About 1.5 million gallons of septage is disposed of annually in an unlined percolation/evaporation pond adjacent to the Siskiyou County Airport in Montague.
The pond is not designed to be used in this way, is poorly designed, and is not properly permitted, according to a letter the county recently received from the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. Its continued use “presents a huge liability to the County in the event that groundwater contamination occurs,” the letter, dated Oct. 30, states.
The letter was brought up for discussion at the Dec. 2 board of supervisors meeting by Randy Akana, director of General Services and Terry Barber, director of the Public Health Department.
After the discussing some alternatives to using the disposal pond, supervisors directed staff to develop a plan soon.
“We need to make a decision soon,” county administrative officer Brian McDermott said during the meeting.
“This board needs to do something,” said supervisor LaVada Erickson.
The water control board “strongly” recommends that the county’s plan include “properly closing the Montague septage disposal pond in a manner that would protect groundwater quality into the future.”
“The county has a little over $300,000 set aside to close that facility,” said McDermott, “The state is going easy now, but if we wait until the state gets tough, it could cost much, much more.”
The county has contracted with Pace Engineering to complete a study that identifies potential alternatives for disposal of septage, which is the partially treated waste stored in a septic tank. Septage is composed of scum, which floats to the top and is generally where the bacteria that treats the waste is located; effluent, which is the semi-treated liquid that comprises the majority of the material in the septic tank; and sludge, which is the solid material which collects at the bottom of the tank.
Alternatives could possibly exist at wastewater treatment plants in Yreka, Weed and Lake Shastina, although currently neither of these sites “have the capacity to accept this volume of septage and still be fully protective of water quality,” according to Rou O’Connor, associate engineering geologist for the North Coast Water Quality Control Board.
County auditor Leanna Dancer said she has talked with Pace Engineering and that the Lake Shastina Community Services District seems to be the most likely prospect for receiving the septage.
Supervisor Marcia Armstrong said, “It’s not a question of, does the county want to be in the septage business? We have to be! There’s no other choice.”
Armstrong noted that large numbers of residents in her Scott Valley district are on septic systems.
“They need to be pumped,” she said. “The septage needs to be dumped somewhere.”
McDermott suggested that, “The county could help someone get set up to handle this.”
Several septic tank pumping companies were present at the meeting, one of which, Darrell Fisher, said the septage could be hauled to Oregon, although it would cost more.
“However,” said Fisher, “if it is mandated by the state, the extra cost actually becomes negligible.”
Resolution of Appreciation to Charlie Fehely
Recently retired Public Works Road Department employee Charlie Fehely was presented with a framed resolution from the board expressing the county’s appreciation of his 31 years on the job.
The presentation was made by McDermott, who served as director, deputy director and as senior engineer at Public Works.
“Charlie is the kind of employee who will help anytime he is asked,” said McDermott.
Fehely received an ovation from the supervisors and the audience.
“I really enjoyed working for the county,” he said, “I really learned a lot. I thought I would let some young blood in.”
Yreka, Calif. —
