HomeMy WebLinkAboutNOV OWTS_Buried system without GCPH inspectionGarfield County Public Health Department – working to promote health and prevent disease
Public Health
Monico Murillo & Herbarardo Vega April 29, 2025
1127 Scutter Lane
Rifle, CO
Notice of Violation
Dear Monico and Herbarardo,
This letter is to notify you, the property owner, that a violation of Garfield County On-site Wastewater
Treatment System (OWTS) Regulations, Resolution No. 2023-09 exists on the property located at 1127
Scutter Lane Rifle, Colorado.
On April 3, 2025, Garfield County Public Health (GCPH) sent out an expired OWTS permit notification
to you via email. On April 24, 2025, we spoke with you, the owner, about your OWTS permit SEPT-
8653. During this call you notified us that the system was installed and backfilled after the designer’s
observation by Huddleston-Berry, without a final inspection by GCPH, the permitting agency in Garfield
County for residential onsite wastewater treatment systems.
All new, repaired, or altered OWTSs must be inspected by GCPH prior to covering the system
components. As stated on the OWTS Permit issued on May 24, 2024:
“Contact Garfield County Public Health at least 48 hours prior to requesting final
inspection of the installed system prior to backfill. NO OWTS COMPONENT SHALL BE
BACKFILLED WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL FROM GARFIELD COUNTY PUBLIC
HEALTH AND THE DESIGNER.”
GCPH has no record of being contacted for final inspection. As a result of the actions taken by you, the
owner, your installer, and the system designer, Garfield County Public Health cannot issue a final
acceptance letter for this system.
The following steps must be taken by you, the property owner, to correct this violation such that GCPH
can issue a final acceptance letter:
1. Owners shall contact GCPH within 48 hours of receipt of this letter to acknowledge receipt of this
NOV and to discuss the process and timeline to bring SEPT-8353 into compliance.
2. The owner or owner’s installer/designer shall submit all inspection documents within one week.
3. After the installation documents of the OWTS are received, GCPH staff will review the submitted
materials and schedule a site visit to inspect any visible components of the system.
4. If our review indicates the installation of the OWTS meets current Garfield County OWTS
Regulations, GCPH shall issue its final acceptance letter.
5. If our review and site visit indicate the installed OWTS components do not meet current Garfield
County OWTS Regulations, sections of the system will be uncovered for GCPH to inspect.
195 W. 14th Street
Rifle, CO 81650
(970) 625-5200
2014 Blake Avenue
Glenwood Springs, CO
81601
(970) 945-6614
Garfield County Public Health Department – working to promote health and prevent disease
6. If any alterations to the installed system are necessary, the Owners shall contact GCPH for a final
inspection of all alterations to the system, prior to backfilling any components of the system.
Please contact our OWTS staff with GCPH at (970) 945-6614 ext 8150 owts@garfieldcountyco.gov to
discuss this notice of violation and answer questions you may have on the above steps to correct this
OWTS violation.
Sincerely,
Jannette Whitcomb
Environmental Health Manager
Garfield County Public Health
cc: Graham Jackson, Garfield County Assistant County Attorney