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Rio Rico resident says septic line severed, seeks county help after years of delay
Summary
A Rio Rico resident told the board she has been without indoor plumbing since July after a neighbor severed a 4.5‑inch septic pipe that runs through the neighbor's property; she said county requirements and a property sale have impeded required perk/percolation testing and repairs.
Susan Phobian told the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 5 that a severed septic line has left her without household plumbing since July 19 and that county processes have so far prevented a repair. "Since July 19, I have not had plumbing in my home," Phobian said during the public comment period.
Phobian described finding a four‑and‑a‑half‑inch white plastic septic pipe cut and capped on a neighbor’s property while the neighbor performed unpermitted grading. She said a septic contractor traced the problem to that cut and that, under county rules, a percolation (perk) test is required before installing a new leach field or relocating a leach line. The contractor has not been allowed to cross the property owned by a developer (identified in the comments as Andrew Jackson) to conduct the mandatory test.
Phobian told the board she is a 76‑year‑old disabled widow and that the county’s current position—that the matter is a dispute between neighbors—has left her unable to proceed with the remedy the county requires. She asked the board to help facilitate access for testing and repairs and to provide a pathway for a resolution.
What the transcript shows: The county staff and board acknowledged the comment during call to the public but did not make a public directive during the meeting. The transcript records the resident’s account and her request for a county‑led remedy; it does not include a staff report or a board vote on the specific remedy at this meeting.
Provenance: topicintro — "We were told that we would be on a septic system temporarily ..." (Susan Phobian, transcript block starting 927.77). topfinish — "I implore you to bring about a remedy. I'm a 76 year old disabled widow." (transcript block starting 1106.715).
