01/30/10 - The Wastewater Management Office continues to perform the required routine inspections on all OWTSs (On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems) on the island. All T-1 (conventional) systems are inspected every three years. There are many T-1 systems that have inspections performed annually due to changes in household occupancy, seasonal use, and rental status and site characteristics. For example, a system on Lakeside Drive adjacent to Fresh Pond, or a system on Sands Pond Road, will be inspected annually. All systems in Minister’s Lot, whether they are T-1 or T-2, are inspected annually because they are located within a Well Head Protection Area (WHPA). All T-2 (Alternative) systems are inspected annually.

All On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems are prone to failure due to improper design, installation, or lack of required maintenance. Any OWTS failure poses a risk to public health, safety, financial well being, and a potential contamination source to the surface waters, groundwater and the salt and estuarine waters of New Shoreham.

There are a total of 1,328 septic systems on the island. Of this total, there are 1,153 T-1 (Conventional) and 175 T-2 (Alternative) systems. There were 22 new systems designed, approved and installed during 2009.

Maintenance contracts with qualified maintenance providers are required for any system with pumps and/or electrical components. Any system with a mechanical component, regardless of age, is mandated to have a mechanical contract. Only persons accredited to perform OWTS maintenance work, or the manufacturer’s representative, shall fulfill the contracted requirements. The reluctance of the property owners to obtain the required maintenance contracts has been and continues to be problematic.

Routine inspections continue to reveal a high percentage of leaking tanks, either from the weep hole or the mid-seam joint. Personally, I feel these tanks have been leaking since they were installed. On the positive end, once the property owner is made aware of the leak, they respond quickly to get the leak repaired or the tank replaced.

The Wastewater Management Ordinance was reviewed and sections re-written with the help of Town Manager Nancy Dodge and Chris D’Ovidio from the solicitor’s office. These changes will allow for fair and legal enforcement of the rules and regulations of the Wastewater Management Ordinance and Zoning Section 506.

As always, there are some property owners who just fail to comply with the rules. There are still eight systems that need the First Maintenance Inspection completed, nine that are sub-standard, four that are unknown, and 22 that need to have upgrades completed.

I continue to attend classes at the New England On-Site Wastewater Training Facility located at the University of Rhode Island. Their mission is to educate the public and wastewater practitioners on on-site wastewater system issues, advance the use of innovative and alternative technologies to improve and protect public health and water quality, and to encourage sustainable development.

My goals for the coming year, 2010, are as follows:

1. Continue performing the routine inspections.

2. Work on the delinquent list of property owners and get them to comply.

3. Issue Notices of Violation to those property owners who do not comply.

4. Educate the public and property owners about the function and use of a septic system.

5. Continue refresher training at URI.

New Shoreham’s aquifer is integrally connected with surface waters, streams, wetlands, the coastal ponds and the island’s limited potable water supply. Groundwater generally flows towards and discharges to streams and ponds. Damage to any one component of this system could result in damage to another. The island’s groundwater and surface water provide important natural and recreational resources, the protection of which is vital to the island’s economic and environmental well-being.