2015 SSTS Annual Report Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems in Minnesota

Transcription

1 Kwq SSTS Annual Report Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems in Minnesota October 2016

2 Author Cody Robinson Contributors/acknowledgements (MPCA) Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (SSTS) staff would like to thank each of the local governmental units that provided accurate information regarding their local SSTS programs for the SSTS Annual Report. Without accurate data, there would be no way to summarize SSTS activities and the accomplishments made in Minnesota. Thanks to Aaron Jensen who oversaw the development of this report and Brandon Montgomery who collected all of the data from LGUs in addition to preparing the county map graphics. Also, thanks to Gene Soderbeck, Nick Haig, Dan Olson and Pat Schultz for their support, contributions, and peer review of the data and content of the annual report. Photo credit Pat Schultz Editing Cynthia Penny The MPCA is reducing printing and mailing costs by using the Internet to distribute reports and information to wider audience. Visit our website for more information. MPCA reports are printed on 100% postconsumer recycled content paper manufactured without chlorine or chlorine derivatives. The report was prepared by Cody Robinson, MPCA, who is responsible for its content. He can be reached by at or by telephone at Lafayette Road North Saint Paul, MN Or use your preferred relay service. This report is available in alternative formats upon request, and online at Document number: wq-wwists1-54

3 Contents Contents... i List of Figures... ii List of Tables... iii Acronyms... iv Executive summary...1 Introduction...2 Annual report responses...3 Number of subsurface sewage treatment systems... 5 Design approvals... 6 Soil verification... 6 Systems by type... 9 SSTS reported by type in Residential systems in Other establishment (non-residential) systems in Type IV systems Total number of systems with operating permits Reported number of SSTS by wastewater flow volume New and replacement SSTS Number of sewage tanks installed in Tracking maintenance pumping of septic systems Property transfer compliance inspection requirements Existing SSTS compliance inspections Number of noncompliant properties SSTS compliance trends Summary and conclusions Appendix A Appendix A Appendix B Appendix B Appendix B Appendix B Appendix C i

4 List of Figures Figure 1. Map showing the locations of county, city, township and other known local SSTS programs in Figure SSTS annual reporting rate from 227 LGUs Figure 3. Design approvals by LGUs before permitting subsurface sewage treatment systems construction Figure 4. A hand auger tool is used during a soil observation to determine the depth to the limiting layer by identifying distinct redoximorphic concentrations and depletions in the soil profile Figure 5. Soil verification timing reported by LGUs in Figure 6. Timing of soil verification located throughout the state color-coded by county in Figure 7. The type and number of systems installed for residential systems in Figure 8. The type and number of systems installed for other establishments in Figure 9. Type IV system being installed using a registered proprietary treatment product in St. Louis County Figure 10. Map showing counties where Type IV systems were installed in 2015 (26 counties) Figure 11. The number of LGUs that reported the issuance of operating permits Figure 12. Number of new and replacement systems installed over 14 years, from Figure 13. A 1,000-gallon concrete septic tank being set into place at a residence in Minnesota Figure 14. Number of LGUs that track pumping of septic systems Figure 15. A load of septage is sampled and tested for ph before it is land applied Figure 16. SSTS compliance inspections for property transfers reported by LGUs Figure 17. The number of compliance inspections for existing systems reported in Figure 18. Compliance inspections listed as a percentage of total systems in each county Figure 19. Summary information for systems connected to central sewer, systems abandoned or removed, and systems reported as buyouts in Total number reported was 479 systems in Figure 20. Summary information for new and replacement SSTS, systems connected to central sewer, systems abandoned or removed, and systems reported as buyouts in Figure 21. SSTS compliance best estimates reported by LGUs over nine years compliant systems Figure 22. SSTS best estimates reported by LGUs over nine years systems failing to protect groundwater Figure 23. SSTS best estimates reported by LGUs over nine years ITPHS Figure 24. All maintenance hole covers that are found to be unsecured, weak, or damaged are considered to be an ITPHS and are required by Minnesota Statute to be upgraded, replaced, or their use discontinued within 10 months of receipt of a Notice of Noncompliance ii

5 List of Tables Table 1. Statistics on the reported number of SSTS and construction permits reported by LGUs in Table 2. Compilation of number of system by types reported by LGUs installed in Minnesota in Table 3. Systems installed as reported by flow volume in Table 4. Number of sewage tanks reported installed in 2015, as of March Table 5. Number of compliance inspections, existing systems, reported LGUs in iii

6 Acronyms ALS ITPHS LGU MPCA POS SSTS TCPA Alternative Local Standards Imminent threat to public safety Local governmental unit Point of sale Subsurface sewage treatment system Township Cooperation Planning Association iv

