Apparently it does not happen often, but one property owner was lucky enough to ‘strike sand’ during a percolation test, winning him a variance to install a new septic system at a four-foot separation to groundwater level, instead of the Title 5 required five-foot separation.
On October 21, Kevin Forgue of G.A.F. Engineering told the Marion Board of Health that the current septic system at 35 Ichabod Lane was only about two to three feet above groundwater levels, so the four feet would be an improvement.
“We have a fairly high water table throughout that area,” said Forgue. “No matter how we looked at it and no matter what we did, we needed a pump chamber.”
Without the variance, Forgue said the backyard elevation would be one-foot higher than house level, diverting storm water toward the house and creating pooling in the yard.
Forgue clarified that the septic system would actually be four feet from the estimated high water table mark, not the actual water table mark. On a normal to dry day, Forgue said there could be as high as a four and a half-foot separation.
The soil conditions at 35 Ichabod Lane, belonging to Toby and Barbara Burr, were variable, said Forgue, much to his surprise.
“I think we just found a spot that had sand,” said Forgue. Regional Health Director Karen Walega said she, too, was surprised.
Board of Health member Albin Johnson commented that sandy soils are rare in Marion, and during a follow-up interview, Board of Health Chairman Dr. John Howard said that percolation rates on Marion properties tend to be high in silty and clay soils.
The Burrs just happened to have a random area of sand, a jackpot of sorts, when it comes to septic systems in Marion.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health is scheduled for October 28 at 4:30 pm at the Marion Town House.
By Jean Perry
