Fairgrounds septic systems investigated

EPHRATA - Engineers found all of the Grant County Fairgrounds septic systems are operating correctly.

Fairgrounds Manager Jerry Gingrich reported on the progress of Gray and Osborne's investigation of the septic systems to the county commissioners. The county hired the engineering firm to determine the state of each of the septic systems at the fairgrounds.  

The investigation is part of permitting for the large on-site septic systems at the fairgrounds from the Department of Health, according to a letter sent by Richard Benson, with the large on-site sewage system program. He stated concerns about the location and quality of the septic systems at the fairgrounds.

The state divides septic systems into three categories, according to the state Department of Health. If a system has less than 3,500 gallons per day at any point in the system, than the county health agency would issue the permit. If a system has more than 3,500 gallons per day and less than 100,000 gallons per day at any point in the system then it's considered a large on-site septic system. The state Department of Health issues permits for the systems. Any system larger than 100,000 gallons per day is regulated by the state Department of Ecology.

A contractor sent probes into the septic pipes to determine where each of the septic systems are located, Gingrich said. One of the questionable systems involved the vendor booths.

"All the food vendors are connected to the main septic line," he said. "They are all connected and go to the lift stations out to the main septic field that was developed by Gray and Osborne. There was one clog and they repaired that."

The Democratic Party building had a drain field behind it. The septic tank was filled, and decommissioned, Gingrich said. Water to the building was disconnected.

"Department of Health has signed off on it," he said. "(The party) is fully aware of it. They were in on Friday."

The septic system behind the Huck Fuller Building was in great shape, Gingrich said. The department requested the fairgrounds place concrete ecology blocks around the system to prevent people from driving on it.

"That was one of the newer ones," he said. "The old office, building one, had it's own septic system. The best records we can find, the last time it was inspected or pumped was between 20 and 30 years ago. So they popped that open and dug it up. That septic system is in complete working condition. It was a little full, so they pumped it, but it's working perfectly as designed."

The county will need to do some repairs to the system behind the new fairgrounds office, Gingrich said. The concrete tank behind the office is fine, but the line carrying the waste from the tank to the drain field has roots growing through it and needs to be replaced.

"So they capped it, and we've pumped it clean," he said. "We're using it as a holding tank, just like the Ardell Pavilion, until after fair. Then after fair, we're going to go out and get estimates and bids and put a new drain field in."

The three tanks near the pavilion campgrounds turned out to be septic systems with drain fields are east of the system, Gingrich said. The systems are working fine, along with the system located at restroom one.

"The Ardell Pavilion, as everybody knows, has three holding tanks. Our intent is after fair is to connect them to the main system so we no longer have to pump them," he said. "Once we're clear of Department of Health and any questions, and make sure we do it legally."

Restroom seven, near the horse barn, is the oldest, and possibly the best system at the fairgrounds, Gingrich said.

"They popped it open and they were just amazed in what kind of shape it was," he said. "Great drain field, it goes out between the two barns, and they actually only pumped the solid side ... They said it was in excellent shape."

The rodeo office's system is also in good shape, Gingrich said; adding the line between the system and the drain field does have some roots going through them.

Gingrich plans to close restroom four, near the rodeo grounds. The system backed up in 2009 causing issues with sewage during the fair. The bathroom is located next to one of the new restrooms.

"Our intention this year is we're leaving it sealed up. No one is going to use it ... The water is turned off," he said. "They inspected it ... We pumped the septic tank, but there is still a question about how exactly it works and no one can give us a good answer at this point."

The system serving the old rodeo office is also working, Gingrich said.

"It only has one toilet and one sink and it has a bigger septic system and drain field than the office," he said.

The county placed risers and caps on all of the tanks, alleviating issues with people not knowing where the systems are located, Gingrich said.

Gray and Osborne will send its report to the Department of Health to review, Gingrich said.

Commissioner Carolann Swartz said former Fairgrounds Manager Vern Cummings came to a similar conclusion about the septic systems previously.

"In some ways it's really good," Commissioner Richard Stevens said. "We're finding stuff we were sure of where it was at, so that's even better."

The next step is to determine whether any of the systems fall into the standards for large on-site systems, Gingrich said. Contractors will measure the amount of sewage going into the septic systems. The plan calls to have the meters in place before the Grant County Fair starts in August.

Gray and Osborne's work is estimated to cost about $60,000, he said.