always YouTube please back off you are drowning in your own water problems worry about that.take care of your own office problems. We got this
Your a little off base 1255, who cares about OP, it SS that we cared about here. You may be a responsible adult that knows how to care for your RV water back flow hook up, but most people probably don't. This is why RV owners need to be regulated, maybe more than they are now?
That owners are adults does not make a bit of difference to a community of 2050 properties that can all be put in jeopardy of contaminated water. Adults can read but often ignore instruction booklets, manuals, and sign boards, for the sake of expediency. The flyer states that some sources of information do not give proper maintenance instruction.
Who would take a hose from their RV water faucet or lot spigot and bury it in a tank full of septic rinse water ? I wouldn't. But I think some number of folks would assume that as long as the hose is used only for this purpose, it doesn't matter. Here we learn that the filthy water can back-up into the clean water supply. How likely this will happen is not really the question, but that it is a gamble to assume otherwise.
True, water supplies of campgrounds with RV utility hook-ups are in potential jeopardy as well. One would assume that camp hosts or rangers try to inform RV owners as well, but they are in a difficult position to prevent or enforce proper procedures. Wise to carry your own drinking water, eh ?
Steve, every time there is a water main break the potential for creating vacuum exists thus the possibility of drawing the filthy water into the system. chlorination of the water is what saved SS so far
I’m with you 1255 I don’t need a water officer. I fact if you own an RV I’m sure you know how to take care of it . Some of the RV’s that I have seen around here cost the same as a house around here. I think most RV owners are responsible home owners, this is where they come for weekend and holidays.
Please! This is so dumb. SS water is so bad that I have a water distiller. I think SS needs to focus on a clean water system for SS then worry about others highest grade completed or reading level. This is embarrassing for all of SS
SS is so miss managed. SS can’t takecare of the current problems and now they want to check the back flow for RV’s. Does any water department go around checking RV’s. North county doesn’t do this, nor does Long Beach, Vancouver etc.
Not liking the taste or smell of the water is entirely different from the entire community's water being contaminated by fecal coliform, the bacteria most of concern in toilet waste water. Your dismissing this so casually convinces me you are more concerned about being asked to cooperate with a community-wide survey of RV water use than the community's welfare.
The cost of an owner's RV is of NO significance. We don't really know who prompted this review of system backflow valves at this point. Because the State got on the HOA over required annual inspection of backflow valves on lawn irrigation systems, hot tubs, and some other amenities, we might assume that the State is initiating this review of RV utilities. I don't think we know right now.
If the HOA can state more specifically the source of this review - why and what specifically will be inspected, I don't see why it should be a problem. All RV sites should have a meter w/ backflow valve installed by S. S. Water Dept.. But beyond that, it is unclear what would be inspected. The logistics of doing this are complicated, and the whole thing sounds much more like a State mandate, than something the HOA would welcome having to try and do.
How about finding out more about this, and if it is required, just cooperate in the interest of all members - all using the same water. The Water Dept. is required to constantly monitor water purity and keep detailed records, so making comments about the water purity as if it is one and the same with the BOT's dysfunction, is baseless. Two different things !!
I'm happy that the very vocal RV owner(s) know and follow the proper protocols but to say or think everyone else does is unrealistic. Most reasonable people know not to leave an outdoor fire unattended on a dry day with high winds, but look what happen there.
Given the potential consequences to all, specially full timers, if not followed correctly the SHOA would be derelict if they didn't address this issue. If you do the right thing then there is no need to get insulted by it.
Putting out some educational literature regarding safe use of hoses around rv's is a good thing, but blowing this all out of proportion, as is typical in Surfside is not.
BTW, I am a licensed journeyman plumber, and very knowledgeable on the matter, as well as RV use..
Even if someone is stupid enough to take the hose in their sewer tank and let it cause a cross-contamination situation the likelihood that it would ever get back into the main water system is very remote. Many things have to happen all at the same time for that to occur and the likelihood is very minimal so to educate people not to do it is a good thing but don't over worry it.
Go for a walk on the beach and be happy..
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