Laserfiche WebLink
It is likely that for a typical house with 2 bathrooms, a <br />kitchen, and a laundry, water use could be reduced considerably, <br />perhaps as much as 40% by retrofitting with all low -water -use <br />fixtures at a cost ranging from $750-3000 per house. This does <br />not negate the need to maintain a functional septic system on the <br />property, although the drainfield could be reduced it size <br />proportionally. There still would be properties that could not <br />adequately replace their septic systems under any circumstances. <br />Proper maintenance of existing septic systems can have a <br />positive impact on their efficiency and continued operation. <br />However, older shallow tanks still require major excavation to <br />open up the strip cover sections. Note that the 4" diameter <br />inspection pipes located in most tanks were installed to function <br />only as inspection pipes; the tank solids generally cannot be <br />adequately removed and baffles cannot always be reliably checked <br />through the inspection pipe. Note also that Orono's On -Site Code <br />adopted in 1978 originally required retrofitting of all septic <br />tanks with inspection pipes and manholes_ to within _6_ <br />----------- -- ------ - <br />12" of the ground surface. It became apparent that the majority <br />of existing septic tanks would need to have the entire tank cover <br />replaced in order to add the required 20" diameter manhole. <br />Because tank covers are not generally sold separately from the <br />tank, they would have to be special ordered. The costs for <br />cover replacement approached the costs for replacinq entire <br />tanks; the code was subsequently amended to only require <br />installation of inspection pipes. <br />Each time a .;ept:.c tank is pumped out, the pumping <br />contractor is required to send notification to the City. If we <br />presume that contractors have been judicious in their reporting, <br />records indicate that only about 150 of the 1000-plF- septic <br />systems in Orono are pumped each year. Since the code requires <br />pumoouts at least once every three years, we would expect to see <br />300-400 pumpout slips each year. Clearly, people do not pump <br />their tanks as often as they should. In the Stubbs Bay study <br />area, pumpout records indicate that only about 40% of the systems <br />have been pumped out since records were first kept in 1978. <br />14 <br />