San Joaquin County (SJC) has specific procedures to process applications for parcel division or lot line adjustment. Neil O. Anderson & Asociates (NOA) can provide four important steps along the way.
The first step in SJC parcel division or lot line adjustment is almost always the Surface & Subsurface Contamination Report (SSCR). The SJC Environmental Health Department (EHD) requires that this report be completed before the EHD will assign your project an application number.
The purpose of the SSCR is to identify sources of environmental contamination to the property, such as leaking underground storage tanks or inappropriate chemical storage. To complete this report, NOA checks local databases and records, reviews historical photos, interviews the property owner, and conducts a visual inspection of the property. The completed SSCR is submitted to the EHD for review.
If the project involves a parcel split, the EHD will require a Soil Suitability Study (SSS) be completed as well. The SSS includes performing percolation tests on the new parcels to assess their suitability for septic systems, the collection of a water sample which is analyzed for common contaminants, and a review of information related to other septic systems in the area. The completed SSS is submitted to the EHD for review.
Any time a septic system is constructed within the County, a percolation test will be required. If a project has already passed through the SJC approval procedures described above, and the owner wishes to construct a septic system in an area which was not tested previously, a new percolation test may be performed.
In some cases, the EHD may require a Nitrate Loading Study (NLS) in addition to the SSS. The NLS addresses whether the proposed uses of the property have the potential to impact ground water due to increases in septic system use. The completed NLS is submitted to the EHD for review.
If percolation tests indicate a site is not suitable for a septic system due to inadequate drainage, or the NLS indicates that use of a standard septic system may cause an impact to ground water, an engineered septic system (ESS) can be designed to correct for these factors. The ESS plans are submitted to the EHD for review.
