HomeMy WebLinkAbout1983-02-23 Letter, Recap Drainfield Meeting-2PgsCITY of ORONO
Post Office Box 66•Crystal Bay. Minnesota 55323•Municipul Offices
On the North Shoe of Lake Minnetonka
February 23, 1983
Mi. Robert J. Provo
220 Cygnet Place
Long Lake, MN 55356
Re: Septic System
Dear Mr. Provo:
As you know, I made an inspection of your drainfield
today after receiving a complaint about the odor. we found
that sewage was seeping to the surface, essentially identical
to the condition I noted in my inspection of October 20, 1982,
(inspection report attached). This seepage is considered
a drainfield failure; although the drainfield is accepting
and treating a portion of the inflow, it is not absorbing
all of it. Hence additional drainfield of some kind must
be added to the system.
While I was at your house we discussed the fact that
the homeowner is responsible for the treatment and disposal
of sewage on his property. we also discussed whether adding
a few lines of trench drainfield in the presumably poorly
drained clay soils would take care of the problem. In my
opinion, without benefit of a soil testing report, a trench
system with gravity flow added at the same elevation as the
existing system would not function adequately over a long
period of time. Based on the Hennepin County Soil Survey,
this low area of your yard and the entire neighboring lot
contain Hamel loam soils with a seasonal high water table
1-2 feet below the surface. On the neighboring lot, soil
testing confirmed these conditions, and hence a mound system
was required and has been functioning satisfactorily for
over 4 years. Trenches in the same soil would likely suffer
long periods of saturation and would not function satisfactorily.
During our conversation I stated that the City would
consider allowing you to install a few trenches as an addition
to the existing drainfield at your own risk. After discussing
the situation with the City Building Official Tom Jacobs,
it is our conclusion that this would not serve the public
interest, especially if the system would again fail in a
short time. I realize that, from what we can discern,, only
about 300 square feet of drainfield appears to be in use.
BUILDING A ZONING - 473.7357 • ADMINISTRATION A FINANCE - 473 7358 a PUBLIC %ORKS - 473.7359
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