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Latest News From LandTech

LandTechNews/Blog

Sewage Disposal Systems in Tennessee

An important element of land development projects is wastewater disposal. For projects in areas without public sanitary sewer systems, a subsurface sewage disposal system typically will be required.

The Regulations to Govern Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems can be found on the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) website, here: http://www.tn.gov/environment/water/septic-disposal_regulations.shtml

There is a misconception that the only option for a subsurface sewage disposal system is a standard septic tank with a conventional disposal (drain) field). But the Tennessee SDS regulations also include sewage disposal alternatives such as advanced treatment systems, low pressure pipe systems, and subsurface drip disposal (SDD) systems, to name a few. In many instances these alternative systems provide options to increase development density.

If you have any questions about the sanitary sewer system for your project, contact LandTech at http://landtechco.com/home

Jay Lewis Civil Engineering, East Tennessee Region, Land Development, TN 0 Comments

LandTech Adds TDEC Level II Erosion Control Certifications

Two of LandTech’s personnel were recently notified of their successful completion of the Sediment Control Level II course presented by the Tennessee Water Resources Center in Knoxville during June. Jay Lewis and Mike Lewis each now hold a Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Level II Certification.

The Level II certification demonstrates a higher working knowledge of erosion prevention and sediment control practices. Additionally, a Level II certification is required for preparation of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) for sites discharging into impaired or exceptional Tennessee waters, per the requirements of the State Construction General Permit. A Level II certification is also required for individuals who perform “Site Assessment Inspections for quality assurance of installation, functionality and performance of erosion and sediment control practices at construction sites discharging into Impaired or Exceptional Tennessee Waters.” http://www.tn.gov/environment/permits/conststrm.shtml

If you have any questions about your project, please contact us. http://landtechco.com/contact_us

 

 

Jay Lewis Civil Engineering, Land Development, LandTech News, TN 0 Comments

The value of a property survey done by a competent surveyor

As a land surveyor, there is something that I find myself saying to someone almost every day: purchasers of real estate should procure a recent, quality land survey of the property before they buy it. I don’t say this simply to promote my business, in my years of experience I have seen many problems caused by the buyers’ mistaken expectations and sellers’ misrepresentations (usually unintentional), about the property being bought and sold. My advice has two key aspects to it: buyers and sellers both can benefit from 1) getting a survey, and 2) hiring a good surveyor.

The importance of this advice was highlighted in a recent court case from Rhode Island. A prospective buyer of a house had a survey done prior to purchase, and the survey revealed that the developer actually built the house on parkland, not the lot owned by the developer. The Rhode Island Supreme Court ordered the developer to move the house, rather than force a sale of the park property to the developer. The agreement between the park and the original donor of the land required that the land remain part of the park in perpetuity. Lesson: Get a survey before you buy!

Although the story does not give any detail, the developer blamed the fact that house was built in the wrong place on an “innocent surveying mistake”. While this is not enough information to judge the work of another surveyor, it does illustrate that you should do some diligence to make sure you are hiring a competent surveyor, just as you would if you were hiring a doctor, lawyer, or other professional. Lesson: Hire a good surveyor!

If you are interested in reading more about this matter, here is a link to the story, which shows a picture of the house.

Mike Lewis Land Development, Land Surveying 0 Comments

LandTech Staff attends TDEC Erosion Control Workshop

LandTech staff (Mike and Jay) recently attended an erosion control workshop in Knoxville, conducted by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). This workshop, “Level II Design Principles for Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control for Construction Sites”, is a continuation of the Level I workshop attended in May.

 

According to the TDEC website http://tnepsc.org/page.asp?ID=5 :

 

The Level II course…..is an advanced 2-day workshop designed for engineers and other professionals who have completed the prerequisite Level I course. TDEC through the current 2011 Construction Permit (CGP), requires that the SWPPP [Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan] be prepared by individuals who have a working knowledge of erosion prevention and sediment controls, such as those who have successfully completed the Level II design principles course. Effective May 24, 2013, Site Assessment Inspections for quality assurance of installation, functionality and performance of erosion and sediment control practices at construction sites discharging into Impaired or Exceptional Tennessee Waters must be performed by individuals, who at minimum, have completed the Level II course.

