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HomeMy WebLinkAbout18 Appendix DLa Pine National Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Demonstration Project Appendix D: Operation and Maintenance Advisory Committee Work Plan Page D-1 Appendix D Operation and Maintenance Advisory Committee Work Plan Section........................................................................................................................................................................................Page Overview ......................................................................................................................................................................................D-2 Charter..........................................................................................................................................................................................D-4 Problem statement ........................................................................................................................................................................D-4 Work plan.....................................................................................................................................................................................D-5 Administrative procedures............................................................................................................................................................D-7 La Pine National Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Demonstration Project Page D-2 Appendix D: Operation and Maintenance Advisory Committee Work Plan ONSITE SEWAGE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL SYSTEMS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (O & M ADVISORY COMMITTEE) Work Plan Developed March 2001 OVERVIEW In the 1960’s and 1970’s before statewide planning occurred in Oregon, over 12,000 lots were created in subdivisions in southern Deschutes County, generally considered as that area of Deschutes County south of Sunriver. Most of these lots are less than 2 acres and many are ½ and 1 acre in size. The majority of these lots utilize individual wells and use onsite septic systems to dispose of sewage. Since 1989, Deschutes County has been the fastest growing county in the state on a percentage basis. The rural character, attractive location on or near the Deschutes Rivers, the close proximity to hunting and fishing and the relatively inexpensive land prices particularly in southern Deschutes County have led to a burgeoning population. With this burgeoning population has come a proliferation of onsite sewage systems in an area characterized by floodplains, wetlands, and areas of high water tables mixed with areas of highly permeable, rapidly draining soils and relatively cold groundwater temperatures. Nitrates (among other drinking water contaminants) are a product of septic systems, are poorly retained in the fast draining soils and do not easily break down due to the cool water temperatures. As a result, the buildup of nitrates occurs in the shallow groundwater aquifer that underlies this region. The presence of a high level of nitrates is of great concern because this same aquifer is the source of drinking water for the residents in this area. High levels of nitrates in drinking water are a cause of “blue baby” syndrome in infants, are of particular concern to pregnant women, have been linked to cancer and weakening of the immune system in the elderly. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set the safe drinking water standard for nitrate concentration at 10 milligrams per liter (mg/l). The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is required (i.e. mandated) to declare a region a Groundwater Management Area if nitrate concentrations reach 7 mg/l. This requires the immediate implementation of an imposed plan to protect and restore groundwater quality with the attendant potential negative impacts. Furthermore, if concentrations reach 5 mg/l, the area is declared an Area of Concern, which forces the external implementation of a study of the area to determine how to reduce contamination to lower levels. In order to ensure safe drinking water and preclude outside intervention, the Deschutes County Community Development Department (CDD) in concert with other local, state and federal agencies has for some time been proactively addressing the problem of contamination of the groundwater aquifer in southern Deschutes County. A 1980 - 1981 study revealed sufficient contamination in the La Pine core area to require installation of a community sewer system. A 1995 well monitoring study by DEQ showed that after 11 years of sewer, the nitrate levels in the core area had receded but were still at the unsafe level. The 1995 monitoring study also revealed several nitrate “hot spots” greater than 7 mg/l and other areas where nitrate levels were at greater than usual background levels. Over the past several years, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has developed a groundwater flow model of the entire upper Deschutes Basin. The model has been used to do analyses of predicted nitrate patterns occurring from La Pine National Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Demonstration Project Appendix D: Operation and Maintenance Advisory Committee Work Plan Page D-3 onsite systems in southern Deschutes County. Depending on input assumptions, various analyses have predicted the potential for the development of serious groundwater contamination problems in future years in southern Deschutes County. However, the accuracy of the results has been limited because the model is a 2 dimensional model with the attendant limitations of a 2 dimensional model. With further development of the 3 dimensional model now being worked on, and more accurate input data, more accurate predictions are expected in the future. The recently completed Regional Problems Solving (RPS) program included in its goals, among others, the goals of ensuring that domestic water from groundwater meets safe drinking water standards, the development of a market driven system to reduce development in floodplains, wetlands and areas susceptible to groundwater pollution, the creation of the “New Neighborhood” between La Pine and Wickiup Junction and the exploration of experimental sewage disposal systems and methods. Additionally, as a part of the RPS program, a Deschutes County Working Group on Groundwater Quality Issues was