7 Executive summary In 2015, 214 Local Governmental Units (LGUs) submitted a Subsurface Sewage Treatment System (SSTS) Annual Report to the (MPCA). The 214 reporting programs consisted of 86 counties, 80 cities, 44 townships, and 4 other permitting authorities. Just over 543,000 SSTS were reported across Minnesota, representing an estimated 37.2 billion gallons of wastewater per year. In 2015, LGUs issued 10,854 SSTS construction permits with the greatest number issued by St. Louis County (731). The majority of SSTS installed in 2015 were for residential homes (10,111); however, there were 382 systems constructed for other establishments. Most systems installed in 2015 were Type I systems, including 4,240 mounds and 457 at-grades. There were 1,259 Type II systems, 668 Type III systems, 80 Type IV systems, and one Type V system installed in A total of 104 SSTS were constructed for flows between 2,500 and 10,000 gallons per day (gpd) with only three of those systems constructed for flows greater than 5,000 gpd. The total number of installed sewage tanks reported by LGUs in 2015 was 12,666. There were 6,205 replacement systems installed in Replacement systems represent existing sewage disposal systems that are replaced due to either failing protect groundwater, or if the system is an imminent threat to public health and safety (ITPHS) as identified through inspections resulting from various local triggers such as point-of-sale (POS), land use permits, building permits, conditional use permits, variances, and complaints. The volume of wastewater generated for these 6,205 systems is estimated at about 425 million gallons per year. Seventy-five LGUs, fifteen of which are counties, reported that they track maintenance activities for septic systems. Regarding property transfer requirements, 151 LGUs (60 counties) reported having a POS inspection trigger. Over 14,500 compliance inspections of existing septic systems were reported in There were five counties: Cass, Crow Wing, St. Louis, Stearns, and Otter Tail that reported more than 500 compliance inspections in Cass County reported the highest number, with 1,078 compliance inspections. Of the reported 543,454 existing systems in Minnesota, 14,543 systems or 2.7% of existing systems were evaluated for compliance in This represents a 0.3% increase from LGUs reported 136 structures were connected to a centralized sewer and 334 structures had their SSTS abandoned or removed in A grand total of 10,972 systems statewide were new or replacement systems, connected to a centralized sewer, abandoned or removed, or bought out in Trends observed since 2002 suggests improvements in rural wastewater treatment. Since 2002, LGUs have issued 166,307 SSTS construction permits (over 84,100 of these systems were replacement systems). This means that nearly one-third (31%) of Minnesota s 543,454 septic systems are less than 14 years old. The number of estimated compliant systems has increased over the past 8 years, from 334,500 systems in 2007 to 431,000 systems in SSTS Annual Report October

8 Introduction Each year, LGUs with SSTS programs are required to complete a report documenting their SSTS activities. Local SSTS programs occur at four governmental levels: 1) county, 2) city, 3) township, and 4) other or special purpose units (i.e., Water Management District, Joint Powers Board). Minn. R. ch specifies the content of the SSTS Annual Reports and requires them be submitted by February 1 each year for the previous calendar year. The MPCA sent out the annual reports electronically in December 2015 to each known local SSTS program by . Known LGUs received the 2015 Annual Report instructions and an individual questionnaire in Excel spreadsheet format. Each spreadsheet included prior responses over several years so that the LGU staff could view their previous responses and develop an analysis of their own SSTS program. The purpose of the SSTS Annual Report is to: 1) obtain detailed information about each SSTS program and 2) summarize relevant information into a statewide annual report. The annual report is also used to help track the number of sewage tanks installed to ensure payment of the $25 tank fee by licensed SSTS installers. Tank fees were approved by the legislature in 2003 to help fund SSTS compliance efforts in the state. This report generally models the format used in the 2012, 2013, and 2014 Annual Reports and includes a broad analysis of SSTS trends over the past 13 to 14 years. The analysis is based on information provided by the reporting LGUs in their annual reports. Some of the data is hard data, such as the reported number and types of permits issued. Other data is considered soft data, such as the reported best estimates provided to determine SSTS compliance rates and, sometimes, the total number of SSTS in each jurisdiction. Thirteen annual reports from known local programs were not received in The reports not received included eight city reports, and five township reports. Twenty-three LGUs did not include dwelling information, which is used to estimate the number of known SSTS within a jurisdiction. Of the reporting LGUs, 97% indicated they approve SSTS designs before issuing construction permits, which is required by rule. The six jurisdictions that reported not reviewing designs were contacted to discuss rule requirements. There were three LGUs that reported they do not verify soils at any time during permitting or during system construction. These LGUs were also contacted and informed of the requirements for verifying soils. SSTS Annual Report October

9 Annual report responses In 2015, there were 214 LGUs that submitted an annual report either fully or partially complete. In 2014 that number was 236. The decrease of 22 reporting LGUs is attributable to a number of cities and townships giving their programs back to the county, a few failing to submit a report, and the consolidation of 12 existing townships being reported as one LGU under the Township Cooperation Planning Association (TCPA) in Olmstead County. All counties, except Ramsey County, submitted an annual report. Ramsey County is not required to submit an annual report due to their entire jurisdiction being served by city and township LGU programs. A map showing locations of known SSTS programs is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. Map showing the locations of county, city, township and other known local SSTS programs in SSTS Annual Report October

