09-20-2005Health department director Bob Weaver answered questions from area residents regarding septic systems Monday during a Barbee Lakes Conservancy District meeting.
“The health department supports the construction of a sewer wherever it’s feasible within zoning regulations,” Weaver said when asked specifically for the county department’s policy.
Although exact figures about the area weren’t provided, Weaver said the department issues 800 sewer permits per year. Half of the permits are for repairs; half are for new homes.
“You do a good job at repairing failed systems,” he said. “This does not mean they are the appropriate size. You want it treated properly as it soaks away into the ground. It takes a large area and you don’t have a lot of room on most lake lots.
“Hopefully, the systems repaired will last longer, but there’s no way to tell how long they will last.”
Sewer size is based on the number of bedrooms per house: 800 gallons for two bedrooms; 1,000 gallons for three bedrooms; and 1,250 for four bedrooms. The department will no longer issue sewer permits in 100 year flood plains. Single family homes must be on a minimum of 15,000 square feet to support a septic system, according to county ordinance.
Following a site survey the health department does the best it can with the area provided, Weaver said. If a septic tank is within 25 feet of a neighboring water well a holding tank will be ordered. A holding tank may be pumped out as often as every two weeks.
The conservancy district is again considering the construction of a sewer system for the Barbee chain of lakes area. A 2001 plan to build a lagoon-type system operated by the district was rejected.
Now there is a proposal by the Oakland Hills subdivision to allow the area to connect to its line, which would then go to North Webster for treatment. The residential area’s developers, building on Armstrong Road, are ready for construction. If the district board wants to connect, an 8-inch force main will be installed. If the board indicates no interest a 6-inch force main will be installed with little hope of the Barbee residents connecting to it in the future.
Cost of $45,000 to install the larger pipe were given by Andy Dodzik of DLZ Engineering.
Monthly payment estimates as low as $50 have been presented, if a homeowner pays an initial $4,500 fee.
Dave Doctor of Secrist Lake said if everyone was planning for the future, say 2010, what they should be doing is putting in a sewer.
Weaver said the advantages to a sewer depend on plans for the lot. “You can rebuild or add a second story or a garage. It depends upon the hopes and dreams you have for your property.
“As far as the future goes, we can probably keep issuing repair permits for the next 20 years.”
Jim Harvey of Barbee Lake read from a 2000 study conducted by J.F. New and Associates, paid for by the Barbee Property Owners Association. The study indicated that all areas of the lake showed heavy amounts of septic effluent in all areas of the lake excepting the northeast shores of Irish and Secrist lakes.
Weaver said the instrument used by New detected concentrations of urine in large bodies of water.
“We had that instrument in our office and we couldn’t get it to work. I don’t see how you could detect urine in a large body of water.”
When asked if the soil around the lakes was good for septic systems, Weaver said it wasn’t.
“If an existing home needs repair we don’t kick out the residents. If there’s a tear-down or a rebuild, we won’t give them a permit if the lot is too small,” he said.
He said studies show sewered lakes don’t show an appreciable difference in the amount of bacteria present in the water.
The county health department tests lakes with public beaches two times a week for e-coli. The body can withstand 200 ppm (parts per million in 100 milliliters of water). There are no public beaches on the Barbee chain of lakes.
“I take well samples,” said Stu Lambert of Secrist Lake. “I take it to Turner Laboratories to be tested. How many people have their well tested?”
“Who drinks the water?” someone in the crowd answered.
Chuck Whitman said he tests the lake and has found e-coli as high as 350 to 1,500 ppm around the Putney Ditch and Grassy Creek.
Weaver said the department could set up a testing schedule here.
“We have to think about people downstream,” said Bill Thompson, reading from another Barbee Property Owners study. “The total volume of Barbee Lake flows through in three days. That’s going downstream. There is not supposed to be any leakage around the lake.”
Thompson also said a county-wide sewer was approved by county commissioners in 1994. He asked what happened with that plan.
A show of hands had about 70 percent of the 125 residents in attendance in favor of a sewer system. But the board has surveyed residents before and they were 2.5:1 against construction previously.
Conversely the members said they make their own decisions, independent of public opinion.
“People just don’t want to carry the freight of a sewer system,” said chairman Barry Hecker.
Weaver said the Indiana department of Environmental Management can mandate a sewer system and that State Rep. Dave Wolkins (R-Winona Lake) was chairman of the department.
Holly LaSalle of the Tippecanoe Environmental Lake and Watershed Foundation said the Natural Resources Commission and the state board of health has developed a task force. The recommendation from that task force is that septics be removed from lakefront properties.
Dodzick said there were may ways to fund construction projects, from securing a state revolving loan to community focus grants. The district also could benefit from an Army Corps of Engineers grant if local legislators lobbied for it.
The board also approved a $167,000 budget for 2006. An expenditure of $10,000 to Scott Fox for computers was approved.
Board members are Bart Brugh, Barry Hecker, Scott Fox, Don Harris and Dick Long. Brugh was absent.
The next meeting is Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m.