formed. The group was formed for the purpose of considering the necessity for the proposal for adoption of a more restrictive Geographic Rule for southern Deschutes County that would be adequate to protect the groundwater in this area from reaching serious contamination levels in the future. Also, as a part of the RPS program, a group was formed to examine waste treatment options (such as centralized off- site systems) besides onsite systems for southern Deschutes County. The work of the O&M Advisory Committee is further supported by a overall national movement towards accepting the use of onsite systems as a long-term means of sewage treatment and disposal. Generally, EPA has found, and this finding is supported by work completed during the Regional Problem Solving project, that centralized sewer systems are too expensive to extend to all areas of the countryside. One of the outgrowths of the RPS program has been the establishment of the ongoing La Pine National Onsite Demonstration Project, which has 4 major tasks: 1. Evaluate experimental onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems anticipating better efficiency than the current standard, pressure and sand filter systems currently in use. 2. Continued development and use of a 3 dimensional Groundwater/Nitrate Fate and Transport Model to predict future rates of aquifer contamination occurring because of current and anticipated increases in the number of onsite disposal systems. 3. Development of a long-term maintenance program for onsite septic systems. 4. Development of a low cost loan program for the finance of onsite septic systems. The O & M Advisory Committee has been formed to address task number 3, specifically to define the type and form of long term attention that is needed to protect our investments in onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems. La Pine National Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Demonstration Project Page D-4 Appendix D: Operation and Maintenance Advisory Committee Work Plan CHARTER By the authority vested in the Board of Deschutes County Commissioners and the Director of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality the Onsite Operation and Maintenance Advisory Committee was established by letter to its appointed members on February 15, 2001. The committee is to function as a part of the La Pine National Onsite Demonstration Project and is charged with defining the type and form of long term attention that is needed to protect our investments in onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems. The product of the committee will be a report with recommendations for the implementation of a management system for the operation and maintenance of onsite septic systems. The management system will consist of a set or sets of procedures that have a combination of education, voluntary and regulatory components as appropriate to provide for the adequate protection of the groundwater in southern Deschutes County. PROBLEM STATEMENT To develop recommendations for the implementation of a set or sets of procedures as a part of an overall management system to ensure proper operation and maintenance of onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems. The procedures should be developed so as to be the least restrictive in terms of overall costs and imposition of regulatory requirements, yet still provide for the requisite protection from groundwater contamination of the aquifer in southern Deschutes County (i.e. to say the least amount of medicine to ensure that the patient stays healthy). La Pine National Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Demonstration Project Appendix D: Operation and Maintenance Advisory Committee Work Plan Page D-5 WORK PLAN In order to provide for an orderly approach to the development of the committee’s recommendations the general approach will be to conduct an overview/fact finding phase, to conduct a total review of all current procedures, to review other county/state management plans, to develop alternatives, to consider alternatives, their impact and barriers to implementation, to decide on final recommendations and provide the final report to the DEQ and County Commissioners. The specific individual tasks to be accomplished are as follows: FACT FINDING: 1. Obtain a “big picture “ overview of southern Deschutes County population projections, projected number of onsite systems, status of the New Neighborhood and the Transfer Development Credit (TDC) program and appropriate views, input and/or recommendations from the Deschutes County Director of the Community Development Department (CDD). 2. View a demonstration of the mechanism that leads to onsite septic system groundwater contamination through the use of the miniature demonstration model to be provided by Roger Everett of CDD. The demonstration is to include a discussion of septic effluent contaminants, dangers of human consumption of excessive nitrates and explanation of the inter-relationship between the water cycle and the introduction of contaminants into the groundwater system. 3. Presentation of the current status of the 3 Dimensional Groundwater/Nitrogen Transport Model and the best current predictions regarding the rates of predicted contamination of groundwater in southern Deschutes County to be provided by Steve Hinkle and Dave Morgan of USGS. 4. Presentation of the status of the April 22, 1999 recommendations of the Joint Working Group on Groundwater issues in south Deschutes County and the current status of any potential or general rule changes under consideration by the DEQ to be provided by a DEQ representative. 5. Comprehensive review of all current procedures relevant to onsite sewage disposal systems. a. Presentation by Roger Everett of CDD of the current septic permit procedures septic system failure statistics, the New Neighborhood system, experimental system goals, results of the group formed to consider other waste treatment options besides onsite systems for southern Deschutes County and any other relevant information appropriate for committee consideration. b. Presentation by the La Pine Sewer District representative of the current operational procedures for the La Pine Sewer District and any other relevant information appropriate for committee consideration. c. Presentation by a licensed installer and/or service provider of the current procedures for installation, O & M procedures and any other relevant information appropriate for committee consideration. d. Presentation by a real estate representative of the transaction procedures involved in a property transfer and any other relevant information appropriate for committee consideration. e. Presentation by the lender representative of available lending procedures and any other relevant information appropriate for committee consideration. 