HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980-07-28 Letter, Septic System Req RepairsTelephone a 73-7357
CITY of ORONO
Post Office Box li(i•t'ry!,lal Bay, Minnesota 5532139Mumcipal Officer
Un the North Shore of Lake Mirutetonka
July 28, 1980
Mr. Edward C. Brown, III
135 Cygnet Place
Long Lake,
Minnesota 55356
Re: Septic System
Dear Mr. Brown:
I inspected your drainfield on Thursday, July 24, 1980, :-.d noted
that it is surfacing in two areas. I suspect this condition is
occurring due to a number of factors inherent in your building site
and the general Cygnet Place area, namely:
1. Small lots; according to a survey of your property in our
files, your lot is approximately 1.0 acre of which only about
0.6 acre is dry land, hence a limited area suitable for drainfield
is available.
2. Heavy, dense, impermeable clay soils which do not allow much
downward water movement; resulting in...
3. Seasonally saturated zones in the upper layers of soil.
The soil acts like a sponge, hence when the pores are full of
water, any more water you add either runs off over the surface
or backs up.
Unfortunately, it appears that your septic system, as well as a great
numbei7 of others in your area, was designed and constructed without
consideration for soil types and saturation problems. Even though
most septic systems on Cygnet Place are less than 15 years old, at
least 1/4 have failed after 5-10 years, mainly due to site conditions
and/or poor planning. Today's strict code standards would require
a soils analysis and a system design based on the capabilities of the
site before the City could issue a building permit for a new home.
This probably was not done when your house was built.
The City has no intention of sewering Cygnet Place, hence reliance on
un-site septic systems for sewage treatment will continue. Your options
for effective repair to your failing drainfield must be based on the
capabilities of the site, and may include adding shallow drainfield
or a mound system. It is imperative that you hire a soil scientist or
civil engineer to evaluate your site conditions and to design a system
cased on the results. I am including a list of known site evaluators
as well as information on code requirements and t-ie site evaluation
process.
July 28, 1980
Mr. Edward C. Brown, III
135 Cygnet Place
Page 2
Once you have submitted the site evaluation report and proposed design,
we will review it, make any necessary changes based on code requirements,
and issue your contractor a permit for the work.
:f you have any questions, please call.
Sincerely,
Michael P. Gaffron
On -Site Systems Manager
MPG:kh