A new septic system ordinance proposed by Santa Clara County is likely to ease the restrictions on the installation and operation of onsite wastewater treatment and disposal systems, according to county staff.
“The new ordinance is anticipated to remove development constraints for some existing parcels that require (septic systems) for sewage disposal,” County Management Analyst Sharon Dowell said in a press release.
Unincorporated areas surrounding Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill, as well as the Lexington Basin in the Santa Cruz Mountains will be most impacted by the proposed ordinance, county staff said.
The county’s Department of Environmental Health will schedule a series of public workshops regarding the ordinance proposal in the coming months. Exact dates for the public hearings will be announced in the near future.
Proposed septic system ordinance changes include reductions in some leach field land area requirements; the elimination of a septic requirement for detached residential units; elimination of some lot size restrictions; a broader range of acceptable sewage treatment and dispersal designs; changes related to property slope and restrictive layers; and a single construction standard for all incorporated areas of the county.
“Modest increases” in development potential could follow the ordinance update, though county staff noted that planning, building and other requirements unrelated to sewage disposal must also be satisfied.
The draft ordinance is currently available for viewing on the Department of Environmental Health’s website, ehinfo.org. An environmental study of the proposed changes has been prepared, and can also be viewed at the department’s website.
Public comments can also be submitted in response to the environmental report during a 60-day public review period that expires in January, county staff said.
Adoption of the ordinance will also require modifications to the county general plan and zoning ordinance.
Comments can be submitted in writing to David Rader, Planner, Santa Clara County Planning Office, 70 W. Hedding Street, East Wing, seventh floor, San Jose, CA 95110-1705; or by e-mail to da*********@pl*.org.