10 There were 86 counties, 80 cities, 44 townships, and 4 other permitting authorities that make up the 214 reporting programs in The permitting authorities include: Bemidji Joint Powers Board, Otter Tail Water Management District, Olmsted TCPA, and the University of Minnesota. The annual report response rate by LGU type is shown in Figure 2. Figure SSTS annual reporting rate from 227 LGUs SSTS Annual Report Response Rate 200 Number County City Township Other * Total Number Contacted Number Reported Number Not Reporting The exact number of local SSTS programs is unknown. At this time, there appears to be about 227 individual SSTS programs in Minnesota. The number of county programs remains the same; however, the number of city and township programs varies from year to year and the size of the different SSTS programs varies as well. The return rate fluctuates over the years, along with the quality of reported data. County staff, in some jurisdictions, are unsure of who the local city or township contact is for each of the local SSTS programs in their counties. Furthermore, city and township programs with contract inspection services can change from year to year, so it can be difficult to know who the contact person is to ensure the annual report can be sent to the right entity or individual. In December 2015, requests for annual report data were sent electronically to each of the previously identified SSTS administrators who provided an contact. For those LGUs that did not provide an or did not report in 2013 or 2014, a paper copy of the annual report information request was developed and sent by conventional mail. Thirty-two paper copies were mailed and ten completed paper copy reports were returned by LGUs in Some LGUs that received a paper copy also received an electronic copy and chose to respond electronically; other annual reports were never returned. For some cities and townships, telephone calls were made to try to obtain the annual reports and to identify or correct the SSTS contact information. SSTS Annual Report October

11 A few of the annual reports were submitted partially filled-in. The MPCA assisted some local representatives, as requested, to complete their annual reports over the phone. Despite this effort, about 6% of the possible annual reports were not received. About 10% of the cities and 11% of the townships did not submit an annual report. In 2015, continued follow-up with the 13 non-reporting cities and townships is planned and future correspondence is planned to ensure reporting requirements are met. Number of subsurface sewage treatment systems In 2015, 214 LGUs reported a total of 543,454 SSTS in Minnesota. There were 10,493 construction permits were issued for both new or replacement systems and 361 SSTS repairs for a grand total of 10,854 construction permits. Over a period of 14 years, from 2002 to 2015, LGUs reported that over 166,307 construction permits were issued (Table 1). The highest number of SSTS was reported in St. Louis County (35,638); the fewest number of SSTS reported was reported in Traverse County (607). The highest number of septic system construction permits issued in 2015 was in St. Louis County (731); the fewest number of construction permits were issued by Koochiching County (6). During the 14-year period from 2002 to 2015, the highest number of construction permits was reported by St. Louis County (9,370) and the lowest number was reported by Kittson County (129). Township, city, and other jurisdiction report data were added to their respective county to tabulate this information. Appendix A contains a county-by-county list of the following information: 1) total number of SSTS reported, 2) number of construction permits issued in 2015, 3) number of construction permits issued over a period of 14 years, 4) number of compliance inspections of existing SSTS conducted countywide (private inspector and LGUs), 5) percent of total SSTS inspected, and 6) counties with compliance inspections for property transfer. Appendix B1 contains a list of cities, by county, with known SSTS programs. Appendix B2 contains a list of townships, by county, with known SSTS programs. Appendix B3 contains a list of other permitting authorities, by county, with known SSTS programs. Table 1. Statistics on the reported number of SSTS and construction permits reported by LGUs in Total number of SSTS reported in 2015 Construction permits issued in 2015 (including repair permits) Total number SSTS reported 543,454 10, ,307 Highest county SSTS number 35, ,370 Lowest county SSTS number Construction permits SSTS Annual Report October

12 Design approvals The annual report asks LGUs if they approve SSTS designs before issuing a construction permit. There were 210 responses to this question; 203 (97%) LGUs said they do review designs before issuing construction permits; 6 LGUs said they do not review designs, and 1 LGU said usually in its response (Figure 3). Those jurisdictions that self-reported not reviewing designs have been contacted and the rule requirements discussed with them. Does the LGU approve SSTS designs before a permit is issued? 1 LGU approve designs (Blue) 2 LGU does not approve designs (Red) 3 LGU sometimes approve designs (Green) Figure 3. Design approvals by LGUs before permitting subsurface sewage treatment systems construction. Soil verification In 2015, there were 206 (99%) LGUs that reported verifying soils at some time before, during, or after system construction. There were 120 (58%) LGUs that reported they verify soils before construction and 53 (25%) LGUs reported they verify soils during construction. In Figure 5, the various combinations of LGUs responses to the soil verification question are identified. Three (1%) LGUs reported they do not verify soils at any time during permitting or during system construction. Those jurisdictions not verifying soils were contacted and the requirements of Minn. R. ch discussed with them. Figure 6 below sorts the time of soil verification per county throughout the state. SSTS Annual Report October

