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Joint board denies homeowners request to replace septic system in aquifer protection zone
Summary
The Brookings County and City of Brookings Joint Board of Adjustment on July 7 denied a variance for Taylor Arndt to replace an on-site septic system and install a drain field at 517 58th Avenue in Zone A aquifer protection; the motion to approve failed 1——.
The Brookings County and City of Brookings Joint Board of Adjustment on July 7, 2026 voted 1— to deny a variance request from homeowner Taylor Arndt to replace an existing septic tank and install a new drain field at 517 58th Avenue, a property inside the joint jurisdiction Zone A aquifer protection area.
Board staff had told members the joint zoning ordinance (Article 3, Chapter 3.06, section 3.0604) prohibits new or replacement septic systems in Zone A; staff provided maps, site photos and the legal description as part of the record. Richard, reading the staff report, noted the ordinance allows sanitary service either by a central collection system or a sealed holding tank and stated draft findings and conditions for a variance would include compliance with all applicable provisions and a three-year expiration if unused.
Applicant Taylor Arndt told the board he and his wife moved into the house in 2021, have experienced recurring basement backups and now have three daughters. He asked for a "1,500-gallon dual chamber tank" and a lift to a new drain field in the northeast part of the lot so the home could function as a full-time residence. "I absolutely understand this ordinance and why it's in place. Safe potable water is a cornerstone of functioning communities," Arndt said, while urging the board to consider the hardship of requiring a sealed holding tank.
Eric Witt, water and wastewater manager for Brookings Utilities, presented a written objection and urged the board to uphold the ordinance to protect the wellhead. Witt said sealed holding tanks are an available alternative but require more frequent pumping and that the utilities are focused on limiting new nitrogen contributions to a sensitive aquifer area. "We do have areas of nitrate contamination above what EPA considers the maximum allowable contaminant level," Witt said.
During deliberations a board member expressed sympathy for the applicant but emphasized the purpose of the aquifer protection standards. The board then took a roll call: Kelly VanderWaal voted yes; Darrell Kleinjohn, Wayne Avery, Jacob Lemmer and Chad Ford voted no. The motion to approve the variance failed 1—, and staff read a formal denial of the application dated July 7, 2026.
The denial document cites the joint jurisdiction zoning ordinance (Article 3, Chapter 3.06, section 3.0604) and states the board found the reasons in the application did not justify granting a variance and that granting it would be contrary to the ordinance's purpose and public welfare protections. The board authorized the zoning director to issue building permits consistent with the ordinance if future actions comply with applicable provisions.
