Be Mindful of Your OWTS, i.e. Septic System
As we start to creep up on the wet weather season, remember that ground saturation during large rain or flood events can cause your onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) to surcharge leading to a surface spill of wastewater, which is a serious health and public safety hazard. If your system experiences these conditions, please contact your wastewater maintenance provider or septic contractor immediately. Also, please limit excessive water use for a couple of days following major storms, particularly in the low-lying neighborhoods. A temporary reduction in water usage will help prevent your septic system from surcharging in saturated ground.
Regardless of weather, you should never ignore or just silence a septic alarm—there is a reason the alarm is sounding. If this happens, please contact your wastewater maintenance provider or septic contractor immediately. Also, if you silence your neighbor’s alarm be sure to notify them so they can take appropriate action. If you do not currently have a wastewater maintenance provider or septic contractor, a list is available at: stinsonwater.org/learning-center/professional-services-directory
Other good practices to remember:
- Avoid flushing your toilet or do laundry unnecessarily
- Do not dispose paper towels, sanitary napkins, tampons, disposable diapers, condoms, cigarettes, coffee grounds, cat litter, beach sand, grease, and/or oils in your OWTS
- Avoid water during a power outage--components of your OWTS rely on power and will not operate properly without it
- Do not use septic tank additives, or disposing of any toxic chemicals
- Do not drain pools, hot tubs or spas into your OWTS
- Do not plant trees or woody shrubs in your leachfield area, or allow roof drains to spill onto your leachfield area
Learn more at: stinsonwater.org/learning-center/wastewater
The District, in Brief...
The Stinson Beach County Water District (Stinson Water) was established in 1962, under enabling legislation from the State of California Water Code, Section 30000 et seq., with service categories of Domestic Water, Onsite Wastewater Treatment Management and Solid Waste. Our leadership is composed of a five-member board, elected by our community members for rotating four-year terms.
Our mission is to provide:
- Clean, safe and reliable drinking water which meets or exceeds all Federal and State drinking water standards
- The District provides potable water for a population of about 600 permanent residents and up to 15,000 residents on weekends and holidays. The District obtains raw water from several groundwater wells and local creeks. Raw water is then treated with microfiltration, pH adjustment and disinfection at the District's water treatment plant, which can treat over 280,000 gallons per day. Treated water is then conveyed to customers through a water distribution network of pipes consisting of 8 different pressure zones and about 1.25 million gallons of treated water storage.
- Strict regulation of onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) and use of chemical toilets to enhance the quality of local ground and surface waters
- The District has been tasked with managing all OWTSs within its jurisdictional boundary by the California State Regional Water Quality Control Board, including but not limited to: OWTS design review and approval, enforcement actions, water quality monitoring, OWTS inspection, and public outreach.
- Reliable solid waste collection and disposal for our customers
- The District currently franchises out solid waste collection and disposal to Recology Sonoma-Marin.
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