Leaving no doubt about the effectiveness of the septic system at the Waconia Event Center, Carver County Commissioners this past Tuesday voted to have two independent inspectors check the system to determine if it's compliant.

The decision comes on the heels of a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency opinion that suggests it's difficult to determine if the system is compliant without an inspection being performed.

Rather than allow the controversial issue to fester any longer, the County Board decided Tuesday to hire two separate inspectors to check the system, which was originally installed in 1981.

The concern about the system centers on the belief by some, including County Commissioner Tom Workman, that the septic system is closer to the groundwater table than the 36 inches mandated by state law. The drain field for that system is roughly 150 feet from the south shore of Lake Waconia.

Workman has been tireless in his efforts to get the County Board to inspect the system and now he will be involved in selecting the inspectors.

If the system had to be replaced, it could cost up to $200,000. The inspection results will be sent to the MPCA before Nov. 3.

The county purchased the Waconia Event Center, formerly known as Waconia Lakeside Ballroom, last year for an estimated $2.5 million. The county has been leasing the building to a private company that hosts banquets, dances and other large gatherings.

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