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NEVADA COUNTY ONLY
Maintenance & Monitoring
For Advantex, Sand Filter, and/or Pressure Dose Septic
Systems
Who requires this Maintenance & Monitoring?
The Nevada County Wastewater Management Program was approved in 1998.
The objective is to ensure systems are properly operated, regularly
inspected, and maintained. The Ordinance and Regulations :
* Require routine inspection with maintenance as needed based on
inspection results;
* Sets inspection schedules to be established by the size and type of
system;
* Provide On-site wastewater disposal system performance parameters;
* Apply throughout the county.
Why?
With the advent of approval of new and innovative methods to develop
on-site sewage disposal systems comes the responsibility and requirement
to ensure that these types of systems will function properly. While these
systems provide a greater ability to utilize parcels previously
designated as ³ unbuildable², failure to properly operate, monitor and
maintain these systems will lead to subsequent failure, resulting in
health hazards, water pollution, and financial and legal problems for all
involved.
Meeting higher treatment standards means more maintenance. This
requires that specific treatment systems be periodically inspected and
maintained based upon the results of the inspection. Special Design
owners must enter into a contractual agreement with a professional,
certified to perform such evaluations and inspections. The owner will be
given a copy of the inspection record and maintenance requirements and a
copy will be kept at CDA.
Do all systems require Maintenance & Monitoring?
Currently, not all Special Design septic systems are required to be
monitored. The Nevada County Land Use and Development Code Chapter 10
requires that Pressurized Distribution systems, Mound systems,
Intermittent and Recirculating Sand Filter systems, Package Plant
systems, Advantex, and Experimental systems have a monitoring and
maintenance plan.
Can I do this Maintenance & Monitoring?
In order to ensure that service is performed by professional,
specially trained and certified providers called Certified System Service
Providers (CSSP'S), Nevada County has instituted a program to test and
evaluate CSSP's.
The CSSP is responsible for:
* Conducting inspections to ensure quality control of new and existing
systems;
* Performing field investigations and monitoring;
* Reporting of system function to owner and CDA
* Reporting deficiencies to the CDA and make the necessary repairs;
* Reporting failures to the CDA
In order to obtain a CSSP certification, all
CSSP applicants must make an application to the department and
demonstrate adequate knowledge and competency in sewage disposal
principals to the departments satisfaction. General Maintenance Requirements:
As you know, this maintenance is critical to the over-all
performance of the sewage disposal system, neglecting to perform this
maintenance can lead to premature failure of the leach lines.
The general maintenance for your system should include all or part of
the following:
Septic tank maintenance should include pumping the septic and cleaning
the effluent filter every three to five years. Because the septic tank
maintenance is critical to the over-all performance of the sewage
disposal system, failure to perform this maintenance can lead to
sedimentation and premature failure of the leach lines.
The effluent filter and Biotube filter should be removed and hosed
down into the septic tank solid side annually to remove any scum and
buildup.
The pump and alarm floats should be manually activated annual to
verify proper operation annually.
The leach line laterals should be flushed once a year to remove any
accumulated scum. A flushing valve assembly should be connected to the
cleanout assembly to discharge the effluent back into the trench. If
flushing is not performed, the lateral orifices will eventually clog with
scum and not operate per design.
After flushing is completed the pressure head should be reset to the
designs specifications.
The drainfield effluent head should be checked on each lateral
annually to assure proper operation of the pump and that orifices are not
clogged. Then the pump should be turned on and see that uniform head is
maintained throughout the distribution system.
The primary and 100% repair area must be protected from vehicular
traffic, corrals, animal enclosures, stables, structures, below or above
ground pools, or any other activity that causes alterations such as
grading, cuts/fills, ect. Failure to do so may void this report.
Please note that all roof drainage should be diverted away from the
leach field. Irrigation in the area of the leach trenches should be kept
to a minimum to avoid saturating the soil. Drip irrigation should be
used.
Also we recommend water conservation should be enlisted for household
water use to maximize the life expectancy of the absorption trenches.
Also take care of any household leaks immediately to avoid unnecessary
saturating of the leach trenches.
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