How you can help
There are many ways that you can help keep this Lake the cleanest in Connecticut.
Utilize Low Impact Sustainable Development (LISD) On Your Property
There are small changes you can make to your property to help the pond and preserve it for everyone to enjoy. These changes are not expensive or complicated. They fall under a form of development called Low Impact Sustainable Development (LISD). They offer an easy and environmentally friendly way to manage your property. Utilizing LISD can also improve a neighborhood’s visual appeal.
Here are examples of LISD techniques on the following pages.
Driveway Design
Creating a Water Buffer
Installing a Rain Garden
Installing a Rain Barrel
LISD: Driveway Design
• Keep paved parts of your property as small as possible. Not only is pavement or asphalt non- absorbent, but it also holds heat in the summer. This means that when it rains, runoff that flows over the driveway will heat up and can flow into the pond, increasing the pond’s average temperature. Warmer water is harmful to animals that live in the pond and creates an environment where algae can more easily bloom.
• Use a pervious material for your driveway. This will increase stormwater absorbed into the ground, where stormwater can be filtered before it enters the pond. Examples of pervious surfaces are dirt, gravel, or permeable pavers.
LISD: Creating A Water Buffer
What is a Water Buffer?
A water buffer is a vegetated buffer between your lawn and the pond that can help absorb and filter storm water runoff.
This buffer prevents erosion, as the roots of the plants will cling to the soil, holding the soil in place.
A vegetated buffer is much better for the pond than a rock wall.
LISD: Installing a Rain Garden
WHAT IS A RAIN GARDEN?
A rain garden is a 6-foot depression in your garden that collects stormwater runoff and helps it to filter into the ground.
These gardens are filled with native plants. Native plants decorate your garden and assist with the filtration and absorption of water.
The sides of your rain garden should slope gently downwards to allow water to easily flow.
Things to consider with your Rain Garden
Try to choose native plants found in our region for your buffer. They will grow for multiple years, have longer and stronger roots systems to retain the soil, and are accustomed to the climate and soil of our region so they thrive without fertilizers that can hurt the environment. Native plants also provide nutrients and shelter for local animals and beneficial insects that further help the ecosystem thrive. Routinely inspect your water buffer after heavy rains to make sure no large amounts of sediment have built up and are obstructing runoff. Examples of native plants for your region:
Mountain Laurel
Winterberry
Witch Hazel
LISD: Installing a Rain Barrel
Rain barrels are one of the easiest LISD structures to install. They collect stormwater which you can use to water your garden, preventing excess runoff into the pond. There are a few simple things to keep in mind when installing your rain barrel.
Install a net or screen over the top of your rain barrel to prevent debris or insects from entering it.
An overflow pipe should direct extra water to a vegetated surface where it can filter and drain.
You can use the water from your rain barrel to water your garden and lawn.
BEST PRACTICES TO ADOPT
Don’t add sand to your waterfront or beach. West Hill Pond’s geology has produced no natural sand, so beaches are UN-natural for this area, the side-effect of which is the distribution of silt to the pond bottom, creating a foothold for aquatic vegetation.
Do not blow or rake leaves into the pond along the shoreline
Keep the removal of trees, shrubs and other natural water-retention plants/vegetation to a minimum.
Our pond will stay healthy if we don’t use fertilizer in the watershed.
Follow town ordinances when building or renovating. Leaving piles of dirt or debris is harmful to the pond. Have your septic inspected and cleaned regularly.
Don’t pee in the pond. Nitrates in urine can promote algae growth, and urine can carry trace amounts of medicines and bacterial infections that are harmful to the pond.
Please don’t feed the geese.
Clean up after your dog. Dog feces contain phosphorus and nitrates.
It’s best not to use soap/shampoo in the pond or in outdoor showers that drain into the pond.
Septic
When the first cottages were built there was very little thought to health concerns and managing human waste. The early cabins typically had outhouses. Eventually bathrooms were brought indoors requiring some form of septic system. The first systems were gravity fed toward the lake and usually consisted of a tank to contain solids and some form of leaching field to absorb the liquid. There was very little engineering and no town or Farmington Valley Health District (FVHD) regulation to monitor what was built. As time has gone on, many of these systems have failed and been replaced. Some have not!
New Hartford joined the FVHD in July of 1977. FVHD gets involved with you when you plan to build and have a water source entering your dwelling (“have a change of use” — PHC Section 19-13-B100a). If you have an existing cottage without plumbing and an outhouse, then FVHD doesn’t weigh in on your life unless you plan to improve or become a public health problem. When you have a change of use from summer cottage to year round dwelling, then there is the expectation of evaluating the land’s ability to process the proposed wastewater based on today’s regulations. Year-round use with laundry and dishwasher, etc. will increase the amount of water to process.
Today’s septic systems require approval by the FVHD as well as the town’s commissions that may include Inland Wetland Commissions for anything within 100 feet of the lake. The approval process requires an engineered plan to determine size, location, and design. A new system has to be setback from property lines by 10 feet and 75 feet from any well (not just your own!). With typically small lots around the lake, improving systems requires space and creativity. A new septic system will require a tank capacity of 1000 gallons for the first 3 bedrooms, 250 gallons for each additional bedroom and garbage disposal. With leach fields being located away from the lake and uphill, these systems many times will require another holding tank and pump to move effluent to the leach fields (gravity works against the process). The size of the leach field is determined by the number of bedrooms, the slope and quality of the soil, and the type of leaching system chosen. These systems require space to fulfill setback requirements and are not inexpensive—they will likely require a reserve area for use in case a system ceases functioning. Some leaching systems—such as teepee galleries—have higher effective leaching area (same capacity – smaller area) than traditional fields. This means smaller areas, good for tight quarters. This may also allow retaining native vegetation such as trees and woodland shrubs to better retain storm water and maintain privacy. Your engineer can advise.
There are property owners on the lake that do not have adequate lot size or soil conditions to replace or upgrade their systems with the typical solutions. There are specialized systems called Advanced Treatment Systems that use various methods to filter the effluent which require smaller leach fields and produce extremely pure waste water. These systems are used in neighboring states but are yet to be approved in Ct. These systems are more expensive and require more specialized maintenance than conventional systems. They also may be a seasonal solution due to considerations associated with freezing temperatures. Coastal communities like Old Saybrook have issues similar to ours and are aggressively prompting the state to allow these new systems on waterfront property. If your situation requires “thinking out of the box”, then be sure to ask your engineer if one of these solutions might be worth considering.
As a homeowner, you effectively treat your waste and thereby protect nearby West Hill Pond and our groundwater. Untreated effluent is a health hazard and is potentially toxic. These systems can reduce or eliminate the addition of nitrates, nitrites, and phosphates to the lake and groundwater. Maintaining the system not only protects our health, it protects the value of the property, the investment in an expensive system, and the quality of our lake.
Correcting problems and fixing failing systems should be high priority. Maintaining them is key.
Septic System Basics (Subsurface sewage disposal)
Systems start with a pipe from the house to the septic tank where solids settle to the bottom of the tank. Oil and grease rise to the surface and stay within the tank. The effluent drains away from the tank into the dispersal (leaching) fields and then into the soil where microbes finish the process.
Property adjacent to West Hill Pond should hopefully have the leaching fields as far from the water as possible. This, in many cases, requires a second holding tank and a pump that moves effluent to leaching fields on ground typically higher and away from the pond.
The home’s wastewater contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and bacteria. Regular maintenance of this system will allow effective treatment of the discharge (to prevent raw sewage and nutrients from entering the pond!) and extend the life of an expensive to replace system.
Farmington Valley Health District is the body that oversees design, installation, and problem solving for West Hill. Pat Gigliotti (8/2013) at FVHD can be contacted at 860-352-2333 or www.fvhd.org/ for advice and assistance.
Signs Of A Poorly Maintained And/or failed system
–accumulations of muddy soil/water near the tank, the leaching fields, or the basement
— sewage smell from septic areas
–toilet or sink backups in the house.