13 Figure 4. A hand auger tool is used during a soil observation to determine the depth to the limiting layer by identifying distinct redoximorphic concentrations and depletions in the soil profile. Number LGU Reporting Time of Soil Verification Reporting LGUs - Soil Verification Timing Before 120 During 53 After 7 Before & During 18 Before & After 1 During & After 2 Before, During & After 4 Do Not Verify Soils 3 Figure 5. Soil verification timing reported by LGUs in SSTS Annual Report October

14 Figure 6. Timing of soil verification located throughout the state color-coded by county in SSTS Annual Report October

15 Systems by type The following section describes each of the types of SSTS. Type I Systems are mounds, at-grades, trenches, or beds built in accordance with the prescriptive requirements of Minn. R. chs Specific prescriptive requirements in Minn. R. chs and 7081 Requires a management plan Has been termed standard systems Designed by a basic, intermediate, or an advanced designer based on flow Type II Systems are holding tanks, privies, or SSTS in floodplain areas Employed to fit non-standard site conditions (e.g., floodplains) or special dwelling and other establishment situations (privy or holding tanks) Requires a management plan Has been termed alternative systems Designed by a basic, intermediate, or an advanced designer based on flow Type III Systems are systems that don t have one foot of natural soil, are determined to have disturbed soils, or have limited space for a soil dispersal area Deviates from certain Type I prescriptive standards when needed Employed to fit non-standard soil and site conditions or organically limited design without the use of pretreatment Requires a management plan; operating permit is recommended Has been termed other systems Designed by a basic, intermediate, or an advanced designer based on flow Type IV Systems are systems which employ a pre- or post-treatment addition and can have a reduced infiltration area and vertical separation Follows most Type I prescriptive design requirements when site conditions allow Deviates from Type I prescriptive standards due to the use of a registered pretreatment product Employed to: Reduce the vertical separation distance requirement Reduce the absorption area Extend the life of the soil system Reduce waste strength Higher operation and maintenance requirements than a type I III Requires a management plan Requires an operating permit and service provider Designed by an intermediate or advanced designer based on flow Type V Systems are systems designed by a professional engineer that deviate from the prescriptive requirements of a Type I system Does not need to follow prescriptive design standards Must meet environmental and safety performance outcomes Components not following Type I IV design standards authorized by a professional engineer SSTS Annual Report October

16 Employed to use registered and/or non-registered treatment and dispersal products Requires a management plan Requires an operating permit and service provider Designed by an advanced designer and signed off by a professional engineer or appropriately licensed professional SSTS reported by type in 2015 The types of systems reported being installed are shown in Table 2. The majority of SSTS reported by type were residential (9,835) with 373 systems constructed for other establishments. All five types of systems are included in these figures (Type I, Type II, Type III, Type IV, and Type V). The majority of the systems installed were Type I systems; 4,159 mounds, 451 at-grade, 1,194 rock trench, and 1,478 seepage/pressure beds. Proprietary distribution media was installed as 945 chamber systems and 27 EZflow systems. There were also 1,205 Type II systems, 668 Type III systems, 80 Type IV systems, and one Type V system installed. Table 2. Compilation of number of system by types reported by LGUs installed in Minnesota in System Type System Subtype Residential Other Establishment Grand Total Type I At-Grade Chambers EZ Flow Mound 4, Rock Trench 1, Seepage or Pressure Beds 1, Type II 1, Type III Type IV Type V Grand Total Note: The grand total number of permits issued with this dataset is inconsistent with the overall number of residential and other establishment construction permits issued. This is due to inconsistencies among reporting LGUs. This data should be used for proportional analysis only. SSTS Annual Report October

17 Residential systems in 2015 The type and number of SSTS installed in 2015 for residential applications are shown in Figure 7. About 36% of the total residential systems (N=9,835) installed were Type I Trenches and Beds (N=3,559). About 41% of the systems (N=4,076) were Type I Mounds and 5% of the systems (N=447) were At-Grades. The Type IV and Type V systems, combined, are less than 1% of the total number of systems installed in ,500 Residential Installations in 2015* 4,000 3,500 Number 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1, Type I Trench and Bed** Type I Mound Type I At Grade Type II Type III Type IV Type V Number 3,559 4, , Figure 7. The type and number of systems installed for residential systems in * The total number of systems installed in 2015 for residential applications was 9,835 systems. **The Type I Trench and Bed Systems included 947 Type I systems reported to have used proprietary distribution media products. SSTS Annual Report October

18 Other establishment (non-residential) systems in 2015 A total of 373 other establishment systems were installed in 2015, which represents a slight increase over the 327 reported in The type and number of SSTS installed in for other establishments are shown in Figure 8. About 23% of the systems (N=85) installed in 2015 were Type I Trenches and Beds; 22% of the systems (N=83) were Type I Mounds, and 46% of the systems (N=171) were Type II Holding Tanks. The Type IV and Type V systems, combined, are less than 3% of the total systems. Number Other Establishment Installations in 2015* Type I Trench and Bed** Type I Mound Type I At Grade Type II Type III Type IV Type V Number Figure 8. The type and number of systems installed for other establishments in * The total number of systems installed in 2015 for other establishments was 373 systems. **The Type I Trench and Bed Systems included 25 systems reported to have used a proprietary distribution media product. SSTS Annual Report October

