August 1, 2014

Re: Septic Tank Elimination Program (STEP) Lateral Contractors

Dear Property Owner/Resident:

You are receiving this letter because you have been advised a Septic Tank Elimination Program (STEP) project is either planned for or underway in your neighborhood. As part of your responsibilities associated with the STEP project, you will need to hire a general contractor or plumber to construct the lateral from your home to the stub constructed by Citizens. In addition, you may choose to hire this contractor to do the work of abandoning your existing septic system.

As the project nears completion, you will receive two letters: The first, from Citizens, will be sent when the project reaches substantial completion stating you may connect at this time if you so choose. The second will be sent from the Marion County Health Department when the project is totally completed stating you must connect within six (6) months.

Recently, it has come to our attention some project areas have been solicited by independent lateral contractors seeking to secure your business before substantial completion and the letter from Citizens. Please be advised, Citizens does not endorse/recommend/prefer any independent contractors. You are under no obligation to sign a contract and/or make any down payment with your lateral contractor prior to receiving the letter from Citizens indicating you may now connect. In fact, if you so choose, you may wait until after you receive the second letter from the Marion County Health Department stating you have six (6) months to connect to the sewer before you hire a contractor.

As a reminder, we have enclosed a fact sheet containing tips for hiring a contractor. You may already have this sheet in your files, as it was made available at each project meeting, but it serves as a useful tool if you are unfamiliar with the contracting process.

In addition, we encourage you to speak with your neighbors about their experiences, check trusted resources such as Angie’s List or the Better Business Bureau, and do your research before hiring your contractor. The more information you have, the better prepared you will be when it comes time to hire someone.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Masbaum, Jr., P.E.

Manager, STEP Design and Construction