The Tooele County Health Department is seeking public comment on proposed changes that would tighten its wastewater regulations for new developments.
The proposed changes to wastewater regulations come in response to a septic tank density problem in Tooele Valley, said Bryan Slade, environmental health division director for the health department.
“I think it will help toward solving the problem,” he said.
The board of health first started discussing septic tank density in September 2015, when health department director Jeff Coombs cited a 1998 study by the Utah Geological Survey that stated the number of septic tank soil-absorption systems in Tooele Valley should not exceed 3,000 to avoid impacting groundwater quality.
There were approximately 2,300 septic systems in the valley in fall 2015, according to Tooele County Commissioner Myron Bateman.
In January 2016, the board of health ordered a new septic tank density study in Tooele Valley and placed a hold on new subdivisions requiring septic tanks. The new study found the amount of nitrate pollution in valley groundwater has increased since 1998, but the water is still safe to drink.
The proposed changes to TCHD’s regulations for wastewater disposal make up the first policy change regarding wastewater disposal since the results of the new septic tank density study came out in May, Coombs said.
Currently, TCHD’s regulations for wastewater disposal only mention disposing of wastewater through individual systems, like septic tanks. But the proposed changes would require new developments to connect to a public sewer when it is available and practicable, Slade said.
According to the regulation document, public sewer would be considered available “if a connection is located within 300 feet of the property line, and may be considered available when it is further than 300 feet.”
In subdivisions, a public sewer would be considered available if a connection is located within 150 feet multiplied by the total number of proposed lots. New subdivisions would also have to extend major sewer trunk lines if necessary, the document states.
Public sewer providers would determine whether connecting to their public sewer would be practicable and developers would be required to submit their determination to the health department in writing, the document adds.
But before the proposed change can be passed into law, the health department must hold a 30-day public comment period and a public hearing, Coombs said.
During a public meeting Tuesday, the board of health voted to approve publishing the proposed changes for public comment. The regulation document, with proposed changes written in red, is available online at utah.gov/pmn.
Concerned citizens can submit written comments to Slade by submitting a statement to the environmental health division in the TCHD building at 151 N. Main Street in Tooele or emailing bslade@tooelehealth.org.
A public hearing will also be scheduled and advertised at utah.gov/pmn and in the Tooele Transcript Bulletin. The public comment period will end Oct. 28, said Amy Bate, TCHD public information officer.
The board of health will vote on the proposed change during its next meeting on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m.
Nitrate pollution typically comes from fertilizer use, septic tank soil-absorption systems, sewage and erosion of natural deposits. Drinking water that contains more than 10 milligrams of nitrate per liter of water can cause infants to become ill, such as with blue-baby syndrome, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
According to data from the 2016 septic tank density study, Erda groundwater has the highest level of nitrates from septic systems in Tooele Valley. On average, Erda’s public wells have 3.2 milligrams of nitrates per liter of water, while its private wells have 3.3 milligrams per liter.
With new development occurring all the time in Tooele Valley, county health officials intend to keep nitrate levels well within the federal health standard, Coombs said.
“We’ve got to start reversing that trend [of increased nitrate levels],” he said. “We don’t want to get to 10 [milligrams of nitrate per liter], or even to eight. That’s why we proposed this.”
As the health department continues to review the results of the 2016 septic tank density study, it’s likely more policy changes will be proposed in the future, Coombs added.
“We anticipate over the next year or two having to completely rewrite that section,” he said.
In the meantime, a hold on new proposed subdivisions that would use septic tanks in Tooele Valley is still in effect, Coombs said.