Montrose - Daily Press

MONTROSE —The peculiar lack of septic waste in Montrose and Delta counties has aroused the interest of several public officials.

"It's something we'd prefer to just flush the toilet and not think about it," West Montrose Sanitation District manager Randy See said. "Some people say this is a significant water quality issue."

Residences not connected to municipal sewers use septic tanks to collect their waste. The Montrose County Board of Health requires septic tanks to be maintained and cleaned or pumped every four years since a resolution effective March 2006, according to a WMSD fact sheet.

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As prices for accepting septic waste have increased, the number of gallons delivered to licensed facilities have fallen. A meeting regarding this issue transpired last week at the Montrose Regional Library District. City councilors, county commissioners, haulers, sanitarians and more from across the Western Slope gathered to discuss the septic matter.

"I think the issue of septage and the question being raised of the quantity of illegal dumping is something that would concern everyone in the city," Montrose city councilor Noelle Hagan said. "When West Montrose (WMSD) expanded it was raised then as an issue. It's definitely an issue not going anywhere and most likely getting worse."

A place to dump

See said an incident of illegal septic dumping recently occurred in West Meadows, where infrastructure is under construction. The waste was unloaded into an open manhole.

"That's a classic example of this problem," See said.

He said dumping septic waste into a manhole creates a sudden pulse of high strength material that "can potentially clog city lines."

Septic sludge sits and collects over a number of years whereas sewage is flushed into the public stream. Jerry Beard, owner of CB Industries in Delta, said municipalities often refuse the thick, heavy septic waste. 

"By the time a turd gets down to the sewer plant it's dissolved," he said.

His company began operation immediately after Delta County ceased accepting septage. He brought a sheet to the meeting illustrating his company's numbers since 2004.

"Since CB Industries started receiving septage there has been a 35% decrease in volume (32,500 gallons per month) despite significant growth in Delta and neighboring counties," according to the sheet.

Although growth may be expected to take place mostly in municipal sewer taps, septic tank sales continue. Roland Hudson, a purchasing agent at Grand Junction Pipe in Montrose, said the location sells five to six plastic septic tanks per month. He added that most people opt for the concrete tanks available at the Grand Junction location.

Recent per-gallon price increases may contribute to the lack of legal dumps. Beard said Delta County's facility accepted the waste at 2 cents per gallon. His company charges 18 cents per gallon.

Edsel Swanson manages the CB Industries facility. He said the privatization of the waste acceptance caused the price increase.

"You go to most municipalities and it will be a lot cheaper. It's just government run, you know. But we've got bills to pay," Swanson said. "And most either cities or counties — they don't wanna have to deal with it. It's gonna become more this type of thing."

"And it does sound like a lot of money — 18 cents a gallon — but it's by far cheaper to be set up on a septic tank than it is to be on city sewer."

CB Industries is licensed locally, through the state and federally. It puts the waste through a composting process with a product safe enough to be used in home gardens. Swanson said the company spends about $25,000 per year on lab work.

In addition to septic waste, the company accepts restaurant grease, car wash sediment, petroleum-contaminated soils and sand.

Poor accountability

Hauler accountability was an essential item addressed at last week's meeting. Septage haulers are required by law to keep written manifests of where they pick up and drop off waste. Illegal dumping occurs regardless.

Montrose County Sanitarian Greg Pink said the county has the option to license septic haulers.

"If we start licensing haulers and we want to get ugly and we find out they are not in compliance with EPA rules and regulations — not in compliance at that time — licenses are gonna be jerked and people are going out of business," Pink said.

He said he's "always been hesitant" at increasing the role of the government in such a situation, but that it could possibly help the problem.

See said licensing is not uncommon.

"Gunnison has a licensing program and it's fairly stringent," he said.

The numbers at WMSD are even more glaring than those of CB Industries. Del-Mont Consultants conducted an engineering report in 1997 projecting that if every Montrose County septic tank owner pumped their tank every four years, 2.2 million gallons of septage would be generated per year.

"We'd expect 10 to 15 loads per day based on those calculations. We're getting out here 10 to 15 loads a month — so that's less than 10 percent of the loads (projected)," See said.

But Pink said 2.2 million gallons sounded a bit high.

"I think that's probably in theory if everybody pumped their tanks every two to four years and did everything just perfect — but most folks don't pump their tanks until they have issues," Pink said.

And when they do, they prefer to solve the problem at the lowest price. Beard said public awareness could help septic tank users understand that it matters who pumps them.

"I mean, they don't understand — they really don't understand that they're supposed to pump that. They don't even have a clue, usually, where it is and what they're supposed to do," Beard said. "And when they have a problem they just give somebody a call. And when they give somebody a call one thing they don't know is they're responsible for that waste."

He said the lack of regulations makes it difficult to tell a good hauler from a bad one, and that it's common for a hauler to only pump one side of a septic tank.

WMSD and CB Industries are the only licensed receivers of septic waste in Montrose and Delta counties; however, another option is land application. Beard said to legally conduct land application is quite expensive, but again, not well-regulated.

Pink concurs that land application is not well regulated.

"It's kind of a complicated situation here," Pink said. "I think we all have to realize that the EPA is probably just a little bit light on their enforcement and their involvement and activity in the whole county — and so I don't think we can count on the EPA enforcing their land application rules and regulations to a degree that makes it safe for the local inhabitants."

Last week's meeting ran over its allotted time and the participants agreed on Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. in the Montrose Regional Library for a follow-up.

Useful excrement

Land application is a process of bringing septic mass to a pH level of 12 then applying it to an area where crops are grown. The stringent tests required of CB Industries are not required for land application, Swanson said, but a permit is required.

"It's gotta be tilled and there has to be a crop. (The crop) can't go for human consumption after the last load until three or four years," he said.

But he said the compost at CB Industries is immediately ready for fertilizing gardens, lawns, flowers and more.

"We've only sold a little bit — actually, most people once they hear it's human waste they don't mess with it," Swanson said. "But they're buying the same thing or worse from Home Depot."

He said it's a matter of public education, and that human waste is the third best fertilizer. Worm is number one, followed by elephant dung.

"It (human excreta) is a resource that needs to be used a lot," Swanson said. "Because all your chemical fertilizers you're treating the plant and not the ground — and this stuff treats the ground so the plant can grab the stuff that it needs."

Contact Robert Allen via e-mail at roberta@montrosepress.com

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