COBB, Calif. – After the management of Hoberg's Resort failed to complete a summary abatement on the property's damaged septic system, the county of Lake has hired a contractor who is moving forward with the work.
The county served Hoberg's Resort with a 48-hour summary abatement notice on Tuesday after confirming reports that recent storms had surcharged the resort's septic system, which was running into a nearby drainage and then into Big Canyon Creek, which empties into Putah Creek, as Lake County News has reported.
Lake County Environmental Health Director Ray Ruminski said the resort was told that, by Thursday at 5 p.m., it needed to remove all of the septic system's burned pumping equipment, apparatus and a damaged building, excavate tanks and a vault, and then backfill and compact the site, disinfect and grade it, and install erosion control.
When Ruminski visited the site on Thursday evening, some safety fencing had been installed, a pumper truck had pumped out all of the tanks and debris had been sorted, according to Ruminski and Dave Svec, the business development consultant for the resort's owner, Lake County Partners LLC.
However, much more remained to be done, and county officials were concerned that more runoff could occur at the site due to weekend storms that are in the forecast.
The National Weather Service is predicting rain could begin on Saturday night and continue through Tuesday, with the heaviest rain – up to half an inch – expected on Sunday.
With those concerns in mind, county officials moved forward on Thursday night with getting a contractor lined up to come in and take over.
At 8 a.m. on Friday, Cobb contractor Ken Gifford had his backhoe loaded and was on his way, according to county Supervisor Rob Brown.
By the end of the day on Friday, Brown said Gifford and his team had completed all of the excavation of the septic system.
“They got a lot done,” Brown said.
Brown said Gifford will be back to work on Saturday and is expected to finish the remaining work by day's end.
What's left to do includes covering the excavated area and completing the erosion control measures, Brown said.
The Board of Supervisors is set to discuss the resort's situation at 11 a.m. during its regular Tuesday meeting.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Contractor takes over Hoberg's cleanup; expected to be completed Saturday
- Elizabeth Larson
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