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Septic Or Sewer Waste must either pass into the sewer system or in country areas where there is no sewer, a stand-alone septic system has to be constructed. If a lot is on sewer, there are few issues to be tackled. The builder will have to make sure the correct connections are made and the correct permits are obtained, but this is usually a simple matter. Septic is another story. In San Diego, most new septic systems have to be traditional 'leach field' systems, where a septic tank is connected to a system of lines buried in rows across the yard. For instance, a 3 bedroomed home may require 365 feet of leach line. The waste is treated in the septic tank and then passes out to the system of lines where it 'leaches' into the soil. Many beautiful lots in San Diego County cannot be built on right now because of the stringent regulations concerning septic systems. The traditional leach field system requires a substantial amount of soil to allow the trenches for the leach field to be dug. In rocky or sloping conditions, it may be difficult to dig a 5', 6' or even 7' series of trenches. This is a statewide problem in California, although some counties do have more relaxed septic regulations that allow use of 'alternative' septic systems. There are a number of such systems, several of which have been shown to be very effective, even in very difficult soil conditions, for example those with inadequate soil depth for a traditional leach field system or where the water table is very high. The State of California is currently reviewing its septic guidelines and by now (April 2012) we would have expected that alternative septic systems would be approved at a statewide level. Unfortunately, the state water board decided in its wisdom to widen its review of septic systems to include recommendations on the testing of existing septic installations. This has raised howls of protest and has bogged down approval of new systems until agreement can be reached on the certification of existing systems. The body that controls septic layout and system approval is the Department of Environmental Health, or DEH. The DEH is run in California by each County, and even if your lot is in a City, the County will still have control over the septic installation. Three vs Four Bedrooms On many parcel maps you'll find the rubric 'approved by the DEH for a three bedroomed dwelling'. This doesn't necessarily mean that a parcel is only able to support a three bedroomed home. Three bedrooms is a default specification, and if there is enough space for the extra leach field, you should be able to get the DEH to approve a larger size home. Appendix D gives typical leach field requirements for different numbers of bedrooms in San Diego County. You may ask why a home is rated by the number of bedrooms and not by the number of bathrooms. Bedrooms are used because they give a more reliable indication of the number of people living in the home. Typically, up to six people might live in a three bedroomed home. If there were six bathrooms in the home, it wouldn't affect the load on the septic system any more than if there were two bathrooms in the home. Septic Moratorium In some areas, septic regulations may be even more troublesome than those needed for a traditional septic system. In Escondido for example, the high water table around the Citrus Avenue area led to a complete moratorium on installation of any new septic systems in the area. This moratorium was lifted in 2002, but requirements are still in place for a minimum depth to groundwater of 12 feet. |
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This website has been written and developed by Rob Ransom, PhD. Rob has extensive experience working with buyers and sellers of vacant land in San Diego County, CA. Although Rob currently has a California real estate license he is retired from selling real estate. If you have comments or suggestions regarding this web site, email Rob at the address below. email Website developed by REMedia, an electronic media company based in San Diego, CA. Previous projects include the ZooGuides series of educational CD-ROM titles, of which over 1m copies have been sold to elementary, middle and high schools across the USA. width="125" border="0">This website has been written and developed by Rob Ransom, PhD. Rob has extensive experience working with buyers and sellers of vacant land in San Diego County, CA. Although Rob currently has a California real estate license he is retired from selling real estate. If you have comments or suggestions regarding this web site, email Rob at the address below. email Website developed by REMedia, an electronic media company based in San Diego, CA. Previous projects include the ZooGuides series of educational CD-ROM titles, of which over 1m copies have been sold to elementary, middle and high schools across the USA.
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