6. Presentation and review of other county or state O & M management models to be arranged for by the DEQ staff representative. DEVELOP ALTERNATIVES 7. Based on the facts found in the fact finding phase and the knowledge gained from the review of current procedures develop a flow chart which depicts the various potential sequences of events in the life cycle of a septic system. The flow chart is to depict each potential step in the life cycle from request for septic evaluation to the end of life for that system. The flow chart is to be used to develop the different approaches to a management system for onsite septic systems. 8. Develop the pros and cons of different approaches to a management system as applied to southern Deschutes County. La Pine National Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Demonstration Project Page D-6 Appendix D: Operation and Maintenance Advisory Committee Work Plan 9. Delineate and develop ways of surmounting barriers to the implementation of different procedures and approaches to a management system. 10. Identify one or more approaches to workable management systems. 11. Develop approaches to independent education programs and review the chosen workable management systems for incorporation of appropriate educational mechanisms. 12. Discuss and define funding issues and partners/agencies to implement alternatives. 13. Review the alternative management systems to ensure the changes necessary to existing ordinances/rules have been identified. PREPARE RECOMMENDATION(S): 14. Develop the final report and the final recommendations to be presented to the DEQ and the Deschutes County Board of Supervisors. La Pine National Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Demonstration Project Appendix D: Operation and Maintenance Advisory Committee Work Plan Page D-7 ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES 1. Committee Duration. The duration of this committee is to last until a set of recommendations are provided to Deschutes County and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. 2. Meeting Dates and Length of Meetings. Committee meetings will be held on the third Thursday of each month at 3:00 PM and for a target duration of 2 hours unless otherwise agreed to by the committee members. This provision can be changed with the agreement of the committee members. 3. Open Meetings. Meetings are open to members of the public but the public is allowed to participate in committee’s deliberations only at the discretion of the chair. Agendas and minutes are public record and are available to anyone who requests them. 4. Attendance Lists, Minutes, Mailing Lists, Public Notice of Meetings. The DEQ staff representative is responsible to record the minutes of each meeting, maintain mailing lists of interested parties, distribute notice of meetings to committee members and interested parties and provide meeting agenda and background materials in advance of each committee meeting. Meeting minutes along with the next meeting agenda will be distributed no later than 5 working days after each meeting. 5. Logistics Support. The DEQ support representative will ensure that an overhead projector, blackboard, easel, copying capabilities and associated support materials are available for each meeting. 6. Recording of Meetings. The DEQ support representative will record each meeting for the purpose of providing support for the production of minutes of each meeting. The recordings will be treated as privileged and once each successive meeting minutes have been approved, the recording of that meeting will be erased/deleted. 7. Role of the Chair. The chair will be responsible to keep the committee on task, keep the agenda moving and on time. The chair will make it clear on what action, if any, the committee is being asked to take on each agenda item. In general, the chair will elicit opinions from committee members before voicing his own. In order to encourage participation from all group members, the chair may choose to “go around the room” asking for comments from everyone. The chair will refrain from “pushing” any personal agenda and if a conflict of interest arises on a particular topic, it should be declared by the chair who may choose not to facilitate any particular discussion on which it is important to be neutral. The chair may use Robert’s Rules of Order, a modified or abbreviated Robert’s Rules of Order or other set of standardized procedures agreeable to the committee. 8. Consensus/Informed Consent. The committee will try to work through all issues and reach committee recommendations with the goal of reaching consensus. However, consensus in all cases may not be possible. In these cases agreement on “informed consent” will be used as an alternative. Informed consent as used in the sense is an agreement by a participant or participants to go along with a course of action with which they may not wholly agree with but which they are able to accept in order to bring the issue to closure. The chair may choose to use various techniques to work toward informed consent such as: (a) rewording a position until it has addressed the concerns of all members, or (b) take an informal poll of members to get a sense of relative support for one or several alternatives, when several are under discussion; The chair will ensure that questions are posed for the record rather than just assuming a conclusion has been reached on an issue. If informed consent cannot be reached , or if a formal vote is otherwise necessary, a majority of the members present should determine the committee’s position and/or recommendation. When there is a strong dissenting minority opinion to an important committee recommendation, the dissenting minority will provide a minority report to be included in the final report of the committee. 9. Document Changes. This document is intended to be a “living” document. As progress is made by the committee, additions, deletions and/or changes to portions of this document may be required. Consensus for changes should be the goal. However, if consensus can’t be reached, changes can be made on the basis of informed consent.