These reflect a potential public health hazard that affects more individuals than just the homeowners and need to be addressed and corrected ASAP!
System Maintenance
Frequent pumping is key to keeping your system in good shape!!
Inspection and pumping—depends on size of the tank and system usage—in general every 2-3 years. Your septic system hauler will pump the contents of your tank and examine and clean its filters and baffles. A simple system for keeping track involves cleanouts on an “odd” or “even” year schedule—some septic system service companies provide stickers that can be put on the main drain pipe to keep track of cleaning dates. A clipboard or a post it note on the pipe can help you keep track of cleanings.
Water flow into the system should be spread out over time and minimized—
water softener discharge is not permitted in new systems and should be diverted as recommended by FVHD
install low volume fixtures. New toilets use 1/3 of the volume of older ones (toilet flushing can account for 40% of a septic system’s volume!) Water-saver shower heads and faucets can save even more. High efficiency dishwashers and washing machines use a fraction of the older fixtures (remember, go phosphate free)
laundry loads done over several days vs all in one day prevent overloading and system failure
watering, fertilizing, or irrigation of the leaching fields should be avoided
excavate swale drains to divert surface water away from fields
Things to avoid
hazardous wastes (paints, chemicals, cleaners, gas, oil, etc)
things that clog pipes (paper towels, coffee grounds, rice, potatoes, diapers, feminine hygiene products, etc.)
septic system maintenance products and additives are not recommended!
minimize use of garbage disposals
Leaching fields
Planting grass is a good simple solution for ground cover to avoid erosion—not plants with deep or invasive root systems. www.lakegeorgeassociation.org/ provides a list of plantings to consider for your new leach fields.
Heavy vehicles that might compact soil or crush pipes should not be allowed onto the fields unless the system has been constructed with load rated galleries or is specifically rated for heavy loads.
Prevent surface water from entering system—roof water, sump pumps, water treatment systems (water softeners), other surface water. Avoid watering and fertilization of leach fields—keep them dry. Consider swale drains to divert runoff. Plastic sheets, gravel, bark mulch, patio blocks, etc are not as good as plants! Plants remove moisture and nutrients from soil and prevent erosion. Grass and perennial flower mixes are good. Plants that are shallow rooted and have noninvasive root systems are recommended. Keep trees and shrubs back at least 20 feet (or more!) from leach fields. No vegetable gardens!!
Map out your system so you (or the next owner of the property) can find, maintain, and repair the system. A map with several easy reference points and measurements from them to the tank top avoids a lot of unnecessary digging and searching for a tank cover! If you are not sure where your system is located, a call to FVHD (860-352-2333) can get you a map of your system.
There do not appear to be any septic system requirements for lots without dwelling structures—there are less than 10 parcels presently identified. In the interest of public health and lake water quality, it seems appropriate to have some sort of portable toilet on site.
Consider an organized group approach to cleaning our systems regularly. With a group approach, we might enjoy cost savings with larger numbers of systems being cleaned by one hauler as well as the ongoing efficiency of getting many done regularly! Pete Humphrey (860-238-7706 or 860-921-7352) will assist with the group approach for those interested.
Maintaining our septic systems not only protects our ground water but also the Hartford watershed.
Lawn Care
New Fertilizer Laws
Prohibits applying fertilizer containing phosphate to an established lawn except under certain conditions;
Creates a seasonal moratorium on applying such fertilizer;
Bans applying fertilizer containing phosphate within 20 feet of a water body. The Bill also requires establishments selling fertilizer to segregate fertilizer with phosphorus and to post impact warnings. The Bill will be enforced by the Commissioner of Agriculture, not by local officials.
Keeping Leaves Out of the Lake
West Hill Pond is blessed by being surrounded by mixed hardwood and softwood forests. When autumn arrives, so does the dropping of leaves. This has been going on since at least the last ice age, though much in recent history has changed. The dense shrub layer of Mountain Laurel and blueberry that once covered the shores has in many places been replaced by lawns. Lawns are less effective at trapping the leaves and keeping them out of the lake.
