Apr/May - MOWA

April/May 2013
MPCA News Round-Up
Ziegler sees commonalities in MPCA watershed,
SSTS programs
Now only tanks registered with
MPCA can be installed in Minnesota
by Barb McCarthy, MPCA
Right now, you need to use only fully registered tanks in
Minnesota. This requirement started Jan. 1, 2013. Be sure
to check the MPCA sewage tank list on the Web to see if
the tank(s) you are planning to install in 2013 is on the list
and fully registered.
The list of sewage tanks is
on the MPCA’s website.
You can also find this page by Googling
the phrase “MPCA registered tanks.”
There are 36 tank manufactures registered as of April 15,
2013. Thirty two manufacturers are from Minnesota; four
are from other states (Connecticut, Indiana, North Dakota
and Wisconsin). There are about 900 tank models on the
list. The list has information about tank size, rated depth
of burial, number of compartments, usage (i.e. septic,
pump, holding), and other product information (i.e. effluent
screens, transfer holes).
Reminder letters were mailed to 1,010 licensed Installers
about this requirement in March. This letter is posted on
the sewage tank page. LGUs were also notified via email.
MISSION: Promoting professionalism in the onsite wastewater industry
Page 9
by the MPCA
Jim Ziegler has been named manager for the MPCA SSTS program, taking
over from Will Haapala who retired. Ziegler has been with the agency for
more than 20 years, working in the Detroit Lakes regional office. He says he
is looking forward to working with counties and other local program partners
to meet the challenge of updating ordinances across the state and identifying
and fixing or replacing non-compliant systems and straight pipes.
For much of his career, Ziegler worked as a supervisor in the watershed unit,
which is focused on improving water quality in lakes and streams. “I think
much of my experience in the watershed unit is applicable to what we do in
SSTS,” Ziegler said. “That involves working together with experienced local
partners to meet our mutual goals. In the watershed unit that meant working
with watershed districts, SWCD offices and other local stakeholder groups.
In SSTS we’re working with counties and other local units of government,
stakeholder groups such as MOWA, the University of Minnesota and others... I’m excited to be working in a new area.”
Ziegler serves as an assistant high school cross-country skiing coach in Detroit Lakes and is an avid bicycler who
often rides to the office in Detroit Lakes from his rural home during warmer months.
To be (a bedroom) or not to be;
that is the question
by the MPCA
And here is the answer. Since SSTS sizing is
determined strongly by the number of bedrooms in a
dwelling, the question of whether or not a room should
be considered a bedroom is one that is frequently
debated between local regulators, SSTS designers and
homeowners.
A bedroom is defined in 7080.1100, Subp. 9, as an area
that is:
a. a room designed or used for sleeping; or
b. a room or area of a dwelling that has a minimum floor
area of 70 square feet with access gained from the
living area or living area hallway. Architectural features
that affect the use as a bedroom under this item may
be considered in making the bedroom determination.
An MPCA fact sheet provides more detail on the architectural
features that affect the use of a room as a bedroom, and
can be helpful when making this determination. You can
also find this page by Googling the phrase “MPCA bedroom
size SSTS.” When building permits are issued in a different
department from the SSTS construction permit, it is critical
these two groups agree on the definition of a bedroom so
the issue is resolved consistently within the jurisdiction.