March 2013

Second statewide talking tour a success; see you next year

In January and February, MPCA staff held 16 meetings with local SSTS program staff in locations all across Minnesota. In all, the sessions drew more than 100 people representing 63 counties, 43 cities, 22 townships, a joint powers board and a sanitary district.

Some general impressions gathered from those meetings include:

• LGUs are moving ahead with program implementation and figuring out how to make it work in their jurisdictions. There were many good examples of problem-solving shared and we need to find ways to share successful ideas and approaches across the state.
• Many counties are interested in using the 2006 rule as an alternative to the 2008/11 rule for residential systems under 2500 gpd and they would welcome more specific guidance on adoption language they can use in drafting their local ordinance.
  
• Cities and townships would like assistance as they work on amending their ordinances following their county's adoption.

Participants at every meeting were in support of continuing the Talking Tour next year.

SSTS annual report submissions show steady progress toward upgrading systems across the state

Data provided by counties and other local SSTS program administrators at the end of 2012 show there is steady progress being made toward the goal of identifying and updating SSTS across the state. More details will be shared when the report is released later this year. Here is a peek at some of the information that will be in the report.  Looking at the total number of replacement SSTS that have been installed in the past 11 years, we see there have been more than 65,000 upgrades, which means that an estimated 4.6 billion gallons of sewage is now being properly treated, a significant environmental improvement.*

 *The 4.6 billion gallons of sewage treated each year is based on the replacement of systems over 11 years (estimated at 67,500 x 2.5 person/permit, 75 gal/person, 365 days/year).

Ziegler sees commonalities in MPCA watershed, SSTS programs

Jim Ziegler has been named manager for the MPCA SSTS program, taking over from Will Haapala who retired. Jim has been with the agency for more than 20 years, working in the Detroit lakes regional office. He says he is looking forward to working with counties and other local program partners to meet the challenge of updating ordinances across the state and identifying and fixing or replacing non-compliant systems and straight pipes. For much of his career, Jim worked as a supervisor in the watershed unit, which is focused on improving water quality in lakes and streams. "I think much of my experience in the watershed unit is applicable to what we do in SSTS," Jim said. "That involves working together with experienced local partners to meet our mutual goals. In the watershed unit that meant working with watershed districts, SWCD offices and other local stakeholder groups. In SSTS we're working with counties and other local units of government, stakeholder groups such as MOWA, the University of Minnesota and others... I'm excited to be working in a new area." Jim serves as an assistant high school cross-country skiing coach in Detroit Lakes and is an avid bicycler who often rides to the office in Detroit Lakes from his rural home during warmer months.

To be (a bedroom) or not to be; that is the question

And here is the answer.

Since SSTS sizing is determined strongly by the number of bedrooms in a dwelling, the question of whether or not a room should be considered a bedroom is one that is frequently debated between local regulators, SSTS designers and homeowners.  

A bedroom is defined in 7080.1100, Subp. 9, as  an area that is:

a. a room designed or used for sleeping; or
b. a room or area of a dwelling that has a minimum floor area of 70 square feet with access gained from the living area or living area hallway. Architectural features that affect the use as a bedroom under this item may be considered in making the bedroom determination.

An MPCA fact sheet provides more detail on the architectural features that affect the use of a room as a bedroom, and can be helpful when making this determination.  

When building permits are issued in a different department from the SSTS construction permit, it is critical these two groups agree on the definition of a bedroom so the issue is resolved consistently within the jurisdiction. 

More anecdotal evidence on causes, solutions to freezing septics

Lots of late winter snow and warmer temperatures have helped lessen the chances of septic systems freezing; however, the potential for freezing exists throughout the winter season. Two examples prove this point, as well as the point that it can happen to anyone. The new MPCA SSTS section manager Jim Ziegler recently experienced his septic system backing up. Since his tank had been pumped recently, he knew the problem had to be in the pipe between the house and septic tank. He was able to clear the frozen pipe himself by opening a cleanout plug and running a hose and hot water into the pipe until it eventually cleared, a process that took about three hours. He said the area between the house and septic tank usually blows clear of snow and so he will work on keeping that area better insulated throughout the late fall and winter season. MPCA SSTS staffer Gretchen Sabel was cross-country skiing recently when she started chatting with another skier on the trail. When she told the other skier what she did for a living, he told her, "Well, you're just the person I need to talk to," He had returned from a trip to find that his drainfield was frozen. Gretchen said the family's absence and lack of hot water going into the system contributed to the problem. In addition, there had been little snow or other insulation over the drainfield. Regular daily use of hot water during the winter (making sure to run a warm load of laundry or using the dishwasher each day) will help prevent freezeups, as will keeping the area over the entire septic system insulated. That can be achieved by letting the grass grow at the end of the summer or applying straw, mulch or other insulating material in the fall before temperatures start to plummet. It's also important to avoid any type of traffic, even foot traffic, over septic pipes and the drainfield all year long. Compaction allows frost to move deeper and faster through the soil. Plugged pipes can sometimes be cleared using steam or hot water, such as Ziegler used. The only cure for frozen drainfields, however, is springtime. In such cases, the septic tank becomes a holding tank that must be pumped until the spring thaw.

Enforcement Corner

During the period October- December 2012, MPCA enforcement staff finalized seven SSTS enforcement actions representing 11 percent of all MPCA enforcement actions during the period.

The quarterly summary of all MPCA enforcement actions is available on the MPCA web site. 

The SSTS enforcement actions consisted of administrative penalty orders (APOs). The MPCA issues APOs and stipulation agreements to resolve compliance problems and SSTS licensure issues. The severity of the enforcement action depends on several factors, including the number of violations, environmental impact of the violation, whether it is a repeat offense, and how quickly the problem is corrected. Penalties go to the the state General Fund.  

The APOs were issued to: Tom’s Sewer Service (Crow Wing County), Kangas Enterprises Inc. (Aitkin County), Thompson Rental (St. Louis County), Burris Septic Service (St. Louis County), Great Outdoors Excavating LLC (St. Louis County); 3B’s Construction (Itasca County) and Waln Excavating & Blacktopping, Inc. (Wadena County).

Service Provider certification required for Intermediate certification

The MPCA web site has been updated to reflect all educational requirements for Intermediate Inspector, including the fact that Service Provider certification is required to become an Intermediate Inspector.

We encourage everyone to occasionally check out the Licensing and Certification page for updated information, for example, the resources listed under "Specialty Area Task Analyses," in case someone asks you a question like, “what is going to be on the test?”

SSTS staff - who to call

Detailed contact information for MPCA SSTS staff is available on the MPCA website. All MPCA staff can be reached at 651-296-6300 or toll-free at 1-800-657-3864.