CANANDAIGUA LAKE WATERSHED INSPECTION PROGRAM
Canandaigua Lake is a drinking water source for more than 70,000 persons. The purpose of the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Inspection program is to ensure that water quality of the lake is maintained at a high standard to fulfill this purpose. State Public Health Law charges and empowers the Watershed Commission to enforce the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Rules and Regulations.
The Canandaigua Lake Watershed Commission is an organization of the five municipalities that withdraw and sell water from Canandaigua Lake to their residents and to other municipalities:
Watershed Map

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  • City of Canandaigua
  • Town of Gorham
  • Village of Rushville
  • Village of Palmyra
  • Village of Newark

The Canandaigua Lake Watershed outline is shown on the map to the left. If your property of interest is near the boundary, it may be necessary for us to visit the site to determine if it lies within the watershed.
George Barden, Canandaigua Lake Watershed Inspector, is employed by the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Commission. The Inspection program is managed by the Ontario County SWCD through an agreement between those entities. Other staff members are Jamie Noga, Administrative Assistant, and Kerry Haefele, Assistant Inspector.

Services provided by the Watershed Inspector include conducting deep hole and percolation tests for onsite system placement, consultation for new construction and repairs of systems, review of building plans for suitability of wastewater treatment, inspection at the time of property deed transfer and investigation of violations. Other issues within the Watershed Inspector's jurisdiction include sediment entering the lake, spill containment and other contraventions of water quality.

Development within the Canandaigua Lake Watershed is very active. Lakefront properties that were once considered too 'difficult' to build on are now being developed. Steep slopes and small lots make many of these properties rather challenging to incorporate effective onsite wastewater treatment systems. New onsite treatment systems components are being developed and tested for use at these difficult sites. The experience of working with these new components, manufacturers, engineers, and installers has added to the program's capability to find suitable alternative solutions for these difficult sites.

If you are in the process of buying or selling a home within the watershed, you may request an inspection of the current on-site septic system. The Canandaigua Lake Watershed Commission Onsite Wastewater System Inspection Request Form is available online. This form contains a brief questionaire regarding what is know about the existing system components, their age, pumping frequency, water usage and system performance. Please print and either fax, mail or deliver the completed form to our office. The inspection procedure usually involves scheduling a pumper to empty the tank, a visual inspection of the septic tank, locating and inspecting effluent distribution components and leach lines. The findings of the inspection are presented in a report which also evaluates the compliance of the system with respect to current NYS DOH standards.

If you are selecting a site for a new home and on-site septic system or a repair/replacement septic system, we also can perform a site investigation and soil percolation test. You can contact our office at (585) 396-9716 to schedule a site investigation. The site investigation includes an observation of the property taking notice of property lines, water supply, streams, ponds and site drainage, the site grading, the proposed building location, and whether or not the required separation distances can be met. The minimum separation distances are illustrated in the following diagram below:

Schedule Backhoe, Dig Perc Test Holes & Presoak - We will require a backhoe or excavator capable of digging a 6 ft. deep test pit to meet us at the site. Be Safe! Always Call Dig Safely New York, 1-800-962-7962 before you dig, drill, or blast! They will locate any underground utilities that may be present on your property, however, they will not have knowledge of any underground private utilities. One day prior to our visit, you will need to hand dig 3 percolation test holes approximately 24 inches deep in the proposed absorption (leach) field area. Presoak the holes by filling with water, allowing the water to seep away, and repeating a few times. The percolation test holes should be about 20' to 25' apart and form a triangle in the center of where the proposed absorption field will be located. A post-hole digger, shovel and pry bar are commonly used to dig the holes.

The New York State Department of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation have design standards for performing the percolation and deep hole tests as described below:
Percolation Test - Dig a minimum of 2 holes (preferably 3), 12 inches in diameter and 24 - 30 inches deep in the area of the leach field, 20 - 25 feet apart. Scrape the sides and remove loose soil from bottom. Presoak the holes by filling them COMPLETELY FULL with water and allow it to seep away. Presoaking should be done at least 4 hours prior to the test. After the water has seeped away, remove any loose soil that has fallen from the sides of the hole. We will perform the actual test, but you may want to test them yourself beforehand. The procedure is to pour clean water into the hole to a depth of 6 inches and record the time in minutes for the water to drop from the 6 inch level to the 5 inch level, a 1 inch drop (see figure below). It is not uncommon to run this test more than 6 times to achieve a stabilized rate. A stabilized rate of percolation is when the time it takes the water to drop 1 inch for 3 successive tests are approximately equal (within10%). The longest stabilized rate of the 3 holes tested will be the design basis for the system.
Deep Hole Test - We will be onsite to dig a hole 6 - 8 feet deep with a tractor backhoe to determine general soil types, groundwater elevation and depth to bedrock or other impervious material.