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Show Seals itself Leak in lagoons expected Leakage in a completed sewer lagoon to serve the Ashley Valley is a "natural occurance" which has been solved, according to officials close to the construction of the project. The leakage turned up a week ago as lagoon number two was filled with clear water to test it. "Leakage is a natural occurance of any field pond," said Troy Ostler, an engineer on the project. "Once the clay in the botton of the lagoon expands, it will fill the small fractures now causing the leakage." While the lagoon is in the process of sealing itself off according to Doug Lawson, Ashley Valley Sewer Board chairman, several accommodations have been made to divert the leaking water. The water has been piped across a road at the bottom of a ravine west of the lagoon and arrangement made with the property owners, Lawson said. Lawson said that the water was about as much as flows through a garden hose. "Not enough to do any good, but just enough to cause a nuisance. "With most field ponds there is leakage w hich ho one would notice, but since this one is on top of a hill the leakage is noticeable." Ostler said. Lawson said a bulldozer would be at the lagoon this week to disk the bottom. After the bottom has been disked, the State Board of Health will allow us to test the lagoon with sewage. The bottom of the lagoon will be disked disk-ed to stir up the clay to fill in the fractures. frac-tures. Ostler said. Even though leakage may continue, Ostler said the water filters through the bottom of the lagoon and is safe. Lawson said he was surprised ERA wasn't more concerned about the leak, but "apparently it is common with all lagoons." As the other lagoons begin to fill Ostler said there would be more leakage, but he expected all the lagoons to seal in about a year. When all the lagoons are operable, raw sewage will float only into the first two lagoons. As bacteria breaks down the wastes, the sewage floats into the other lagoons. Finally the water is chlorinated and stored in a reservoir where in the spring and summer it will be used for irrigating barley and alfalfa for livestock. "This is the same system operating in Roosevelt, Duchesne, Heber and a number of others around the state." Ostler said. |