02-25-1985 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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WHAT DOES MY INSPECTION PROGRAM FEE PAY FOR? The Inspection Program fee of $20 per year pays for the inspector and for general administration of this program without other tax dollar subsidies. The fee is charged on an annual basis to each rural homeowner using an on -site system, whether or not an actual inspection is mate that year. This simplifies accounting and thereby lowers cost. The per -inspection fee would be higher if we only billed those homes that were actually visited in a given year. The annual fee has remained at $20 and has not increased since its inception in 1979. Note that the $20 per year septic program fee is a small fraction of the $171.60 per year ($42.90 per quarter) sewer bil'. paid by Orono residents connected to municipal sewer. Think of the inspection program as insurance to avoid the high cost of municipal sewer extensions that might otherwise be forced on Orono residents by the Metropolitan waste Control Commission. The last sewer pro j_cts in Orono cost between $8, 000 and $24, 000 for each house. The $20 fee can be paid for many years before you can come close to what it would cost for sewer! SEPTIC SYSTEM MAINTENANCE TIPS PEEDING YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEM: A 'starter' i:: not needed for bacterial action to begin. Additives need not be used (additives are of little benefit, and some may do great harm if they cause the sludge and scum to be flushed out Into the drainfield). Don't deposit coffee grounds, cuoking fats, wet- atrennth towels, disposable diapers, facial tissues, cigar0tte butts, or similar non -decomposable materials into the septic tank. Avoid dumping grease down the drain as it can build up in the tank and plug the inlet. Keep a separate container for waste grease and throw it out with the trash. Use A good quality toilet tissue that breaks up easily when wet. Remove the sludge and scum in both tanks by pumping at least once every three years. GARBAGE DISPOSAL: If you must use A garbage di sposa I, you may need to remove the septic tank solids every year or more often. Ground garbage wt)' frequently find its way out of the septic tanks And clog the soil treatment system. It is better to compost or throw out garbage with the trash. CUT DOWN YOUR WATER USE: Be conservative with your use of water. Each gallon of weter used must be treated And disposed. Repair all leaky fixtures and reduce the amount of water used in IAundering, bathing, and toilet flushing. Wash only full loads in the washer and spread the washing during the week to avoid overloading the sewage system in a single day. Each bath or shover uses up to 36 gallons of water. Fi 1 ) ►ng the tub not quite so ful I and not turning the shower on all the way could save five to ten gallons with each bathing. Routinely check the toilet float valve to be sure that It isn't sticking and the water running continously. Be sure the toilet Is not flushed unneeessarlly. Don't use the toilet todispose of house cleaning water of cigoretts butts. Have the last person to wash up in the morning and evening flush the toilet After everyone else has used it. This could save 20 to 30 gallons a dAy for A fAmily of four. Water softener wastewater will not harm septic tank Action. However, the additlonAl water will need to be treated anddispased of by the soil treatment system. if the softener wastewater overloads the soil treatment system, the was can be discharged to l.he yroo.,nd surf.rce since I contains no pathogens. WINTER WEATHER: Snow cover compacted by pedestrians and anowsob►les may allow froat to penetrate to the drainfield trenches. A frozen .;r.•infield may cause• b.,ckup of sewage into the hcuse. HOW DOES MY SYSTEM WORK ? SEPTIC TANKS Raw sewage flows into the septic tank where the solids separate from the liquid. Solids such as soap scum and tat float to the top and form A scum layer. Heavier solids settle to the bottom where they are partially decomposed by bacteria. The nondecomposed solids remain as the bottom sludge layer. The solids which are trapped in the septic tank must be removed by pumping before they build up to a level where they will wash out into the soil treatment system anu plug the soil pores. The septic tank should be watertight, corrosion proof, and constructed according to standard criteria. A shallow tank with adequate access is easy to maintain, and requires only periodic inspection and pumpino of solids approximately once every two to three years. The tank cover or manhole access s6,uld be opened when the tank is pumped out so that bAffles can be checked and replaced if necessary, and so that the solids can be effectively broken up and pumped out. Inspection Pipe \ i MC 6 Inlet t 1 VC.0 tEvr, .a a 5.::�• I iL�l� 5r-► Outlet ' `Baffles --- --(i Liquid +sti�'1+ SI.JJGE I,�.t %i'1►9Y DRAIN►IELD The septic tank effluent flows into a soil treatment area commonly known as the drainfleld. This may consist of rock -lined trenches, or in some cases an elevated filter system or'sound',distributingtheliquid effluent over a lArge area. The liquid slowly evaporates and is absorbed byplont life, or filters through the soil back Into the water table. Each action cleanses the effluent of bacteria and nutrients, leaving pure water for yuur continued use.