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T0 : Alan P. Olson, City Planner FROM: Michael P . Gaffron, Septic System Inspector DATE: August 4 , 1983 SUBJECT : Septic System Condition, Art Swift/Wayne Byrd Property Deering Island My first inspection of this property occurred on June 21 , 1982 , with Al Olson and Jo Ellen Hurr . We met with Art Swift who lives in the house on the island. Mr. Swift is in his upper 80 ' s and lives alone . During the 1982 inspection, Mr . Swift showed us the location of the well and the septic tank, which were only about 5 ' apart. We also noted that a broken tile line is ditched from approximately the end of the septic tank towards the lake . No direct tank outlet was noted near this ditch, and no sewage effluent or sewage odor was noted in the ditch; however, the location makes this a "suspicious" installation. Mr . Swift indicated that he felt the system was not up to snuff and wished someone would fix it . We noted that the toilet did not appear to be working. Mr . Swift "throws it in the garden" . In June , 1983 you noted to me that, on Mr. Byrd' s application for a conditional use permit to use this house as a principal dwelling, he indicated that septic system work was done in 1982 by a Cliff Swank of Shorewood Lane in Mound. This was a surprise to me since no permits had been issued nor inspections made on this property in the interim. I contacted Mr. Swank by letter and he shortly appeared in the City office to explain what work had been done . He had replaced some inside plumbing and installed a "275 gallon fuel oil tank coated with tar" in a location approximately adjacent to the old tanks, and had connected this into "the existing drainfield" of which we have no knowledge . Apparently Mr . Swank di:d this work as a "favor" to ,Mr. Byrd. City staff admonished Mr . Swank to in the future refrain from doing any work of this type in Orono without first obtaining a permit. Staff did not request Mr . Swank to pay for an after the fact permit at this time . With this knowledge in mind, a second inspection of the property was made on August 3 , 1983 . I noted the following items : 1) The location of the "new septic tank" appears to be about 9 ' from the well . 2) No direct discharge to the surface nor visible outlet from this tank to the ditch was seen.