Properly treating wastewater is a critical concern of the residents of Afton. There is a strong desire to ensure that wastewater is properly treated so as to limit the impact that development in Afton has on the natural environment. There is an equally strong desire to avoid the land use patterns that come with centralized collection and treatment of wastewater.
The City of Afton has no plans, or desire, to install a sewer collection system or provide centralized sewage treatment within the City limits, except potentially for a limited system to serve the floodplain areas in the Old Village and within the small geographic confines of the industrial zone[1]. Continued use of highly efficient and well maintained septic systems will avoid public expenditures for central sewer and will prevent development at urban densities.
Choosing to remain largely dependent on individual sewage treatment systems (ISTS), also commonly called “septic systems”, will require the City of Afton to be diligent to protect residents’ health, safety, and welfare. Soil conditions in Afton are sometimes difficult to work with. Development restrictions in place limit development in many of these areas.
(SOIL SUITABILITY MAP)
To further ensure the health and safety of Afton’s residents, the City performs a thorough review of all ISTS designs and provides expert inspection for all installations. Afton has also implemented a maintenance program for existing systems, including an on-site, biennial mandatory inspection and the gradual upgrading of all substandard systems[2].
The City of Afton establishes the following wastewater goals:
- Reduce the volume of wastewater that is discharged to the soils of Afton.
- Protect ground and surface waters to the greatest extent practicable by improving the quality of wastewater effluent.
- Protect the groundwater from chemical or hazardous waste introduced from wastewater systems.
To bring about these goals, the City of Afton hereby adopts the following policies:
1. Enforce standards for wastewater management that exceed the requirements of state and county regulation.
2. Study and then impliment best practices standards for the managment of wastewater within the Old VIllage.
3. Ensure that all wastewater management systems in the City are opporating properly.
4. Educate wastewater system maintainers and owners of "best practices" in the use and maintainence of wastewater treatment systems.
5. Eliminate the introduction of additional volumes of wastewater into areas of the City that have been designated as "critical". Work to significantly reduce the current introduction of wastewater in these area.
To enact these policies and perpetuate the goals of the city, the City of Afton seeks to implement the following strategies:
