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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The State Water Resources Control Board is holding a series of meetings around the state to discuss proposed new rules for septic tanks.
The next meeting will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, at the Wells Fargo Center's Ruth Finley Person Theater, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa.
The state's previous attempt to draft new septic tank rules in 2009 was greeted with protests from landowners around the state because of the costs and requirements, causing the state to redraft the guidelines, as Lake County News has reported.
The draft guidelines outline four septic tank system levels:
Tier 0: Existing system, in good working order, not included in a total maximum daily load implementation – or TMDL – program, more than 600 feet from specifically identified nitrate-impaired water bodies and more than 100 feet from a specifically identified pathogen-impaired water bodies.
Tier 1: System is not installed or needs to be replaced, and local agency does not have an approved Tier 2 program.
Tier 2: System is not installed or needs to be replaced, and local agency has an approved Tier 2 program.
Tier 3: New or existing system is included in TMDL program and must comply with it, or where there is no TMDL in place and an existing system is located within 600 feet from a specifically identified nitrogen-impaired body or within 100 feet from a specifically identified pathogen-impaired body; or where no TMDL is in place and a new system is within 600 feet of any nitrogen- or pathogen-impaired body.
Tier 4: Existing system is failing and found to be polluting groundwater or surface water to a degree that it affects drinkability or other beneficial uses. System must be modified or upgraded as appropriate to the situation.
The water board has created a mapping tool to help property owners determine how they may be affected by the new rules, which can be found at http://gispublic.waterboards.ca.gov/webmap/owts/owtsmap.html.
If a property is not within 2,000 feet of a nitrogen- or pathogen-impaired water body, the mapping tool's explanation says it is “likely” that a property owner only will need to consult a local permitting agency for what requirements they have to meet if their system fails, or they plan to upgrade or replace their system.
Clear Lake is not a nitrogen- or pathogen-impaired water body; however, it is under a TMDL for nutrients, according to state officials.
Under the new draft policy, there would not be mandatory solids or water well testing for every tank, and property owners wouldn't be required to provide operating manuals at the time of a property sale.
The estimated cost over 10 years for owners of existing, functioning septic tank systems not near impaired waters would be $0, whereas it was expected to cost as much as $1,000 under the 2009 proposed guidelines.
The state's draft septic tank rules says that only 2,755 of Lake County's 857,072 acres – or 0.3 percent – is suitable for septic tank absorption fields based on California soil surveys, one of the lowest percentages of the state's survey areas.
In comparison, in neighboring Sonoma County, soils on 61,451 acres – or 6.1 percent – of its approximately 1,010,560 acres are suitable for septic tank absorption fields, the report shows.
According to state estimates, about 15,000 Lake County homes have septic tanks, although Lake County Environmental Health Director Ray Ruminski told Lake County News in a previous interview that his agency does not have a precise county on just how many homes in the county use septic tanks.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
