Local Agency Management Program for Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems
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Local Agency Management Program for Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Alameda County, California (Draft) County of Alameda Department of Environmental Health March 14, 2016 Table of Contents Section 1: Introduction and Background .................................................................................. 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1 Geographical Area .................................................................................................................................... 1 Regulation of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems ............................................................................ 2 Alameda County OWTS Requirements ..................................................................................................... 3 Organization of this LAMP ........................................................................................................................ 5 Section 2: Environmental Conditions, OWTS Usage and Water Quality Management in Alameda County ...................................................................................................................... 7 Geographical Setting ................................................................................................................................ 7 Surface Water Hydrology ......................................................................................................................... 8 Groundwater Basins ............................................................................................................................... 10 Soils and OWTS Suitability Mapping ....................................................................................................... 14 OWTS Usage Estimates ........................................................................................................................... 15 Water Quality Management Measures .................................................................................................. 16 Section 3: OWTS Siting, Design, and Construction Requirements .......................................... 23 Siting Criteria .......................................................................................................................................... 23 Site Evaluation Requirements for OWTS ................................................................................................ 23 Wastewater Flows for OWTS Design ...................................................................................................... 25 Design and Construction Requirements ................................................................................................. 25 Section 4: Special OWTS Management Issues ........................................................................ 31 OWTS Inspection, Monitoring, Maintenance and Repair ....................................................................... 31 OWTS Near Impaired Water Bodies ....................................................................................................... 32 Variances and Exceptions ....................................................................................................................... 32 Professional, Contractor and Maintenance Provider Qualifications ...................................................... 33 Education and Outreach ......................................................................................................................... 35 Septage Management ............................................................................................................................ 36 Onsite Maintenance Districts ................................................................................................................. 36 Regional Salt and Nutrient Management Plans...................................................................................... 37 Watershed Management Coordination ................................................................................................. 39 Evaluating Proximity to Public Sewers ................................................................................................... 39 OWTS Notification to Public Water System Owner(s) ............................................................................ 40 Phase-Out of Cesspool Usage ................................................................................................................. 42 Section 5: Prohibitions ........................................................................................................... 43 Section 6: Program Administration ........................................................................................ 46 OWTS Permitting Records ...................................................................................................................... 46 Water Quality Assessment Program ....................................................................................................... 46 Reporting to RWQCBs ............................................................................................................................. 48 Appendix A: Supporting Rationale for Alameda County OWTS Siting and Design Criteria Appendix B: OWTS Usage, Wastewater Volumes and Nitrate Loading in Alameda County Appendix C: Supplemental OWTS Data and Mapping, DEH File Records Appendix D: Section 6 of the Zone 7 Water Agency Nutrient Management Plan i List of Figures Figure 1-1. Geography and Distribution of OWTS in Alameda County Figure 1-2. Lands of East Bay Regional Parks District and San Francisco PUC in Alameda County Figure 1-3. Water Agency and Drilling Permit Jurisdictions in Alameda County Figure 2-1. Major Surface Water Features in Alameda County Figure 2-2. Major Groundwater Basins in Alameda County Figure 2-3. Alameda County General Soils Map Figure 2-4. Potential OWTS Areas of Concern in Alameda County Figure B-1. Major Surfaced Water Features in Alameda County Figure B-2. Major Groundwater Basins in Alameda County Figure B-3. Alameda County General Soils Map Figure B-4. Potential OWTS Areas of Concern in Alameda County List of Tables Table 1-1. Alameda County Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Ordinance Summary Table 2-1. Major Lakes and Reservoirs in Alameda County Table 2-2. Groundwater Basins in Alameda County Table 2-3. Alameda County General Soil Associations Table 2-4. Potential Areas of Concern for OWTS in Alameda County Table 2-5. OWTS Discharges and Loading Estimates, Alameda County Potential Areas of Concern Table 4-1. Summary of Alameda County Provisions for OWTS Inspection, Monitoring, Maintenance and Repairs Table 4-2. Qualifications for OWTS Practitioners Table 4-3. Excerpt from Nutrient Management Plan for Livermore Valley Groundwater Basin Table A-1. Comparison of Depth to Groundwater Requirements for Standard OWTS Table A-2. Alameda County Depth to Groundwater Requirements for Standard and Advanced OWTS. Table A-3. Wastewater Application Rates for OWTS Dispersal Field Sizing Table B-1. Estimated OWTS by Watershed Area Table B-2. Estimated OWTS Distribution by Groundwater Basin Table B-3. Alameda County General Soil Associations Table B-4. Potential Areas of Concern for OWTS in Alameda County Table B-5. OWTS Discharges and Loading Estimates, Alameda County Potential Areas of Concern Alameda County Draft LAMP (March 2016) Page 2 Section 1: Introduction and Background Introduction This document presents the proposed Local Agency Management Program (LAMP) pertaining to the oversight of onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) within the County of Alameda, California. This document, along with its partner documents the Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Manual and the Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Ordinance (hereinafter referred to collectively as the LAMP) are the major components of Alameda County’s LAMP, prepared in accordance with the requirements of the State Water Resources Control Board’s (State Water Board) Water Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, dated June 19, 2012, also referred to as the “State OWTS Policy”. The State OWTS Policy provides a multi-tiered strategy for management of OWTS in California. This LAMP has been prepared by Alameda County to obtain approval for OWTS management under Tier 2 of the OWTS Policy. As such, it is intended to allow the County to continue providing local oversight of OWTS by implementing practices that: (a) are suited to the conditions in Alameda County; (b) demonstrate standards that achieve the same purpose as the OWTS Policy, which is to protect water quality and public health; and (c) ensure the best opportunity for coordinated and comprehensive management of OWTS, public health and water quality in Alameda County. This LAMP is intended to apply to all OWTS within Alameda County having wastewater design flows of up to 10,000 gallons per day (gpd), with the exception of those located on State and Federally-owned lands. Any OWTS with a design flow exceeding 10,000 gpd would be regulated jointly by Alameda County and the respective California Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board), San Francisco Bay or Central Valley Region. All cities within the County have designated the County’s Health Officer as their jurisdictions’ health officer. The Alameda County Health Officer has designated the Director of Environmental