City extends deadline for septic inspection reports
By Kara Chalmers
Property owners with septic systems now have until August to submit inspection reports by septic contractors, which is one step in complying with an ordinance the City Council adopted in May 1999.
The ordinance states that homeowners must abandon their septic systems and connect to a public sewer line if one is within 200 feet of their property line. The ordinance allows them until April 7, 2000, to file an application to request up to a five-year extension for conversion.
The city is allowing these property owners to submit contractors' inspection reports, which are necessary if the city is to grant extension requests, until Aug. 21. This date is also the deadline for those property owners who do not request extensions to connect to the sewer system.
According to community development director James Walgren, some property owners could not find qualified, licensed septic contractors to inspect their systems in such a short time. The contractors must be registered civil engineers or registered environmental health specialists, Walgren said.
The council passed the ordinance as part of its settlement with the two environmental groups, the San Francisco BayKeeper and the Friends of the Santa Clara County Creeks, that had filed a lawsuit against the city six years ago, over pollution in Saratoga Creek.
If a property's septic system is operating properly, and is more than 200 feet from a sewer line, or on a grade that does not permit a gravity flow connection to a sewer line, or if a legal right of way to connect to a sewer line doesn't exist, the city can make exceptions to the ordinance. Properties with septic systems that went into escrow after July 1, 1999, and are not exempt from the ordinance for any of the above reasons, cannot request an extension, according to Walgren.
Over the last three months, city staff has contacted all property owners with septic systems in the city to notify them of the ordinance and deadlines, Walgren said.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
