Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Stormwater topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Questions on stormwater and septic risks as applicants propose pool on sloped lot
Summary
Contractor and applicant representative described infiltration chambers and overflow details for a residential pool; the conservation board asked for plan clarifications, a site visit and design changes (wall or swale) to prevent pool overflow from undermining a downhill septic system.
The board reviewed a residential pool and patio design presented by applicant representatives and a contractor from Liscata Construction that relies on infiltration chambers to manage runoff from the pool surround.
Jason Snyder described the system: runoff from the patio and pool overflow would be collected and infiltrated into plastic chambers installed in gravel. "These chambers...the capacity of just the volume of the chamber is a 105 gallons," Snyder said when discussing chamber sizing. Contractor Peter, representing Liscata Construction, explained the filtration system uses cartridge filters and that maintenance normally removes cartridges off-site rather than backwashing into the ground.
Board members raised a central concern: the septic system is downhill of the proposed pool. One member said: "Our concern was essentially if the pool, in a major event, were to have a significant amount of runoff ... that it would...inundate the septic system." Members asked the applicant to show where the septic field sits relative to the pool, stake the pool corners, and provide calculations of ground disturbance and water-quality volume.
The applicant and contractor described overflow routing and the cover-box drain design; board members recommended adding a swale or short retaining wall to direct excess water away from the septic and possibly relocating some infiltrators farther downhill. A member suggested staging a site visit to better visualize slopes and the septic relationship; the board agreed to schedule that visit.
The board requested that the applicant submit detailed infiltration calculations, staking and clearer plans before the application moves forward.
Next steps: site visit, re-staking of pool and driveway, submission of infiltration and disturbance calculations, and design revisions to direct overflow away from the septic field.
