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bedroom per day to reflect maximum usage. On March 4, 2020, however, Michael Kith <br />of the San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department dictated a new procedure <br />for calculating residential flow, developed in consultation with Norman Hantzsche <br />(author of the 1992 paper discussed previously). He indicated that wastewater flow <br />from a single-family residence should be calculated as 100 gallons per day (gpd) for the <br />first bedroom and 50 gpd for each additional bedroom, additional residences should be <br />calculated in the same manner (personal communication, March 4, 2020). <br />Using this method, the existing three-bedroom home is calculated to yield a flow value <br />of 200 gpd for Parcel A. <br />For the theoretical future development, the first theoretical house on each parcel will <br />have five bedrooms, which results in a flow value of 300 gpd. The second theoretical <br />house will have three bedrooms, which results in a flow value of 200 gpd. The <br />maximum daily flow for each parcel is thus estimated to be 500 gpd. <br />A typical residential concentration of 35 mg/L of nitrate as N was selected for the <br />proposed residence (Crites and Tchobanoglous, 1998). <br />The estimated flow values discussed here should not be used for the design and sizing <br />of the septic system. The design and sizing of the septic system should utilize the San <br />Joaquin County Environmental Health Department On-Site Wastewater Treatment <br />Systems Standards, which incorporates peak and surge flow factors. The estimates <br />used in the On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems Standards may be greater than <br />those discussed here. <br />Den itrification Reductions <br />Denitrification is a process that occurs in the septic system drain field whereby certain <br />bacteria oxidize the nitrate (NO3 ) in the wastewater and release nitrogen gas (N2 ) to the <br />atmosphere. Due to the biologic processes in the shallow soils, nitrogen in the drain <br />field may undergo a reduction between 10 percent to 35 percent. Soils with higher clay <br />content, moist soil conditions, high pH, and organic material denitrify by about 35 <br />percent, and soils with high sand content tend to denitrify at a lower rate of about 10 <br />percent. <br />A denitrification factor of 35 percent was selected for the Site because of the clay soil <br />present at the percolation test locations. <br />Nitrate Loading Estimate <br />Two nitrate loading scenarios (no new development, and development with two houses) <br />were employed for each proposed new parcel to determine the impact from the minor <br />subdivision to ground water. The scenarios utilize the variables discussed previously, <br />which represent the estimated conditions and uses associated with this project. The <br />LOGE 2121 Page 12