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. �T ,p. • 1 Septic System Upgrade Deadline is Approaching Here's a friendly reminder to all Orono property owners with non-compliant onsite septic systems. Beginning in the mid-1990s the City began to identify those septic systems that made use of trench drainfields, a majority of which do not maintain the minimum required vertical separation above seasonal water tables. Each existing system was subjected to soil borings to determine the seasonal water table depth. When a system was identified as non-compliant, the owner was notified of the need to bring the system into compliance and given several years to complete the upgrade. The deadlines to upgrade were divided into whether or not the property was in the Shoreland District (within 1000' of a lake, or within 300' of a protected tributary stream). Properties in the Shoreland District were given until December 31, 2007 to become compliant. Properties outside the Shoreland area with non-compliant systems were allowed until December 31, 2010 to conform to the septic code. Don't wait until the last minute! The City is strongly recommending that property owners not wait until the deadline arrives to bring their systems into compliance. The process to upgrade your septic system can be quite lengthy. The first step in the process is to hire a site evaluator& designer to determine what type of system is required and provide the blueprint for the system installation. The property owner must then contract with a septic system installer to have the system constructed. The installation of septic systems is very weather dependent, especially for mound systems, which car�onTy be installed when the ground is relatively dry, i.e. typically June thru September. Contractors' schedules fill up quickly, so it's important to start your planning and design process now to ensure a timely installation. The period of time from deciding to update your septic system to the actual installation can easily exceed three to four months or more.. Please contact the Building and Zoning Department at (952-249- 4600) with any questions you may have about bringing your septic system into compliance. For a list of licensed designers and installers you may go to www.ci.orono.mn.us, click on City Departments, click on Septic,then click on the link to www.pca.state.mn.us/programs.