ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

November 10, 1977

MAPLE HILL NURSING HOME,

)

Petitioner,

v.

) PCB 77—202

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,

Respondent.

OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by Mr. Dumelle):

This matter comes before the Board on the petition filed

July 25, 1977 by Maple Hill Nursing Home (Maple) seeking

variance from Rule 404(f) (ii) of Chapter 3: Water Pollution.

The Agency recommendation favorable to the grant of the

variance was filed on September 6, 1977. No hearing was held.

Petitioner operates a nursing home in Long Grove, Illinois.

The facility has a sewage treatment plant consisting of a

coinminutor and a two cell lagoon. The design capacity is

15,000 gallons per day, with effluent being discharged into

Buffalo Creek. Maple’s effluent exceeds the Rule 404(f) (ii)

limitations of 10 mg/l BOD and 12 mg/l suspended solids and

has reached 74 mg/i BOD in March 1977 and 16 mg/i suspended

solids in April 1977.

Maple is currently building an addition to its nursing

home which will increase the capacity from 97 to 151 beds.

(It is not clear from the record when this addition will be

complete.) Current discharge to the treatment facility

averages 12,000 gallons per day, and the expansion will bring

the treatment plant up to its design capacity. No substantial

change in effluent quality is expected since the treatment

plant consists of lagoons rather than a mechanical system.

Maple is located 2-1/2 miles from the nearest sanitary

sewer connection, and it would cost Maple approximately $184,000

to presently construct a private sewer line for 2—1/2 miles.

As an alternative, Maple could upgrade its treatment plant at

a cost of approximately $150,000.

The Lake County Department of Public Works is planning

to construct an interceptor sewer along Route 53 which will

come within 1/4 mile of Maple’s treatment facility. Construction

is expected to begin next

spring

and to last approximately one

year. The cost to Maple of connecting to the planned interceptor

sewer is estimated to be $15,000.

28— 171

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The Board finds that Maple would suffer an arbitrary or

unreasonable hardship if it were forced to choose either cur-

rently available alternative. The availability of a sewer

in 18 months, which would allow compliance by Maple at one-

tenth the cost of currently available alternatives, is clearly

the deciding factor. Hence, the Board will grant the variance

for a period of 18 months, subject to certain conditions.

This Opinion constitutes the findings of fact and con-

clusions of law in this matter.

ORDER

The Petitioner, Maple Hill Nursing Home, is granted a

variance for its sewage treatment plant from Rule 404(f) (ii)

of Chapter 3: Water Pollution Control Regulations until

June 1, 1979, subject to the following conditions:

1. Petitioner shall not exceed the design capacity

of the existing treatment plant of 15,000 gallons

per day.

2. Petitioner shall continue to submit discharge

monitoring reports as required by its NPDES permit.

3. Petitioner shall operate the existing treatment

facility as efficiently as possible.

4. Petitioner shall obtain the necessary permit for

the sewer to be installed between the facility and

the interceptor and shall connect to the interceptor

sewer as soon as possible.

5. The variance will terminate when connection is

made and operation is possible.

6. Within twenty-one (21) days of the Board’s inal

Order herein, the Petitioner shall forward to the

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Variance

Section, Manager, Division of Water Pollution Control,

2200 Churchill Road, Springfield, Illinois 62706,

and to the Illinois Pollution Control Board, 309 W.

Washington St., Chicago, Illinois 60606, a Certification

of Acceptance and Agreement to be bound by all terms

and conditions of the variance. The form of said

Certification shall be as follows:

28— 172

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CERTIFICATION

I (We),

,

having

read and fully understanding the Order of the Pollution Control

Board in PCB 77-202 hereby accept said Order and agree to be

bound by all of the terms and conditions thereof.

Signed

Title

Date

I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution

Control Board, hereby certify the above Opinion and Order

were adopted on the

/

O~ day of

~

,

1977 by

avoteof~~

Illinois Pollution

28

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