10-25-10 Handout - GrimmMemo
To: City of Atlantic Beach
From: Chad Grimm
CC: Charles Chupp, Bridgetenders, LLC
Date: October 22, 2010
Re: Johnston Island
Commissioners,
want to thank you again for the opportunity to have an open discussion regarding our request for a
125 seat restaurant on the island. The format was beneficial for all of us as it allowed a more casual
process for discussing the details of the project and voicing potential concerns.
There was one concern expressed that I am following up with, and this is regarding the sanitary waste.
spoke with many of you about a variation to the approach that was presented and this memo serves
to provide additional detail from the discussions. The issue or concern presented from the City's
perspective was our desire to build a restaurant served by a drain field rather than connecting with the
City sewer system. We understand the city has been proactive in removing older drain fields
throughout the City and that there is a heightened concern for a drain field on the island due to the
proximity to the waterway.
There is currently an engineering design to tie the island into City services for 10 SF lots. This design
was estimated by the engineering firm to cost $1.2 M (estimated approximately 2 years ago). Costs
may be lower today, and the design would need to be modified to address a 125 seat restaurant, but it
provides a good basis for judgment. And that judgment is a 125 seat restaurant cannot justify
spending approximately $1 M on utilities.
performed some research that brought to our attention there are environmentally friendly systems
available. As a result, Mr. Chupp asked that I contact a sanitary designer that specializes in such
matters. Based on what I learned and the specialist I contacted, it is understood there are superior on-
site systems that can address your concerns. The consultant I contacted is Oren Reedy of O.C.
Reedy and Associates, and he recommended an aerobic system in which oxygen is supplied to the
system in the tank prior to effluent discharge. Depending on the system selected, there are multiple
chambers in a tank that the waste moves through allowing solids to settle (or rise in the form of grease)
and microorganisms to begin breaking down the waste. Whereas a conventional system relies on the
soil to `filter" out waste, this system accomplishes most of the breakdown of the waste before it leaves
the tank into the drainfield. The water can be discharged in a much smaller pipe and be utilized as
grey water for irrigation on-site.
The quality of effluent discharged into the drain field with one of these systems is far superior to a
standard drain field required by the Health Department. As a result, one such drain field system
recommended by O.C. Reedy Assoc. is utilized by the Environmental Training and Education Center in
CG Studios, Inc. 2771 Monument Road, Suite 29375 Jacksonville, FL 32225
(904) 236-9757 cgstudios@att.net
Memo — Atlantic Beach - Page 2
October 22, 2010
Lakeland Florida. I've also heard that the purity of effluent with this type of process is so good that the
treated water passes drinking water levels.
These systems cost more than a traditional drain field system, but Mr. Chupp acknowledges the
importance of spending more to protect the environment, especially when it has a direct relationship to
his project.
Below are two illustrations highlighting the process outlined:
1. Pretreatment tank where influent enters
2. Aeration chamber where oxygen is pumped into the waste water
3. Clarifier chamber where the clear, odorless effluent rises
4. Chlorinator where the clear effluent passes through for disinfection
5. Holding tank for disinfected effluent ready for discharge
6. Extremely quiet, efficient aerator and pump
7. Unique solid-state Control Center monitors and controls the system
8. Discharge Pump
DRIP IRRIGATION
Drip Field Being Installed
After