RSE Sewer Overtapped, Say Yelm Developers

Reposted From Nisqually Valley News

RSE sewer overtapped, say Yelm developers
Thurston Highlands developers are taking aim again at JZ Knight, claiming she doesn’t have the sewage capacity to accommodate the thousands of people who attend events at her Ramtha School of Enlightenment.
Posted Nov 07, 2008.

By Megan Hansen
Nisqually Valley News

Thurston Highlands developers are taking aim again at JZ Knight, claiming she doesn’t have the sewage capacity to accommodate the thousands of people who attend events at her Ramtha School of Enlightenment.

Doug Bloom and Steve Chamberlain sent two letters to Thurston County officials Wednesday stating they do not believe Knight’s sewage system or special use permit are in compliance.

“We are concerned that our projects are being held to a very high standard, including support of highly treated wastewater and reclaimed water use, while in the same area, a Large On-Site Sewage System (LOSS) on the property of JZ Knight is a non-conforming system operating well outside the original design parameters,” Bloom and Chamberlain wrote.

“This is not only inconsistent and unfair — we believe it is a potential threat to the public health and the environment.”

They sent their letters to Steven Petersen, program manager for Thurston County Public Health and Social Services.

Bloom and Chamberlain are asking Thurston County to look into their concerns.

James Flick, property manager for RSE, declined to comment Wednesday.

“When we started doing our projects, we thought we were doing everything right,” Bloom said Wednesday. “Then we started getting challenged by JZ Knight.”

“So we started looking into her operation.”

In the letter, the developers said that Knight’s sewage system was developed in 1989, and is over-extended.

“Although portable toilets are claimed to be utilized to mitigate flows, all available records reflect the sewage system is being burdened beyond the designed capacity,” their letter said.

“This LOSS operating permit should be revoked immediately pending further evaluation of the disposal area and proof that groundwater, the shallow aquifer and adjacent water bodies have not been compromised by excessive loading of this sewage system.”

If Knight had a maximum attendance, she would need 133 additional portable toilets to accommodate the extra sewage, Bloom and Chamberlain said.

The pair also ask Michael Kain, senior planner for Thurston County Development Services, to look into Knight’s Special Use Permit, or SUP.

Knight is limited to 2,000 participants per event. Exceeding that number would require revising the SUP.

“Visual observation would indicate the number of event attendees and staff exceeds the allowed capacity,” Bloom and Chamberlain wrote.

They include an aerial photo taken of an RSE event with their letters.