19 Type IV systems There were a total of 80 Type IV systems constructed in Type IV systems were used for 69 residential systems and 11 other establishments. Residential Type IV systems were installed in 18 counties and 4 cities. The 11 Type IV systems for other establishments were installed in six counties and one city. An example of a Type IV system using a registered proprietary treatment product for a new dwelling is shown in Figure 9. St. Louis County had the greatest number of Type IV systems with 21 systems installed in The general locations of the Type IV systems installed by county are shown in Figure 10. Figure 9. Type IV system being installed using a registered proprietary treatment product in St. Louis County. SSTS Annual Report October

20 Figure 10. Map showing counties where Type IV systems were installed in 2015 (26 counties). SSTS Annual Report October

21 Total number of systems with operating permits Operating permits are site-specific regulatory documents that are put in place to outline various parameters for maintenance, monitoring, and other service functions for a variety of SSTS types. There were 473 operating permits issued in 2015 for both residential and other establishments systems with the majority of these permits (364) being issued for Type II Holding Tanks. This remains fairly consistent with the total of 485 operating permits that were issued in Seventy-eight counties, 29 cities, 15 townships, and 2 others reported they have issued operating permits (Figure 11). St. Louis County reported issuing the highest amount with 137 operating permits in Number of LGUs Issuing Operating Permits in 2015 Number County City Township Other LGUs Figure 11. The number of LGUs that reported the issuance of operating permits. Reported number of SSTS by wastewater flow volume The reported number of SSTS installed for other establishments and residential applications by wastewater flow volume is presented in Table 3. For other establishments with flows less than 2,500 gpd, there were 245 new systems and 130 replacement systems. For larger other establishments, six systems with flows between 2,500 and 4,999 gpd were constructed; 1 system with flows between 5,000 and 10,000 gpd was constructed. For residential applications, over 99% of the constructed systems were designed for flows less than 2,500 gpd. There were 4,041 new systems and 5,973 replacement systems reported. There were no new residential systems for design flows between 2,500 and 4,999 gal/day or for design flows greater than 5,000 gpd. There were 95 replacement systems reported for residential systems with flows between 2,500 and 4,999 gpd and two residential systems replacements were reported for flows over 5,000 gpd. In summary, there were a total of 10,389 SSTS designed and constructed for wastewater flows between 1 and 2,499 gpd, 101 for flows between 2,500 and 5,000 gpd, and only 3 for systems exhibiting design flows over 5,000 gpd. SSTS Annual Report October

22 Table 3. Systems installed as reported by flow volume in Residential Other Establishments Flow Volume New Replacement New Replacement Grand Total gpd 4,041 5, , gpd gpd Grand Total 4,041 6, ,493 New and replacement SSTS New and replacement systems installed in 2015, and over the past 14 years, are shown in Figure 12. LGUs reported that 4,288 new systems and 6,205 (59%) replacements were installed in Replacement systems included both residential systems (year-round and seasonal) and systems used by other establishments (e.g., restaurants and resorts). Replacement systems represent existing sewage disposal systems that are replaced due to a system either failing to protect groundwater, or if the system poses an ITPHS. These systems are typically identified through various local triggers such as: POS, land use permits, building permits, conditional use permits, variances, and complaints. The volume of wastewater generated at these 6,205 replacement systems is significant, estimated to be about 425 million gallons per year (assuming 2.5 person/permit; 75 gal/person; 365 days/year). Based on the reported estimates, counties, cities, townships, and special purpose units of government, collectively, are playing a significant role in assuring noncompliant systems are upgraded or replaced. New & Replacement Systems over 14 years Replacement New Number of Systems 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5, New 9,650 9,176 9,434 9,157 7,185 5,649 4,446 4,220 3,575 3,770 3,795 3,984 3,767 4,288 Replacement 7,168 11,963 7,039 6,267 6,659 6,207 1,992 5,711 4,599 4,756 5,238 4,927 5,393 6,205 Years Figure 12. Number of new and replacement systems installed over 14 years, from Since 2002, LGUs have issued 166,307 construction permits. This means that an estimated 31% of Minnesota s 543,454 septic systems are less than 14 years old. SSTS Annual Report October

