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Show i c s ' i m , r - v Sontheastarn Utah W Healtli District ' liy Dave Johnson ! g-rtfj District Sanitarian i i By Dave Johnson f urn sure that many people .Grand County have noticed L we are growing. Much of L growth is taking place in just outside the city Jmits and out into Spanish 5 New growth in rural areas tften has unforeseen problems' prob-lems' problems of water Jy and adequate sewage disposal need to be carefully Considered. Both of these 'things are interrelated. Without With-out proper separation between , water source and waste disposal area, problems of contamination are often the result. Once this has happened, the juter source has to be either Seated or abandoned. ; ; Several things can be done i jo eliminate this potential ) health problem before it's too ' jate. Malting sure the well is i 'property constructed, cased, and sealed at the surface to prevent any surface drainage or contamination from entering enter-ing is a must. Any water source is only as good as the system developed for its use to transport it for consumption. If there are defects in the system, they should be taken care of immediately. Common Problems Common problems that are often seen are wells that aren't sealed watertight at the top of the casing. Often, a metal plate is installed with holes in it for wiring for the pump. These holes often leave large voids for material and suface water to enter. Another problem encountered encounter-ed but often overlooked, is where there are no means provided to route surface water and drainage around the well. This can be alleviated by sloping the ground around the well away from the casing or by providing a well house I constructed in such a manner ( to prevent this problem from happening. 'f Prevent Contamination C As mentioned previously, p proper waste disposal systems J are another method to help '(, prevent contamination of our own water system as well as J) that of our neighbors. A ft distance of at least 100 feet is P. recommended for water and v sewage separation. Pi Basically, proper waste dis-I dis-I posal consists of a septic tank ji and drainfield. The most important function of a septic j) tank is to protect the soils i natural ability to absorb and f purify wastes. This is accomp-f accomp-f lished in three differenty (" ways: f First, solids entering the ' tank are channeled towards t tie bottom for settling. Second, Sec-ond, the action of anaerobic bacteria act on sewage to further decompose and stabilize stabil-ize it. Third, the tank provides storage area for both sludge and scum. The sludge being the solids that settle on the bottom and the scum being composed of oils, greases and other substances that float and remain near the top of the tank. Thus when the liquid waste leaves the septic tank and enters the drainfield, it has already undergone considerable consid-erable treatment. If household sewage is left untreated, it will soon clog all but the most porous types of soil. Cleaning Once a septic tank has been installed, they need to be periodically cleaned out. Depending De-pending on the number of appliances you have that use water, i.e., garbage disposal, dish washer, clothes washer, number in household etc., will determine how often. A rule of thumb might be as often as 2 years if you use the above appliances and up to 5 years if you don't. If septic tanks aren't periodically cleaned out, both sludge and scum will enter the drainfield and eventually clog the soil resulting result-ing in failure of the system. For those contemplating moving into such rural areas, local health deparments can help in proper location and construction of water and sewer systems. Utah Law requires us to approve and evaluate all septic tank systems sys-tems before they are installed and inspect them before the system is covered up. This approval is based on the soils absorptive ability, soil and groundwater conditions, and size and general adequacy of the system. If properly built, septic tank systems can last indefinately. The Southeast Utah Health District has offices located in the Grand County Courthouse, the San Juan County Courthouse, Court-house, and the Blanding Library. Their services are open to everyone. . |