HomeMy WebLinkAboutNew Design Required Extension 07.02.26Garfield County Public Health Department – working to promote health and prevent disease
Public Health
195 West 14th Street 2014 Blake Avenue
Rifle, CO 81650 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
(970) 625-5200 (970) 945-6614
Aspen Waldorf Foundation July 2, 2026
16543 Highway 82
Carbondale, CO 81623
c/o Josh Ervin and Brie Fitzsimmons
Subject: OWTS Not in Compliance
Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork
16549 Highway 82
Carbondale, CO 81623
Josh and Brie,
This letter is to inform you that Garfield County Public Health (GCPH) has determined that your OWTS
located at 16543 Highway 82 near Carbondale is not adequate to treat the wastewater generated by
the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork.
GCPH provided correspondence and permit conditions to allow the like-for-like replacement of the
failing septic tanks at the campus on June 18, 2025, with subsequent agreement to the conditions by
the Waldorf School in a letter dated June 20, 2025. The two letters are included as Attachments A and
B for your review. All conditions must be met prior to GCPH issuing a final acceptance letter for the
permit.
Testing of the effluent conducted on April 21, 2026, showed concentrations of 221 mg/L BOD5 and 47
mg/L TSS in the effluent discharging to the Soil Treatment Area (STA). The limits to classify the effluent
as Treatment Level 1 (TL1) strength are a BOD5 concentration less than 180 mg/L and a TSS
concentration less than 80 mg/L, according to Table 7-2 of the Garfield County OWTS Regulation.
Therefore, this system is not adequate to treat the wastewater produced by the Waldorf School and is
not in compliance with the Garfield County OWTS Regulation. As required by the permit conditions
agreed upon, Waldorf shall provide the following to our office by June 30, 20206 July 30, 2026 (revised
by request of applicant on June 30, 2026):
Condition #3: Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork shall submit a new design to treat the
wastewater to TL1 concentrations for BOD5 and TSS prior to discharging to the existing STA.
Condition #4: Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork shall submit an inspection report for the
existing OWTS.
Garfield County Public Health Department – working to promote health and prevent disease
The existing permit expired on June 26, 2026, and will need to be renewed. Depending on the
proposed design to bring this OWTS into compliance, additional permit fees may be required. Please
contact our OWTS email at owts@garfieldcountyco.gov or our OWTS phone line at (970) 945-6614
extension 8150 to discuss permit renewal instructions, if you have questions, or to discuss this letter.
Sincerely,
Jannette Whitcomb
Environmental Health Manager
Garfield County Public Health
cc: Julia Lee, Garfield County Environmental Health Specialist II
Brooke Winschell, Garfield County Community Development Technician
Garfield County Public Health Department – working to promote health and prevent disease
ATTACHMENT A
Garfield County Public Health Department – working to promote health and prevent disease
ATTACHMENT B