What You Can Do To Help
Direct your lawn care provider to keep leaves out of the lake.
Don’t try to blow leaves on a windy day.
Blow leaves starting at the waterfront and work away from the lake.
Encourage Laurel and other native plantings along the shore. These plantings trap leaves in Autumn, and leaf mulch in the landscape can be good for the lake!
Compost leaves outside the wetland regulated area, and away from the lake.
Protect your waterfront; keep beach sand out of the lake.
Remove leaves from shoreline before water levels return in spring.
Building, Zoning and Wetlands
Both New Hartford and Barkhamsted have regulations governing the process of building related to wetlands, zoning and building.
Wetland Regulated Area
Generally, the Wetland Regulated Area is that within 100 feet of any body of water, but there are other areas of the watershed that may be included. For anyone considering development (addition, new windows, new roof, painting, landscape work, waterfront work) in the watershed, first stop should be your local Inland-Wetlands Enforcement Officer. You must have the appropriate approvals and permits before starting any work. This may include approvals from other agencies or departments as well, including Zoning, Zoning Board of Appeals, the Town’s Building Department or other regulatory agencies. These approvals will ensure the proper protection of the lake from regulated activities. And will protect you from fines or other compliance activities were you to commence before securing the proper permits. If you have any questions you should reach out to the appropriate regulatory agencies to better understand the regulations that may affect you. Be sure to secure the proper approvals before starting any work.
Lead and Paint
Many, if not most, dwellings in the watershed were built prior to 1978, when new laws went into effect restricting or eliminating the use of lead in home building materials. If you are considering renovation of a structure built prior to 1978, be sure to familiarize yourself with the compliance requirements defined by the US EPA for lead abatement and enforced by numerous local, state and federal agencies The regulations for lead abatement compliance apply whether you are planning to hire a contractor or perform the work yourself, so it is imperative that you familiarize yourself with the regulations. Lead is an insidious toxin in the environment and very difficult to remove, so be sure to take the necessary precautions when doing so.
Waterfront Management
Stormwater and the Watershed Homeowner
What is storm water runoff?
During and after a storm, water that falls on forest or other permeable soils can infiltrate down into the ground and eventually into the groundwater. Water that falls on impervious surfaces, such as roads, parking lots, even compacted lawns — cannot soak into the ground, and instead moves across these surfaces. As the water leaves the impervious surface it has more volume (less has been retained in the soil) is moving faster over the ground, and picks up more sediment carrying phosphorus, fertilizers and even chemicals such as pesticides. This is added to the oils and salts that had been deposited on roads and became dissolved or suspended in the stormwater. Together these dissolved and suspended pollutants are now deposited into the Lake. Development typically converts permeable soils to soils that are impervious. Though there are ways to reverse the impacts and thus effects of that trend.
What are the effects of stormwater runoff?
The suspended sediments can cloud water, affecting plants, fish, and other aquatic life; before eventually settling to the bottom. There they reduce water depth, provide a footing for growth of aquatic plants, and destroy native fish habitat. The excess nutrients carried into the water (phosphorus from sediments and nitrogen from chemicals, fertilizer and organic matter) can cause increases in algal growth. Bacteria and pathogens from septic systems or surface wastes can make water unsafe for drinking and swimming and impair aesthetics. Road salts from the winter increases chloride levels in the lake. Some of these pollutants will never leave the lake while others, due to the specific nature of West Hill Pond — will take a very long time to disappear. The ultimate impact could be a loss in lake water quality and recreational use – and subsequently the value of West Hill Pond properties, camps, and parks.
What is the impact on West Hill Pond?
West Hill has a surface area of 261 acres and a watershed area of roughly three-times that, or 790 acres. Compared to other CT Lakes, the West Hill Pond watershed is relatively small related to the area and volume of the lake. The runoff from this watershed replaces or flushes the lake about once every four to five years. Any dissolved materials conveyed to the lake from the storm water systems tend to have a long residence time which is the major contributor to the long-term degradation of the lake. Of course, any suspended materials tend to settle in the lake and remain there forever.