SEPTIC TANK DESIGNED TO DRAIN INTO COVE IN RESIDENTIAL AREA

50 Indian Point Road, Glen Haven, Nova Scotia

Construction is underway on this tiny sliver of land, replacing an old shanty with a 3 bedroom house by grandfathering the approvals to the new purchaser. The lot is too small for a septic field, so the septic tank is connected to a drainage pipe hidden behind the seawall. Community residents are concerned about the health effects, given that high tides could flush out the septic system twice a day, putting sewage into this protected cove which is used for swimming. We do not want the cove to be shut down all summer because of e coli and fecal coliform. In addition to sewage, the septic outflow will contain ammonia/nitrogen/phosphorous (i.e., fertilizer that will promote algae blooms and Deadman's Finger), as well as detergent and soap suds every time someone takes a shower, washes the dishes or does laundry.

An Open Letter to Judy Streatch, Elected Provincial Representative for Chester-St. Margaret's Bay (pdf)

The photos below were taken January 22 2007. With the wooden measuring stick standing in the ice water, the red marker pole is 0.9 meter above the water level where it touches the measuring stick.

The Septic Approval for this property requires that the effluent pipe is at least one full meter above the ordinary high tide mark. However, in order to meet this requirement, the lower edge of the sewage outflow pipe would need to be 4 inches (.1 m) above the red bar, putting the lower edge of the sewage pipe above the grass.

This gravity-flow septic system was designed to have a sewage outlet in the seawall by Terrain Group Inc. in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It will not drain uphill (not that you would want sewage draining onto your lawn anyways). So from the information available, it would be impossible for the installation to work according to the design that was initially approved.

In this photo looking the other way, it can be seen that the land has been sodded, over the septic tank. According to the Septic Requirements that were approved for this property:

"An inspection of the on-site sewage disposal system is required in accorance with Section 25 of the On-Site Sewage Disposal Systems Regulations before the system is covered with earth. The Qualified Person is responible to submit a certificate of installation to the Department within 14 days of completion of the system, which states that the system has been installed in conformance with the Approval. Completion of the system includes top soil and seeding or sodding. The certificate of installation shall include the "Completion of Work Form" as completed by the system installer" (June 30 2006, p.3, 2[b]).

However in spite of the requirements, this septic system was not inspected when it was installed, and the final approval documents (Certificate of Installation and Completion of Work Form) were not subsequently filed as legally required.

Home | Background | Media Coverage | Initial Septic Installation | 2nd Suspension of Septic Approval | Obstruction of the Freedom of Information Legislation | Epilogue

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please email ConcernedResidents@FrostFishCove.org