The Otter Tail Water Management District (OTWMD) includes part of Ottertail City and four townships. It encompasses six lakes, Blanche, Deer, Otter Tail, Round, Walker, the south half of Long Lake and part of the Otter Tail River North. Personnel include the administrator/manager and on-call employee.
1978
A group of concerned property owners started studying the steadily declining water quality of the lakes in the area. Unsure of which direction to take, the Otter Tail County Land Management was asked to investigate this issue. With the help of State and Federal Grants, inspections of the old on-site septic systems were performed and a feasibility study completed by the County and private contractors. The feasibility study determined that the old on-site systems were probably playing a large role in the degradation of water quality. After the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was completed a new concern was raised. The fecal coliform counts were very high just off the shore where the most human contact occurs. The determination was made that the coliform was coming from the old septic systems. These systems were comprised of 55 gallon drums and block cesspools installed in the water table. The project focus became more health orientated.
1981
The Otter Tail County Commissioners formed the Otter Tail Water Management District under Minnesota Statute 116.4a forming sewer districts. There are eight OTWMD Board Members representing the lakes in the District. These board members are appointed by the County Commissioners for a four year term. The OTWMD Board is responsible for overseeing the District’s operations and determining the annual budget and User Fee charges.
1982
Factoring in the EIS and subsequent public meetings, an engineering firm was hired and a plan implemented to determine what type of system or systems should be installed. All the existing systems were inspected, inventoried and the findings documented.
1984
The administrator and staff were hired and the OTWMD started the upgrade and repair project. The project was initially funded by grants obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Approximately 850 of the 1,200 known systems were completely replaced. The replacement design consisted of on-site drainfield systems including a type of central sewer system called Cluster hookups. The cluster hook-ups pump to 13 separate drainfield. The balance of existing systems were inspected, tanks pumped and a new tank cover with a 24-inch maintenance cover was installed. As built drawings were completed of all the systems, old and new, along with a complete set of aerial overhead maps of the newly formed District with all of the system sites drawn in place.
All new systems, or existing systems with changes, built after the project completion have As built drawings prepared and filed in hard and software files stored in the OTWMD’s off-site, fire safe file. The OTWMD has enacted stringent code requirements for current system installations. Presently there are over 1,700 systems within the District.
1985
At project completion, property owners not connected to a cluster system, had the option of two maintenance programs: Active Maintenance and Passive Maintenance. On the Active Maintenance program OTWMD is responsible for the routine maintenance from the tank to the drainfield, including pumping of the tank as needed, repairs and replacement of the drainfield and lift station( if applicable). The homeowner is responsible for the line from the house to the tank and any type of seasonal freeze-up. The property owner is also responsible for repair or replacement if negligence has been determined. Examples of negligence are: excessive water use, modifying the system or damaging it in some manner, and obvious abuse. The property owner is responsible for changes to the system governed necessary with a dwelling remodel or expansion. On the Passive Maintenance program the homeowner is responsible for all maintenance and upkeep costs of their system. A property under the Passive Maintenance program is still under the Districts jurisdiction. The District offers technical assistance when requested by the property owner. The district also sends out a letter to property owners every three years recommending that they pump their septic tanks and lift stations. The homeowners can respond to the letter with the Septic Maintainer that pumped the tanks and date for record keeping by the district if they want to do so. A property on Passive Maintenance has the option of enrolling in the Active Maintenance program only when a new system is installed. Once a property is on the Active Maintenance program the owner does not have the option to enroll in the Passive Maintenance program. All new systems installed since 2009 are required to be placed on the Active Maintenance program.
Now, the pumping of a tank and cleaning of a lift station (if applicable) is determined by periodic inspection of the tanks. All systems are pumped or property owners are notified every three years.. Properties on the Active Maintenance program are pumped on a three year cycle, by a District contracted service. Property owners on the Passive Maintenance program are mailed a letter every three years requesting their tank to be pumped. The letter includes a form to return with documentation of the date their system was pumped and the name of the contractor providing the service. All maintenance data is entered into the OTWMD inspection software program.
Pumping tanks, cleaning lift stations, replacing pumps and other major repairs are contracted services. The OTWMD’s personnel supervise and aid in the contracted services.