The Tooele City Council approved an ordinance on Feb. 1 that restores a portion of the city’s building code regarding the use of septic tanks within city limits.
In 2012 the code required residential or business properties within 300 feet of a city sewer line to connect to the city’s wastewater system instead of using septic tanks, privy vaults or cesspools.
The ordinance was updated again in 2015, but during that process the septic tank section was inadvertently omitted, city officials said.
“It’s a provision that was in the code before and we’re making sure it gets in again,” said Tooele City Attorney Roger Baker. “It’s an important health provision allowed by state law.”
Baker indicated it is essential to have the septic tank question answered when considering building projects in the future. The code also pertains to current septic-tank use and existing septic tanks are not grandfathered-in, the attorney said.
Jim Bolser, the city’s community development/public works director, told the council during a recent work meeting there is growing information about septic tanks creating health risks to underground water resources in Utah.
According to the city’s code, all costs for permitting, construction and connection to the city’s wastewater treatment works are to be paid for by the property owner or contractor. Possible penalties for noncompliance include termination of water service to the property and fines.
In 2015, the city staff hired a consultant with expertise in wastewater pretreatment programs to harmonize municipal regulations with federal and state regulatory requirements.
Utah regulates septic systems through the Utah Division of Water quality and local governments, according to septicsystem.com. Local health departments must first conduct an analysis and review of groundwater and soil conditions before a septic system can be installed.
The evaluation will consider whether there are adequate soil conditions beneath the proposed trenches and the location of the water table, according to the website.