Kee-Mi-Con Lodge in Eagle River,Wis., is a resort condominium development that sits on prime lake frontage on Eagle Lake.The river is famous for water recreation and outdoor sports, attracting visitors from around the world.The area is home to the world’s largest chain of freshwater lakes, the 28-lake Eagle River Chain, which comprises more than 174 miles of shoreline.Trees and natural beauty surround the new 24-unit condominium development.Area soils are loamy sand, making the wastewater system design and its performance key to protecting the water resource and obtaining project approvals.
Challenges
One major hurdle was the mandate by the property owner to develop the site to accommodate a large in-ground pool for visitors.The decision was made to split the wastewater treatment system into two sections to work around the pool structure. Another challenge was to create a wastewater treatment system that could handle waste typical of vacation locations. A key factor was the need to filter the effluent to extremely high levels to protect the groundwater, as well as the river and nearby lake.
“It was critical to be sure that the groundwater was protected, as well as being concerned about the water people could see,” said Peter Wade of PGA Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling, Inc.,Weston,Wis., the contractors and system installer for Kee-Mi-Con Lodge.
Choosing chambers
With this in mind, two individual wastewater treatment systems were designed with the in-ground swimming pool sited in between.The combined daily loading rate of the two systems is 9,200 gal.The Site A system serves 12 condos and 28 bedrooms and has a design flow of 4,200 gal per day (gpd). It includes three 3,000-gal septic tanks and one 2,500-gal pump tank.The Site B system for the remaining 12 units has a capacity of 4,979 gpd and incorporates one 5,000-gal septic tank, two 3,000-gal septic tanks and one 2,500-gal pump tank.The multiple tanks are used to accomplish proper settling prior to filtration.
Effluent exits the septic tanks and goes through two filters, a Polylok 625 1⁄32-in. filter and a Sim/Tech filter with a polyester sock that provides filtration to 1⁄64 in. It then travels into the pump chamber equipped with a Goulds Pump duplex system with alternating switch. Each pump tank and the last septic tank for each system have audible external and visible alarms. From the filter, effluent is then pumped to a distribution box to provide proper distribution to the drainfield. Each individual system pumps the effluent to its own drainfield. Combined, the two drainfields include 658 Infiltrator Quick 4 standard-W chambers.
“Infiltrator chambers were chosen because of the ease of installation in tight quarters and in difficult soils,”Wade said.“[Allowing for] the grassed area above the system and adjacent to the pool area to be fully utilized for recreation.”
A key to maintaining the system is easy access at the surface to the system for steaming or cleaning. Long turn elbows on piping offsets allow for accessibility and assurance that the resort will not be disturbed for regular maintenance.The observation ports are covered at the surface level with green poly covers, so they are not visible and they do not interfere with the recreational use of the area.
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