Public Health Letter 9-30-03 001
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COUN?Y COM\?ISSIONERS
Ca3ry Wolfe
District One
Diane Oberquell
District Twc
Robea N. Macleod
Disaicr Three
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50CIAL SERVICES DEPARTMEi~IT
September 30, 2003
Yelm School District
Attn: Erling Birkland
P.O. Box 476
Yelm, WA 98597
RE: New Portables at Fort Stevens Elementary School -Parcel # 64303600300.
Dear Mr. Birkland:
Sheaf McDonald, RBI, MPA
Director
Diana'r. Yu, MD, MSPH
Health Officer
I have been notified by Kay Massong of Thurston County Environmental Health that you have
installed two new portable classrooms at Port Stevens Elementary School. Our records show that
this school is using an on-site sewage system and the portables would need to connect to this on-
site sewaee system as they contain hand washing sinks that include a bubbler for drinking water.
When the on-site sewage design was approved on August 4, 1989 the reviewer required a fmal
drafr of an Operation and Maintenance Ntanual to be submitted by your engineer so that the
Operational Certificate could be written and issued. It does not appear that this information was
submitted and no as-built drawing was accepted. Therefore, the on-site sewage system never
received final approval.
In order to obtain final approval and an Operational Certificate for the current use, the followine
information must be submitted to this office for review and approval:
L A site plan showing the new structures'proximity to the on-site sewage system that was
installed on the propeay includine the reserve azea.
2. Your engineer must submit technical justification for the increase in flaw venerated by
the additional portable classrooms. According to our records, the on-site sewaee s7stcm
was approved [c serve 650 capita inchtding students and employees and a maximum of
5,200 vallons per dal. If the department determines that the proposal is on expansion. the
on-site sewaee system would be required to meet new construction standards. An
expansion is defined by Article IV of the Thurston County- Sanitary Code as a change in a
residence. facilitc. site or use that al Reaults in an increase in the strength of [he sewage
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Yelm School District
September 30, 2003
Page 2
or in the average daily volume of sewage that may cause an on-site sewage system to
exceed its existing treatment or disposal capacity. b) Reduces the treatment or disposal
capability of the existing on-site sewage system or the reserve azea, for example, when a
buildine is placed over existing system components or a reserve azea.
The engineer also needs to address the total waste strength including contributions by the
food service operation, which may increase as a result of adding classrooms and
occupants. We recommend you consult with The Stuth Company, Inc., which deals with
high wastestreng[h issues related on on-site sewage systems. A sample should be taken
from the pump chamber for Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Total Suspended Solids, Fats
Oils & Grease and Dissolved Oxygen and the results submitted to this office for review.
3. Submit an as-built drawing of the on-site sewage system that was installed and include
the sewer line locations that serve the new portable classrooms.
When we have received [he information requested above, we will continue with our review. If
you have any questions, feel free to contact me at (360) 786-5463.
Sincerely,
Brad Sazigston, R.S.
Environmental Health Specialist
cc: Gary Carlson, Yelm Building Department
Kay Massong, R.S.; Thurston County Environmental Health
Alan Burke, Yelm School District art, Superintendent
Andy Wolf, Principle