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INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM: 8803-1802 052 <br /> Primary/Back-Up Nitrification Fields <br /> March 8 . 1988 <br /> Page 2 <br /> soils evaluation made at this point consists of a boring to <br /> determine texture and depth of satisfactory soils. <br /> With regard to final plat approvals. Environmental <br /> Health will use copies of the final plats to verify <br /> conclusions reached as part of the preliminary plat phase. <br /> This occurs because property lines may be shifted and/or lots <br /> combined to reflect preliminary plat approvals. If a grid <br /> system was used initially to identify suitable areas. the <br /> final plat check insures that a suitable area ended up on <br /> each proposed lot. <br /> It is not until the issuance of an Improvements Permit <br /> that primary and back-up fields are actually denoted on the <br /> site. It is this point that house and well locations are <br /> known. and fields can be defined in relation to each. <br /> Notations are also placed on the Permit which limit soil <br /> disturbances to those involving installation of the initial <br /> system only. <br /> Examples of the current methods used for denoting <br /> information on preliminary and final plats, and improvement <br /> permits are attached. <br /> Possibilities <br /> Environmental Health personnel have indicated that <br /> primary and back-up fields could be denoted on plats, but it <br /> would require the use of a smaller scale grid with accurately <br /> referenced property and setback lines. Such a grid would not <br /> be difficult for a surveyor to complete, and it would allow <br /> Environmental Health personnel to reference specific usable <br /> areas. <br /> The difficulty of implementing such a procedure at this <br /> point is that more Environmental Health staff time would be <br /> required to meet with surveyors on the site and identify <br /> specific areas. This equates to approximately one additional <br /> full-time Environmental Health position. The Environmental <br /> Health staff has indicated that compliance with such new <br /> procedures would not be possible at current staffing levels. <br /> Note also that such a procedure would require more survyor <br /> time and expense if primary and back-up fields were required <br /> to be denoted by metes and bounds. <br /> Recommendation <br /> The decision to pursue delineation of primary and back- <br /> up nitrification fields is a question of policy. It is <br /> possible. as outlined above, to identify primary and back-up <br /> nitrification fields on preliminary and final subdivision <br /> plats but at greater cost to both the applicant and the <br />