Gold Mountain HOA
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WASTEWATER SERVICE


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The GM CSD provides our domestic water customers with a modern hybrid wastewater system specifically designed for use by rural communities with large elevation changes.  Each home site and commercial entity has a Septic Tank Effluent Pumping (STEP) tank located on site.  Builders install these tanks new as part of the building process. The cost of the tank and installation are a normal part of the building package for homes constructed in this community.

The STEP System includes a septic tank and a pump. Sewage is conveyed by gravity to the tank through your building plumbing line. Liquid waste is filtered and pumped under pressure to the public sewer system.


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Solid waste will remain in the STEP tank where it naturally degrades and is eventually pumped out (approximately every 5 to 10 years by the CSD).  STEP system pumps typically turn on every one or two days with normal water use and pump the liquid waste to the public system.

The difference between this and a traditional septic system is a standard septic system relies on gravity flow to a local drain or leach field.  With the GM CSD system, effluent is pumped via the district sewer system to one of two community leach fields for secondary treatment and eventual release back into the ground.  The system has proven to be very reliable and requires little maintenance.  While each home owner (or commercial entity) owns and is responsible for their STEP tank and associated plumbing, the CSD is responsible for performing maintenance and repairs to the pumping system.  In a traditional septic installation the owner is responsible for maintaining all components including leach field repairs and an occasional pumping of their septic tank.  In the case of GM CSD’s modern system many of these functions are the responsibility of the CSD.

Each installation is equipped with a control box and alarm typically located at a convenient location on the structure.  The alarm will sound if the system senses any type of system failure.  It is the owner’s responsibility to notify the CSD promptly if they should hear a system alarm. There should be an emergency contact number on a sticker on your control box, if there isn’t please call the district office.

The GM CSD maintains two large community leach fields.   Currently neither field is operating near capacity however this in itself creates field management challenges.  The constant flow of effluent through the drain fields is what keeps the drain fields operating at peak capacity.  If not properly managed, low flows will allow the field to clog and lose efficiency.  The CSD currently manages these issues manually through continual monitoring and control.  We are currently in the process of installing an automated dosing station that controls effluent flow and provides pressurized flows to deliver effluent evenly over the entire leach field to improve and preserve field operations.

Future Outlook
The CSD’s professionally engineered “trigger point” study indicates that our two existing leach fields may not meet capacity requirements at full build out.  The CSD is exploring one of two long term solutions to ensure we can always meet capacity requirements. We plan to fund one or both of these projects through a combination of state water grants, district capital improvements funds, and potentially, government backed low interest loans.

Project one is a water reclamation facility which provides an additional level of treatment resulting in water suitable for irrigation use.  Completion of this project would provide a source of irrigation water that would supplant at least a portion of the water necessary to keep the golf course and public areas green.  If it comes to fruition, the CSD would negotiate business details with our customers for the use of this water.   Water reclamation is an important element of the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) plan and serves to save water, reduce demand on wells, and allow for recharging of the aquifer.
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Project two is the development of additional community leach field capacity through expansion of the district’s existing field on Falling Water.

OWNER RESPONSIBILITIES


Care for your STEP system requires following some simple common sense practices:
  • ​​Use water efficiently. Remember that all water that goes down the drain ends up in your system and requires treatment. While it is likely you will not overload the system, excess water use equates to excess energy use for the system.
  • Flush responsibly. Be careful with undesirable substances that could be flushed into the sewer. Never flush dental floss, fats, oils or grease (FOG), feminine hygiene products, condoms, diapers, wipes, cotton swabs, cigarette butts, coffee grounds, cat litter, or other items that can clog and potentially damage your STEP system. These items should be disposed of in your household garbage. Flushing household chemicals, gasoline, oil, pesticides, antifreeze, and paint can stress or destroy the biological treatment taking place in the system. These items should be taken to the appropriate local hazardous materials handling or recycling station.
  • Responsible use of garbage disposals. Using your garbage disposal increases the amount of solids entering the septic tank and thus the frequency of required maintenance visits to pump the solids from the tank. More maintenance means higher costs for everyone.​
  • Keep excess rain water out of the system. Watch out for rain drains or storm drains that may flow in the direction of the STEP sewer system. Additional water increases pumping costs, depletes the available capacity of the sewer system, adds needlessly to the daily volume of the water that must be processed, and increases costs for everyone.
  • Do not use additives. Contact the District prior to adding any supplements to the STEP system. Special additives that claim to enhance the performance of your tank usually don’t and may cause major damage to the other parts of the sewer system. The natural bacteria that form in your system are sufficient. If you are concerned about your STEP system, call the District to request an inspection.
  • ​Notify the CSD of any alarms. Notify the CSD should you suspect there is anything wrong with your system or if you hear the control panel alarm the number is 258-6255
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Gold Mountain HOA
C/O Hignell, Inc.

1750 Humboldt Road
Chico, CA 95928

530-894-0404
Gold Mountain CSD
150 Pacific Street, #8
Portola, CA 96122
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530-832-5945
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© Gold Mountain Homeowners Association 2015 | Website by Chamber Nation
  • Home
  • Gold Mountain HOA
    • Owner's Login
    • HOA Home Page
    • Firewise
    • Construction Resources
    • Contact HOA
    • Directions
  • Gold Mountain CSD
    • CSD Home Page
    • Board Meeting Calendar
    • CSD Director Log-In
    • CSD: Past, Present, Future
    • CSD Agendas, Minutes & Notices
    • Working with CSD
    • Contact CSD
  • Visitors
    • Regional Calendar
    • Road Conditions
    • Area Information
    • Dining
    • Golfing
    • Recreation
  • Gallery
  • Working with CSD
  • CSD Agendas, Minutes & Notices
  • Untitled