23 Number of sewage tanks installed in 2015 The total number of installed sewage tanks reported by LGUs was 12,666 (Table 4). The LGUs reported that licensed SSTS installers put in 12,305 sewage tanks, plus tanks from the installation of 60 performance systems, for a total of 12,365. LGUs reported that 301 sewage tanks were installed by homeowners in Table 4. Number of sewage tanks reported installed in 2015, as of March System description* Installer Homeowner Total tanks Not a Performance Based System 12, ,606 Performance Based System 60** 0 60** Total 12, ,666 * Minn. Stat states that the installer shall submit a form showing the number of tanks installed by January 30 each year. The MPCA will then invoice the installers the final tank fee, which is $25 for each tank installed. For performance-based systems, the tank fee is limited to a $25 per household system installation. ** The number of performance based systems reported (60) is inconsistent with the number of Type IV systems reported (80) in This can be attributed to the difference in the specifications of various advanced treatment units, as some manufacturers incorporate models that are installed as their own enclosures, or set in tanks that are already in place. Figure 13. A 1,000-gallon concrete septic tank being set into place at a residence in Minnesota. SSTS Annual Report October

24 Tracking maintenance pumping of septic systems Seventy-eight LGUs reported that they track the maintenance of septic systems (Figure 14). Over 62% of the reporting LGUs were city programs (48). The high proportion of cities versus the rest of reporting LGUs can be attributed to entities such as the Met Council requiring maintenance tracking in the metro area. Additionally, there were 15 counties, 14 townships, and 1 other (Township Coop Association) that reported they track septic system maintenance. Figure 15 shows a maintainer following required procedures necessary for land application which is a common method of the disposal of septage obtained through pumping of septic tanks. Figure 14. Number of LGUs that track pumping of septic systems. Distribution of LGUs that Reported Tracking Maintenance in % 1% 19% 62% County City Township Other Figure 15. A load of septage is sampled and tested for ph before it is land applied SSTS Annual Report October

25 Property transfer compliance inspection requirements There are currently no state-level requirements that LGUs must have a POS compliance inspection trigger in their programs; however, many LGUs have indicated that this is the most effective trigger for identifying failing systems. LGUs were asked if they require compliance inspections at the time of property transfer, and a total of 206 LGUs responded (Figure 16). Of the responses, 155 LGUs said they have a property transfer program and 51 LGUs said they do not. 250 Point-of-Sale Inspection Triggers Number County City Township Other Total No POS Yes POS Figure 16. SSTS compliance inspections for property transfers reported by LGUs. There were 60 counties (70%), 55 cities (69%), and 37 townships (84%) that indicated they have a property transfer program in Existing SSTS compliance inspections The number of compliance inspections of existing systems reported by LGUs in 2015 is shown in Table 5. There were 14,543 compliance inspections of existing systems reported by local SSTS programs. A total of 12,725 compliance inspections of existing SSTS were reported by counties. Cities reported 1,321 and townships reported 368. The 4 other LGUs reported 129 compliance inspections conducted in Table 5. Number of compliance inspections, existing systems, reported LGUs in Local unit of government Number of compliance inspections of existing systems County 12, City 1, Township Other Total 14, Percentage of total compliance inspections SSTS Annual Report October

26 Out of the total 543,454 SSTS reported in Minnesota in 2015, approximately 2.7% of the existing septic systems were reported to have been inspected. Inspections are an important part of addressing existing systems that pose an environmental or human health risk. Local governments include inspection triggers in their ordinances, such as at the time of property transfer or when a building permit is sought, to create a mechanism for verifying system conformance and correcting nonconforming systems within the timeframes specified through state statute or local ordinance. Figure 17 shows the number of existing system compliance inspections reported for each county. Figure 17. The number of compliance inspections for existing systems reported in SSTS Annual Report October

27 Cass County reported the highest number of compliance inspections at 1,078. The other four highest reporting counties were: 1) Crow Wing County at 935 compliance inspections, 2) Otter Tail County at 833 compliance inspections, 3) St. Louis County at 653 compliance inspections, and 4) Stearns County at 590 compliance inspections. Figure 18 illustrates the number of existing system compliance inspections completed as a percentage of the total number of systems that were reported by LGUs within each county. Figure 18. Compliance inspections listed as a percentage of total systems in each county. SSTS Annual Report October

28 Number of noncompliant properties connected to centralized sewer, abandoned, removed, or bought out The information related to noncompliant properties with SSTS that were discontinued through 1) connection to a central sewer, 2) an abandonment or removal, or 3) a government buyout program is shown in Figure 19. A total of 479 systems were reported by LGUs as discontinued though one of these three mechanisms. Of the 479 systems, 136 structures were reportedly connected to a centralized sewer system. Counties reported 91 of these connections. There were 334 structures reported abandoned or removed in Nine structures were discontinued through a government buyout. 500 SSTS Discontinuation Summary SSTS Connected Central Sewer SSTS Abandoned or Removed 9 SSTS Buyout Total Figure 19. Summary information for systems connected to central sewer, systems abandoned or removed, and systems reported as buyouts in Total number reported was 479 systems in SSTS Annual Report October

