Septics, AB 885, and Total Daily Maximum Loads (TMDLs)
This article was unpublished due to lack of space.
Now that a new year has begun, some of you may be wondering where things stand with new proposed septic regulations that are likely to have a major impact on our Russian River community.
AB885 goes back to the drawing board….
In 2008 the State issued proposed regulations that included a one-size-fits-all list of requirements, including mandatory inspections. After thousands of people protested vociferously, the State subsequently took their proposal back to the drawing board. The new version provides septic policy that takes a risk-based approach, allowing many areas “off the hook”, but not properties located in fragile river environments, such as our own. High water tables, porous soils, steep slopes, and generally small lot sizes, makes conventional septic installation that meets all current requirements virtually impossible for many local parcels.