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TO: Jeanne A. Mabusth, Zoning Administrator FROM: Michael P. Gaffron, Septic Systems Inspector DATE: June 18, 1981 SUBJECT: #626 Charles Van Eeckhout, North Brown Road - Subdivision - Site Evaluation Review, Septic Systems I have reviewed the site evaluation information submitted and wish to make the following comments: 1) As per my past conversation and agreements with Van Eeckhout and his site evaluator, Gary Rathbun, partial soil testing was performed which supposed'_} %o uld fulfill li-,e requirements for preliminary approval. This was to establish that each lot as proposed would have a site capable of supporting a septic system. However, this testing would not be sufficient for the City to grant final approval of the subdivision, and would not be sufficiently detailed to design a system for a specific house and site plan. As noted later in this memo, Orono Code and standard procedure normally requires that complete testing be done prior to preliminary approval. 2) Of the seven lots proposed, all but one essentially were found to contain soils capable of supporting a mound system. The remianing lot, lot 4, contained a heavy clay loam which had an average percolation rate of 200 minutes per inch, not suit- able for any type of septic system by Orono rode. 3) Virtually all of the lots contained mottled soil at depths below 2 feet. This indicates that the Foil is saturated at some time during the year up to the 2 it depth. Since Orono Code reauires a 3 foot separatic netween the drain - field rock and this saturation zone for proper treatment and disposal to occur, mound systems are necessary. The site evaluator's recommendation is to either modify lot 4 (rearrange lot lines) or relocate the proposed drainfield site. In either case, further testing is necessary to find suitable soil for a drainfield site on lot 4. The other alternative is to eliminate lot 4 and proceed with a 6 lot division. Orono's On -Site Code stipulates that "at the time of filing for preliminary plat approval, the developer shall provide a site evaluation report confirming that each building site has suf- ficient suitable soil for on -site sewage treatment". This nor- mally requites the full set of percolation tests and borings we would need to issue a building permit for each lot. In the case of the application at hand, since the land has few limita- tions other than the soil and saturated zones (steep slopes and wetlands have only a slight bearing on lot configurations for this division), it was likely that numerous sites were possibl- for drainfield locations on each lot. The applicant wished to invest as little money as possible in detererininq the potential buildablility of the proposed lots without resorting to a full-