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r�A water sample was obtained from a hose bibb next to the domestic well and tested for nitrate and <br /> the agrichemicals DBCP/EDB. The nitrate water sample was placed in a plastic bottle and the <br /> DBCP/EDB sample was placed in a VOA bottle with preservative. The samples were placed in a <br /> cooled ice chest and subsequently delivered to A&L Labs in Modesto under the attached Chain of <br /> Custody. A low nitrate concentration of 15 ppm was determined in the well water and DBCP/EDB <br /> was Below Detectable Levels (BDL), which is non-detect. The depth of the sampled domestic well <br /> is unknown. <br /> Considering the intensely farmed land upgradient to the subject property over the past 60 years, a <br /> higher nitrate concentration would be expected. This may be attributed to the high clay content <br /> surface and subsurface clay soils and the deep groundwater elevation. High nitrate impact to the <br /> shallower aquifers and significantly lower nitrate concentrations in the deeper aquifers is often <br /> observed throughout San Joaquin County. <br /> CONCLUSIONS <br /> The deep perc test results for Parcel 2 in the specific area of testing, show acceptable percolation for <br /> the management of septic effluent flows that can be expected at a depth representative of sumps or <br /> limited depth seepage pits at 126 inches or 10.5 feet. This favorable soil material may be due to <br /> natural soil deposition from Little Johns Creek. Leachlines would manage only a very small <br /> volume of effluent flows. Although there is no proposal to build on Parcel 2, if building will take <br /> place in any area other than the area tested, EHD will require a perc test be done in that specific <br /> location. The area perc tested on Parcel 2 is not in the flood plain; however, any building must be <br /> built substantially above the highest irrigation levels. <br /> Parcel 1 perc tests exhibited failing rates for both the shallow and deep perc borings. Consequently, <br /> if a second unit dwelling is ever proposed to be built on this Parcel, an engineered system would <br /> have to be designed to compensate for these failing rates. As referenced, there is no proposal to <br /> build on either Parcel 1 or 2. Any future repairs or replacement to the primary residence or existing <br /> farm labor mobile home must be engineered. <br /> With regard to the DBCP/EDB testing, an extremely high DBCP concentration was found in a <br /> domestic well one-half mile north of the property. The acreage surrounding this well had been <br /> planted in grapes for several years during the 1970s and 1980s. This must have contributed to the <br /> DBCP concentration. Since the groundwater directional flow is to the northwest, this vineyard was <br /> downgradient to the subject property and probably explains why DBCP was not detected in the Van <br /> Vuren's domestic well. Additionally, Little John's Creek may have acted as a"barrier"preventing <br /> top aquifer water from traveling southward towards the Van Vuren property. <br /> The EHD requires that there be sufficient distance for"treatment" of septic effluent before it <br /> encounters the groundwater table. This distance is normally regarded to be five feet for leachlines <br /> and 10 feet for seepage pits. Therefore, sufficient distance exists between the bottom of a <br /> maximum seepage pit depth of 25 feet and the current groundwater depth of 103 feet. <br /> Chesney Consulting <br />