Orick Wastewater Treatment Project

Orick Wastewater Treatment Project

A pollution study completed in October 1999 determined that surface and shallow groundwater in Orick, an unincorporated area of Humboldt County, is being polluted by an indeterminate number of existing, privately owned on-site wastewater systems. These systems are comprised of a variety of septic tanks, leachfields, and leach pits. The study found pollution to be widespread, not confined to any specific area, and attributable to many sources. The study further concluded that the existing on site wastewater systems potentially pose a public health hazard and may impair future development within the area. The general design strategy is to collect wastewater effluent from the community's individual on-site septic tanks (primary treatment) using Septic Tank Effluent Pump (STEP) systems. The collected effluent will be pumped to a recirculating gravel filter (secondary treatment), and be discharged to a subsurface disposal field. OCSD anticipates that most of the existing septic tanks and all of the leach pits will need to be retrofitted or replaced to be compatible with a STEP system. To minimize groundwater mounding, the disposal system will be located in areas with appropriate soil and groundwater characteristics with a site-specific (engineered) application rate. Storm water will likely be graded away from the gravel filters and leachfields in order to reduce infiltration to groundwater.

Humboldt

Cal Fire, California Coastal Commission (CCC), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Eureka Region 1 (CDFW), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Public Health (CDPH), California Department of Transportation, District 1 (DOT), Department of Toxic Substances Control, Department of Water Resources, Office of Historic Preservation, Resources Agency, Resources, Recycling and Recovery, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality, California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), State Water Resources Control Board, Divison of Financial Assistance, California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast Region 1 (RWQCB)

California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), State Water Resources Control Board, Divison of Financial Assistance, California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast Region 1 (RWQCB)

Other , Waste Treatment:Other

Other

Air Quality, Biological Resources, Coastal Zone, Cultural Resources, Hydrology/Water Quality, Noise, Public Services, Wetland/Riparian, Other