29 A summary of new SSTS, replacement SSTS, connections to central sewer, abandoned systems and buyouts are graphically displayed in Figure 20. The total number reported by LGUs for these five categories was 10,972 systems SSTS Summary Information New SSTS Replacement SSTS SSTS Connected Central Sewer SSTS Abandoned or Removed 9 SSTS Buyout Total Figure 20. Summary information for new and replacement SSTS, systems connected to central sewer, systems abandoned or removed, and systems reported as buyouts in SSTS compliance trends Each LGU was asked to provide their best estimates of SSTS compliance information as part of the 2015 Annual Report. This included the following information: Total number of SSTS in their jurisdiction Number of SSTS estimated to be in compliance Number of SSTS estimated to be an ITPHS Number of SSTS estimated to be failing to protect groundwater Figures 21, 22, and 23 provide annual estimates of SSTS compliance status for a period of eight years, from 2007 to Some LGUs did not provide any information or simply reported it as an unknown value in their annual report. Other LGUs likely have some reasonably good estimates of SSTS compliance, based upon their tracking of submitted compliance inspections through various triggers that require a SSTS inspection and then calculating a compliance rate. LGUs who did not provide this information will be notified of their responsibility in providing complete information in their annual report. SSTS Annual Report October

30 The estimated percentage of compliant SSTS has increased from 65% in 2008 to 79% in The number of estimated compliant systems has increased over the past eight years, from 309,000 systems in 2008 to 431,000 systems in 2015; an increase of 122,000 systems (Figure 21). Systems in Compliance 455, , , , , , , , , , * ** 2015 Number 334, , , , , , , , ,000 Percentage Figure 21. SSTS compliance best estimates reported by LGUs over nine years compliant systems. * In 2012, total SSTS data was estimated for Hennepin County and the TCPA in Olmsted County. This estimated data was not reported in 2012 by these two LGUs, but was derived from Metropolitan Council figures and US Census data. A total of 4,700 systems were estimated for Hennepin County and 5,444 systems were estimated for TCPA. For the purposes of this graph those numbers were removed to reflect the actual estimated number of reported systems by LGUs in The 2013 number is based on the actual estimated number of reported systems. ** In 2014, the total overall number of systems in Minnesota decreased likely due to better LGU estimates. Many LGU s are developing databases, reviewing old files, completing inventories, and so on which gives them a better position to provide more accurate totals for the annual report. The estimated number of systems that would not meet the vertical separation (systems failing to protect groundwater or FTPGW) decreased over the past eight years, from 117,000 (25%) systems in 2008 to 85,000 (16%) systems in 2015; a decrease of 32,000 systems (Figure 22). SSTS Annual Report October

31 Systems Failing to Protect Groundwater 120, , , , , , , * 2015* Number 116, , ,000 96,000 91,000 85,000 80,000 80,500 85,000 Percentage Figure 22. SSTS best estimates reported by LGUs over nine years systems failing to protect groundwater. * In 2014 and 2015, the total overall number of systems classified as Failing to Protect Groundwater in Minnesota increased likely due to better LGU estimates. Many LGU s are developing databases, reviewing old files, completing inventories, and so on which gives them a better position to provide more accurate totals for the annual report. Systems that have been identified as an ITPHS may include systems that back up inside the house, surfacing systems, unsecured or damaged maintenance hole covers (see Figure 24), and straight pipes. The estimated number of systems that would be considered to be an ITPHS have decreased over the past eight years, from an estimated 56,000 (11%) systems in 2007 to 27,000 (5%) systems in 2015; a decrease of 29,000 systems (Figure 23). These numbers reflect an estimate of those systems where there are no records. Per state statue, ITPHS are to be eliminated within 10 months of receipt of a Notice of Noncompliance. SSTS Annual Report October

32 Imminent Threat to Public Health and Safety # of Systems 60,000 55,000 50,000 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20, * ** 2015 Number 56,000 51,000 38,000 36,000 30,000 28,500 27,000 27,500 27,000 Percentage Figure 23. SSTS best estimates reported by LGUs over nine years ITPHS. Figure 24. All maintenance hole covers that are found to be unsecured, weak, or damaged are considered to be an ITPHS and are required by Minnesota Statute to be upgraded, replaced, or their use discontinued within 10 months of receipt of a Notice of Noncompliance. SSTS Annual Report October

