Our Community Wastewater Treatment system is somewhat unique.
It's called a STEP system, meaning Septic Tank Effluent Pump system.
Read on to find out more about it and how to keep it working correctly.
HOW IT WORKS
It starts with your septic tank which gives the waste its primary treatment with scads of hungry little bugs (bacteria) that turn most of the "stuff" into gas. What's left is liquid and sludge. The nearly clear liquid is pumped through a screen into a collection system by the pump located in your tank. This Orenco pump is operated by floats and a control box which has a red light and an alarm. The rest is sludge that stays in the tank until it is necessary to have it pumped out. How often this needs to be done is dependent on how much and what you put down your drain and how healthy and efficient the "bugs" in your tank are.
All of this liquid, called "effluent" is gravity fed and/or pumped through the system uphill to several acres of evaporation ponds located about a mile above Eagle Lake Road. These ponds, nearly odor free, take oxygen from the air and use sunlight to keep millions of little green plants, algae, growing like crazy. They remove carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and other nutrients from the water. At the same time there is enough evaporation to keep up with the inflow so that no water is discharged into the ground water. It’s a great system and we want to keep it working well at a low cost to all of us. We don’t want to mess it up!
A schematic of a STEP system (Septic Tank Effluent Pump). (return to top)
These are a good option for many small communities
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
CHECK YOUR FAUCETS & TOILET FLAPPER REGULARLY
Please see that your toilet does not continue to run or leak (up to 1500 gallons a day with a stuck flapper) and that faucets and other things don’t keep dripping. In addition to insuring that our ponds and system can keep up with the demand, this precaution also protects your well pump and your sewer pump against unnecessary operation, expense, and extra repairs.
WHAT ARE YOU PUTTING DOWN THE DRAIN?
Make sure that you don’t kill the bugs in your tank or things will "pile up". Believe me, no one else wants to do the work they do so keep them healthy and happy. If you remember that they hate chemicals (cleaning solvents, paint, bleach, etc..), fat/grease, and too much paper, you will know how to treat the little guys. The Orenco company recommends not using a garbage disposal. Cooking fats should never go down the drain.
If you are gone all winter, you can kick start your system again by adding a packet or two of yeast or a commercial septic tank treatment. Otherwise, what is "supposed" to go into the system should do the trick on it's own.
DURING A POWER OUTAGE
If you run a generator during a power outage to keep your well pump going, be sure that it also runs your septic pump. If you don't your septic tank could fill to the point that submerges the wiring and causes electrical problems and extra costs to you.
WHEN YOU'RE GONE
If you are gone and a pipe should burst or a toilet flapper become stuck, it could flood your home or fill and overflow your septic tank in a relatively short period of time. Please consider turning off your well pump and hot water heater when you are going to be gone. With the well pump off, the amount of water is limited to that which is in your tank and if your hot water heater should also drain. . . well, that's another kettle of worms. If you are unsure if you should do this, ask a qualified person or call the District Office.
TROUBLES?
Things do go wrong with age and use. The pumps have been very reliable but the control floats sometimes fail along with switches and wire connections. These problems usually trigger the control box alarm. If the alarm goes off have a qualified person check it and make repairs if necessary, or you can call the District at
825-3350. Also, please be a good neighbor and if you hear someone else's alarm, either notify them directly or contact the District. (return to top)
WHAT THE DISTRICT DOES:
With the cost of everything going up, the biggest job we have is keeping the system running efficiently at a minimum expense to property owners. To that end; the lift pumps are serviced regularly and the flow meters and pond levels are monitored regularly. We have recently installed a telephone warning system which dials a predetermined sequence of phone numbers to alert someone if there's a problem somewhere in the system.
Another area of importance is keeping up with the ever, and ever, increasing Regulations including Management, Planning for and Prevention of spills or pond leakages. There are numerous reports required to the State Water Resource Control Board and the Lahonton Regional Water Quality Board.
The District is responsible for issuing permits for new hookups to the system and performing inspections at various stages of the installation process.
Currently, our Service Districts Sewer Fee is among the lowest in the State for a system of our size and type and we'd really like to keep it that way! As the system ages, it only follows that things can no longer be rebuilt and will need to be replaced. We are constantly striving to maintain a balance between cost and need!
CALL LIST FOR SEWER PROBLEMS, SPILLS AND/OR RINGING ALARMS
FIRST CALL THE DISTRICT OFFICE AT 530-825-3350. IF THERE IS NO ANSWER CALL IN ORDER:
WASTEWATER MANAGER: MARTIN BALDING 530-825-3481
BOARD DIRECTOR: SAM SHAPIRO 530-825-2122
BOARD DIRECTOR: RON REBELL 530-825-3375
MARINER'S RESORT: 825-3333 - ASK THEM TO CONTACT THE PROPER AUTHORITY
DENNIS GLENN 530-260-0333
IF THE PROBLEM IS A PUMP STATION ALARM PLEASE CALL UNTIL YOU GET A REAL PERSON! THANKS
IMPORTANT! Any and all spills or Sewer System Overflows are to be reported to The Lahontan Regional Water Board, attn: Rob Tucker. Phone 530-542-5467 or 530-542-5432 or cell 530-721-0607. Our Wastewater Manager also reports spills electronically to the State Water Board. Spills that may reach the lake are to be reported immediately to the Lassen County Health Department.
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