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I. INTRODUCTION Mr. & Mrs. Roy Cole are splitting a two-acre parcel in half to create a one acre homesite parcel in a rural, unsewered southwest portion of San Joaquin County. The project site is south of the City of Tracy and southwest of the Tracy Defense Depot. The city of Tracy water and sewer systems currently extends one-half mile to the north at Valpico Road. However, the Section of land where the Cole's residence is located, referenced as the "Valpico Section," will probably never hook u to City waterarid sewer. + 5rrc Lc-- This report presents the findings of the Nitrate Loading Study and Soil Suitability Study -PAI" conducted for the creation of this additional parcel. The San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department (PHS-EHD) requires Nitrate Loading and Soil Suitability Studies for projects in unsewered and currently nitrate impacted areas, or for projects which may potentially impact the underlying groundwater with nitrate. This report complies with the San Joaquin County Development Title, Section 9-1105.2 for a Nitrate Loading Study and Soil Suitability Study. Additionally, this proposed project must comply with the Environmental Health Department Sewage Standards, specifically Section 10 - "Requirements for Waste Disposal for New Land Developments." The Conditions of Approval as issued by the San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department has stipulated that "additional septic systems for new parcels cannot impact the overall accumulation of nitrates in the first water aquifer." As specified by the Environmental Health Department, the statement of"no further impact" is correlated with the "Porter Cologne Water Act" that states that there can be no further degradation to waters of the State of California. The primary concern of nitrate in drinking water is that high concentrations can cause methemoglobinemia in infants and it can also induce abortion or death in cattle. This disease occurs through a series of complex chemical reactions within the hemoglobin in the blood. Only infants and young children are susceptible. Although this disease is extremely rare, nitrate can also potentially cause other health concerns. There have been scientific studies to suggest that nitrate may produce carcinogenic effects in humans. A Nitrate Loading Study was prepared for the proposed Castello and Linne Estates subdivision project, southwest and upgradient of the Cole residence. Results of that Study indicated comparatively high nitrate concentration throughout the "Valpico Section" and that the density of the proposed Castello/Linne projects dictated wastewater treatment to be the only viable option to prevent further nitrate impact. With this Study, the attempt was made to quantify nitrate impact from the Cole residence through recognized formulas, and chemically analyze soil under the Cole's existing leachlines to theoretically quantify nitrate impact. The results of the soil testing also reveal that the indigenous soil environment may be contributing a nitrate concentration almost equal to the soil nitrate-nitrogen concentration from septic system effluent leaching under the leachlines. Page -I- Va0ey AB research