33 Summary and conclusions There were 214 LGUs that submitted an SSTS Annual Report in 2015, including 86 counties, 80 cities, 44 townships, and 4 other permitting authorities. A total of 543,454 SSTS were reported in Minnesota, which represents 37.2 billion gallons of wastewater per year. The LGUs issued 10,493 construction permits for both new and replacement systems and 361 SSTS repair permits for a grand total of 10,854 construction permits. The total number of installed sewage tanks reported by LGUs from their annual reports was 12,666. The majority of SSTS installed in 2015 were for residential homes (10,111), and most systems were Type I systems, including 4,240 mounds and 457 at-grades. There were 1,259 Type II systems, 668 Type III systems, 80 Type IV systems, and one Type V system. LGUs reported that 6,205 replacements systems were installed in The need to replace a system is usually identified through a compliance inspection triggered by a variety of events, such as: selling a home; applying for a land use permit, building or conditional use permit; applying for a variance; or receiving a complaint. The volume of wastewater generated at these 6,205 systems is estimated at over 425 million gallons per year. LGUs reported 136 structures were connected to a centralized sewer and 334 structures were abandoned or removed in A grand total of 10,972 systems were new systems, replacement systems, connected to centralized sewer, abandoned or removed, or reported to be bought out in Seventy-five LGUs (fifteen are counties) reported that they track the maintenance of septic systems. Regarding property transfer requirements, 151 LGUs (60 are counties) said they have a property transfer program. Over 14,500 compliance inspections of existing septic systems were reported in Since 2002, LGUs have issued 166,307 construction permits. This means that 31% of Minnesota s 543,454 septic systems are less than 14 years old. During this time, over 84,100 of these systems were replacement systems. The number of estimated compliant systems has increased over the years, from 334,500 systems in 2007, to 431,000 systems in This represents 29.4 billion gallons of wastewater treated by compliant SSTS. Appendix A Appendix A1 County program statistics on the number of SSTS within the county boundary, construction permits reported for new, replacement, and repair issued in 2015, number of construction permits over 14 years ( ), number of compliance inspections of existing SSTSs conducted countywide (private inspector and LGU), percent of total SSTS inspected, and counties with compliance inspections for property transfer. This appendix is a grand total of county, city, township and other permitting authorities data. SSTS Annual Report October

34 County Total SSTS reported in 2015 Construction permits reported in 2015 Total construction permits issued Number of compliance inspections of existing SSTS conducted countywide (private inspector and LGU) Percent of total SSTS inspected Aitkin % Yes Anoka* ǂ % No Becker ǂ No Beltrami* % Yes Benton % Yes Big Stone % Yes Blue Earth % Yes Brown % Yes Carlton % No Carver* % Yes Cass* , % Yes Chippewa % No Chisago* % Yes Clay % Yes Clearwater % No Cook % No Cottonwood % Yes Crow Wing* , % Yes Dakota* % Yes Dodge % Yes Douglas* % Yes Faribault % Yes Fillmore % Yes Freeborn % Yes Goodhue % Yes Grant % Yes Hennepin* 3034 ǂ % No Houston % No Hubbard* % No Isanti* % Yes Itasca* % Yes Counties with compliance inspections for property transfer SSTS Annual Report October

35 County Total SSTS reported in 2015 Construction permits reported in 2015 Total construction permits issued Number of compliance inspections of existing SSTS conducted countywide (private inspector and LGU) Percent of total SSTS inspected Jackson % Yes Kanabec* % No Kandiyohi % Yes Kittson % No Koochiching % No Lac qui Parle % Yes Lake % Yes Lake of the Woods* % No Le Sueur % Yes Lincoln % Yes Lyon % Yes Mahnomen ǂ No Marshall % No Martin % Yes McLeod % Yes Meeker % Yes Mille Lacs* % Yes Morrison % Yes Mower % Yes Murray % No Nicollet % Yes Nobles % Yes Norman % No Olmsted* % Yes Otter Tail* % Yes Pennington % No Pine* % Yes Pipestone % Yes Polk % No Pope* % Yes Counties with compliance inspections for property transfer SSTS Annual Report October

36 County Total SSTS reported in 2015 Construction permits reported in 2015 Total construction permits issued Number of compliance inspections of existing SSTS conducted countywide (private inspector and LGU) Ramsey* % Percent of total SSTS inspected Red Lake % Yes Redwood % No Renville % Yes Rice* % Yes Rock % No Roseau % No Scott % No Sherburne* % Yes Sibley % Yes St. Louis % Yes Stearns % Yes Steele % Yes Stevens % No Swift % Yes Todd* % Yes Traverse* % Yes Wabasha % No Wadena % Yes Waseca % Yes Washington* % Yes Watonwan % Yes Wilkin* % Yes Winona % Yes Wright* % Yes Yellow Medicine % No Counties with compliance inspections for property transfer Total % Yes (60) * Data was compiled from multiple jurisdictions within the county including city, township and other local SSTS programs. ǂ SSTS totals were not reported in 2015 for the following counties: Anoka, Becker, Hennepin, and Mahnomen. The number reported in the above appendix for Hennepin and Anoka Counties are from jurisdictional LGU data. SSTS Annual Report October

37 Appendix B City programs annual report information (partial or full) Appendix B1 County Name Number of cities with SSTS programs City Submitted Annual Report City No Annual Report Submitted Anoka County (12) East Bethel Anoka Lino Lakes Coon Rapids Ham Lake Andover Blaine Columbus Nowthen Oak Grove Ramsey St. Francis Carver County (3) Chanhassen Cass County (2) East Gull Lake Lake Shore Chisago County (5) North Branch Shafer Stacy Taylors Falls Wyoming Crow Wing County (14) Baxter Cuyuna Crosby Trommald Crosslake Deerwood Emily Fifty Lakes Garrison Ironton Jenkins Nisswa Pequot Lakes Riverton SSTS Annual Report October