September 26th
We have received and understand that there have been many conversations and questions about the LPSS project this week. The village continues to do its best to keep all residents informed about the ongoing work. Please review the information and Frequently Asked Questions (attached) for clarity on recent updates.
From the outset of this project, we were aware that the LPSS is a retrofit system designed to accommodate as many residents as possible. Each homeowner has a unique septic tank size, depth, and location, and some residents may be required to make adjustments to connect to the system. This point is outlined in section 3c of the signed subscription agreement.
It has and will always be the intention of the village to involve the property owner in decisions regarding work completed on their private property, as the village normally does not complete any work on private property. In order for residents to access the 73% funding available, the village made the decision to participate in the work that takes place on the homeowners' lots, rather than terminating the service at the curb stop. We understand that this adds complexity when working with contractors, and we are doing our best to ensure that all parties involved, including residents, contractors, engineers, and the village, have access to the necessary information.
Information regarding Depth of Tanks:
Please see the attached document from Associated Engineering regarding the depth of tanks and how we can best accommodate all residents who don't meet the depth standards outlined. The only way for the engineers to guarantee that service lines will have no issues with frost is to have the connection at 2.5M, which could mean lowering or replacing septic tanks. We understand that this is not cost-effective or feasible for many residents; therefore, the engineers have recommended alternative options in the attached letter. If you are looking for information on the depth measurements of your tank, please contact the office, and we can provide them to you.
Next Steps:
Subterra HDD will return to Shields early next week and continue working on service connections using the drill and excavate method outlined in Associated Engineering's letter. The excavation and plumbing (pump installation) portion of the project will be scheduled after the service connections are complete.
We understand that some property owners' yards and landscaping may not be suitable for excavation, and in those cases, residents may choose to direct the drill directly into the tank. As Associated Engineering has outlined in its letter, depending on the tank's depth, directionally drilling into the tank may require additional frost mitigation strategies, as outlined in the letter. If your tank assessment has already been conducted, and you would like further consultation with the contractor, please contact the office to arrange an additional site meeting.
If residents prefer that contractors directionally drill directly into their tank rather than excavate, they must contact the office to complete a sign-off sheet, which we will provide back to the contractors.
If residents would prefer to opt out of the project and have the service terminated at the curb stop, they may contact the office to have the previously signed contracts returned to them.
Thanks,
The Resort Village of Shields
Jessica Arguin | Chief Administrative Officer
September 21st
We have a few updates regarding the LPSS system for this week.
- Subterra is away working on some other projects for this week, but there is still a construction area active on Mawson Drive. Please be considerate of the work zone and remember if there are road closed signs – NO ONE CAN ENTER THE WORK AREA. This is for vehicles, pedestrians , ATVS and pedal bikes, please be respectful of posted signage as we do not want any injuries.
- AE will be in the village proceeding with Tanks Assessments this week- Tank assessments where residents have requested to be present will be scheduled after other homes tank assessments take place.
- Control Panel Pick-up – We have another control panel pick-up scheduled for tonight at the administrative office from 5pm-8pm.
- Control Panel Contents – Please note that there are pump floats in the boxes with the control panels. These must be kept by the resident and provided to the plumber when the pump installation is taking place.
- Depending on the depth of your septic tanks, inline heat tape may be necessary to lower the risk of lines freezing. Please consult with your electrician what requirements you might have to accommodate inline heat tape.
As always if you have any questions, please feel free to email or call me.
September 12th
September 5th, 2025
Here is a project progress update for this week (September 1-5) and a look forward to coming weeks (September 8-12).