Wednesda y, May 11, 1977 THE REVIEW.

- Lapham proposes amendment to sub-division bylaw

Requests perc tests for tanks and licenced testors possible

By BRENDA sewaze disposal problems ditches and of wells being North Saanich soil is clay | now do. This is done by discussions of the same
DALGLISH facing North Saanich. ; sunk only short distances | based and according to | bringing in fill material and | problem.
a : . There are reports of high | from septic tanks. Lapham many of the | building up the septic field During discussion of the
“IVs a case of not acting | bacteria counts in some| “Almost every other | building ‘sites left will not |:area. The only problem | proposed by-law, council
cuntil. there’s a. case of | wells, of effluent spreading

a ‘ASC regulation we have we perc test. The only alter- | with this is occassionally the
hepatitis or something like | from ocean side residences | enforce but when it comes | native on land, where the | fill: material brought in is

it’, said Alderman John | to the beach and on to the | to sanitary situations, 1 | soil is slow percing, isto use | not of the best quality and
Lapham recently in

ia ocean, of dogs becoming | don’t know, we bury | a built up field as many | does not give a good perc
commenting about the. | sick after drinking water in | them.’ said Lapham. North Saanich residents | test reading even then.

raised the question of why
people conducting perc tests
are not required to. be
licensed. This requirement

had been drafted into a u © cf
TANKS provincial bill several years EXTR. A P ARKING SP ACE
LEAK ago but was dropped before

it passed.
LICENCING |

A local perc tester who
asked. not to be named,
agreed licencing would be a
‘“‘very good idea.’’ Right
now anyone can do tests,
even the contractors, which
consist of digging several
holes of ‘specific sizes,
pouring water into them
and recording the length of
time it takes for the water to
be absorbed. The results of
this test must then be’
forwarded to the board of
health who. give the final
approval to it.

The board can request a
perc test be carried out
before its approving officer
if it suspects the test was not
legitimate or if for example
it was done: during . the
summer and the board
suspects that during winter
the ground might not perc.

He: said at’ times he.
has been offered ‘‘a little on
the side’? ‘to: approve an
area that is not going to-
pass. the perc test. He said
he would not be opposed, at
all, to a licencing system for
: those conducting perc tests.
“1s not that difficult,’” he »
said, ‘but then they would
“have to-be responsible for
“their actions.””

-. TANKS ©
CHECKED

‘He’ claimed that: in. the
United States both wells.
and ‘septic tanks would. be
checked‘ yearly and if :they
did-not pass, would have to

be brought. up to. standard.
o “that’ degree . of.::en-

-‘Here,?? he-said, .“‘they’re.
forcement and rarely oe checked once and. that’s it
- AMENDMENT: |. forever...

“The: health. board located : He ‘said: it’: was - “not ‘the.
“in. ‘Sidney town hall has two: |:board. of: health’ s fault but.
- staff members to do this job: |.

" ers tod | ‘rather: the” way . We: Abink :
_in Central*Saanich; North | about both wells. and” septic.
Saanich,» Sidney. and: the’

tanks. ‘We just -expect-
Gulf'Islands. 23.02 =

}-them.to work: We hold up.a
Lapham has. proposed an | glass. of water. and ’-if its.
amednment™ “to: the \sub-" | clear'we. think its fine.’ -he
division = by-law. . which | said.: People willy pay”
“would require sub-dividers:

thousands of dollars for a
{0 prove not .only potable. lot and, even. more for a.
Water, as is. now: the case,

‘house but they expect to get -
but. also. that the ground. |.water and sewage disposal
would be capable . of

for very little, he said.
supporting a septic tank | said... _ ;
system, on cach lot: if-a-}. Lapham admits his:
sewer line::-was -not..J proposed ~ amendment
available. Why should they

would ‘not solve even the
-have to prove water but not | majority of the problem but
sept: removal?’ -asked

it would cover one aspect of

Lapham. “We're the only | it. He said,..:'‘If we. could
. organized area that doesn’t hold the septic problem |
require it,”” he said... where it:is now and not.
The - by-law which is

allow it to proliferate I'd be
stipported to third reading satisfied,’ People need to
by. council, could -become:

become conscious. of the
law very soon, Council eld | problem. ‘We don’t want it
final reading of it- until the

to just keep. on growing
capital regional board came | imtil we're forced to sewers
forward . with | its. recom-

like Brentwood was,’” he
-Wendations: -after recent said.

According. to Don Ife, of
the peninsula health board,
responsible for giving final
approval on. perc tests as
well as testing to make sure
pollution is not occurring
after the tank and field go
in, said some of the
problems are caused by city
dwellers who move to a
rural area for the first time
and do not maintain the
systems properly. Tanks
can leak or malfunction and
distribution pipes can
break. Ife said it was not
uncommon for pipes to be
broken by someone roto-
tilling over the septic field.

The health board has
recently . been testing
problem areas on Lochside
Drive and some in Deep

' _ 3 : : t Balle $ Cove. On Lochside Drive,
Now is the Time to ad a Bright New 3 Gt the. fifteen” buildings
checked, two were found to

to your Home, with our wide selection Of BC RIGUR| fb potstine and in Deep

3 ‘ges Cove of the 23 checked, one
oF ‘ > : € _ S I ‘ CK . : f _ was discovered.

NOW AVAILABLE ON Ath ST.

Prices Effective May 12, 13 & 14

‘We Reserve the Right to Limit Quantities .

STORE HOURS: _ | |

Mon., Tues., Wed., Sat., 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

(Thurs. & Fri, | 9am. - 9 p.m.
| aa

Sun.

CANADA GRADE ‘A’ BEEF

m.

12 p.m.

Testing is done when the
health board either suspects -
or receives notice of a
‘possible. problem. -A
distinctive dye is put into

4 a WE OFFER: Open Weaves | : ; a a the septic system and after

1; ee Decorator. = ss the sete Sy altet-a
eee ee Florals oF - oS Poe pas wait .of up to two days, a.

a re oy Ki hh ‘health board: officer - will

a - Soni tdse of: fee Velvets IYScn: check the surrounding area:

a : : aa Pe for signs of it. -If ‘any. is
os : CO Wooden 7 oe . _~ found the board: of -health

a m an 7 os Sheers we ee we a 7 will in writing ‘request the

system be. upgraded within

CO ey pol! : pe 30 days. They do have the
Call Us Now For Your FREE ESTIMATE! | astei «tts ner

the order. to court but ‘they
- prefer not.to-have to resort

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