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Mono resident gets runaround on septic permit

September 5, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

Attempts to alleviate septic system problems has brought only frustration, desperation, and an offensive odour that a Mono resident fears may be harming his family.

Mono resident Piero Mondelli and his family of five live in the Cardinal Woods subdivision. He said they have been living for more than four months with human waste running over his property from his septic system.

He said Mono officials have directed him to Dufferin County.

The upper tier level has told him septic system concerns are handled at the municipal level. So, like swirling water flushed, Mondelli has been going in circles to remedy his predicament.

It isn’t only his property that’s in septic failure. He said there are seven or eight others in the same boat. But their properties are not in as bad of shape as his.

And he wants somebody to issue him a permit to allow him to replace the current mess with a traditional septic system.

“We are currently living next to an open sewer,” Mondelli said. “Initially, we were given permission to install a new regular system, but this was revoked due to a tertiary system being attached to our property title.”

A tertiary septic system has a primary tank to separate insoluble particles and an aeration tank to remove soluble particles. And it goes a step further with treatments including ultra-violet disinfection, reverse osmosis, or biological filtering to rid remaining harmful bacteria and microorganisms.

It’s so thorough that water from the system can be safely released into the environment without compromising groundwater or nearby wells.

The system that failed has two tanks, one in which liquid waste is treated with peat moss and another tank that handles solid waste.

He said a traditional septic system that he’d like to install is the same as the one that failed except for the peat moss component. He’s applied for a permit to install a traditional system but has been denied because of the tertiary system stipulation in the land title. Another galling aspect to his predicament, he claims, is that other property owners were granted such permits by the town before 2018.

“I’m being held to a different standard for some reason,” he said.

Mondelli said attempts have been unsuccessful to get a local contractor to do the work due to the grade of his rear property where the septic system is buried.

“While we have made efforts to cover the sewer, we cannot mitigate the smell permeating the area,” he said. “This poses a significant health hazard to people, animals, and the environment.

“Ironically, the environment you are trying to preserve is being compromised.”

In an email to Mondelli, Mono Mayor John Creelman explained that it’s outside his role to override conditions set by the province. Further, it’s the Dufferin County building department that is responsible for septic systems.

Creelman said town staff advised Mondelli to have his system inspected by somebody familiar with his type of system and who can do any required maintenance.

“I see nothing in your email to suggest you have sought out advice about tertiary systems or attempted maintenance for such,” Creelman wrote. “Again, as I understand it, you and some of your neighbours are required to have such a system due to proximity to a wetland and tributary to the Nottawasaga River.

“That, as I understand it, was a condition of the provincial government and it found its way onto property title.”

Mondelli said he had no idea what was spelled out in the land title as he’s the property’s second owner.

In his reply email, Creelman suggested Mondelli take the matter to the county or provincial government levels.

Mike Dunmore, the town’s CAO, said he previously spoke with Mondelli about the issue.

“Unfortunately I would find these confidential to Mr. Mondelli and would not be at liberty to discuss,” Dunmore said.

In an email to Mondelli, Dunmore told the property owner that the tertiary septic system is an environmental condition registered on Mondelli’s land title for advanced nitrate control.

“The subdivision approval was in 2006 or so,” Dunmore wrote. “My tenure at the town started in 2009 and I was highly involved with the subdivision approvals but not the design standards.”

Dunmore said the county provides building code compliance and services to the Town of Mono with regard to Mondelli’s type of desired work and is going through this process with them.

“The county is respecting the subdivision agreement,” Dunmore wrote.


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