Okanogan County Public Health is reviewing the application for a variance that would allow the owner of a recreational cabin in the Cottenwood Lane development on the Chewuch River to use a holding-tank sewage system for temporary use (less than 60 days per year).
This is one of several properties in the Cottenwood Lane area on the East Chewuch that have been served for years by a well and various drain fields that were not permitted at the time of installation, according to Okanogan County Environmental Health Director Dave Hilton. The systems are not in compliance with county regulations, he said.
The property owner, John Parks Potter, is seeking to use a sealed holding tank for wastewater to prevent any discharge into the soil.
If approved, he would be allowed to utilize the site for up to 60 days per year, but not for full-time residential use, said Hilton.
The county’s Environmental Health staff have been working to prevent potential wastewater issues by limiting use and requiring sealed holding tanks in these situations, said Hilton. They have found no discharge into the river, he said.
Like many of the parcels in the Cottenwood Lane development, the Potter parcel is too small to accommodate both a well and a discharging septic system, said Hilton.
Cottenwood Lane (sometimes spelled Cottonwood) is a small private subdivision surrounded by U.S. Forest Service land, 9 miles from Winthrop on the Chewuch River. The area was platted in 1971.
Hilton will consider the variance within 30 days of the May 23 notice about the request. People may submit written comments to Public Health at dhilton@co.okanogan.wa.us.