 

The last remaining step for our staff to achieve a Level II certification is to complete a take-home examination. We should get our results back within a month. Crossing our fingers!!!

 

Please contact us for more information on erosion control or other project related needs at http://landtechco.com/home .

Jay Lewis LandTech News 0 Comments

LandTech Adds TDEC Level 1 Erosion and Sediment Control Certifications

LandTech’s Knoxville staff now includes three people (Mike Lewis, Preston Smith, and Jay Lewis) with Level 1 certifications for Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control.  The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) requires a Level 1 certification for anyone responsible for inspection of construction sites under the State’s General Construction Permit (i.e., General NPDES Permit for Discharges of Stormwater Associated with Construction Activities).

The Level 1 certification is achieved by attending a 1-day workshop on the fundamentals of erosion prevention and sediment control passing an exam. According to the Tennessee Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Training Program (http://tnepsc.org/indexNew.asp) :

“The Level I Fundamentals workshop is a 1-day foundation-building course for individuals involved in land-disturbing activities and is intended for contractors, developers, inspection and enforcement personnel from all levels of government, plan preparers, reviewers, designers and engineers. The Fundamentals course aims to build a solid working knowledge of erosion and sedimentation processes and practices. Topics include: Revised (May 2011) Construction General Permit and related SWPPP requirements; function, installation, limitations, inspection and maintenance of Best Management Practices (BMPs); roles of local officials and state government agencies involved in the permitting process; and basic hydrologic and erosion processes.”

If you would like a free initial consultation about your project, or we can answer any questions for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us at http://landtechco.com/contact_us

Jay Lewis Civil Engineering, Land Development, LandTech News 0 Comments

Good surveys, make good fences, make good neighbors!

Before and After

“Good fences make good neighbors.”

– from Mending Wall by Robert Frost

Each Spring, everyone’s thoughts turn to outdoor activities. For some, it’s a good time to start planning for that yard fence they have been thinking about for a long time.  I’ve been a licensed land surveyor for 20 years, and given the problems I’ve seen, I cannot stress enough how important it is to know exactly where your property lines are before getting a fence installed. Here is a before-and-after picture showing a recent residential lot survey LandTech did for a client in North Knox County who installed a fence. If you click on the picture above to see it full sized, in the “before” picture on top you can see the line of stakes we set, and in the “after” picture below, you can see the new fence just inside the line of stakes.

If you are thinking of installing a fence, before you do, give us a call for a quote on a survey so you can plan your budget with few surprises.

Mike Lewis Land Surveying 0 Comments

Tennessee Vols Spring football comes to a close

The spring practice season for the Tennessee Vols football team will be coming to a close this Saturday, with their annual intra-squad scrimmage, the Orange & White game.

The scrimmage is more entertainment than it is an SEC football game; the coaches don’t want to give anything up to their rivals. But, it’s a very entertaining day.

For more information on the game and scheduled festivities, visit the UT Sports website here: http://www.utsports.com/gameday/football/

Jay Lewis College Football, Sports, UT Volunteer Sports 0 Comments

LandTech staff attends the TAPS annual conference

Jay, Preston and I took a couple of days off from our engineering and surveying work to attend the Tennessee Association of Professional Surveyors’ (TAPS) annual conference in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. We left Knoxville early Thursday morning and arrived at the convention site that day just as everything was getting started. We checked out the latest in surveying equipment offered by TAPS sponsors, and were able to attend various seminars while we were there. Preston took the CST Level II Surveying Technician Exam, Jay attended an exam review seminar (Jay is seeking his Tennessee surveying license, in addition to the ones he already holds in Virginia, Maryland and D.C.), and I attended continuing education courses to apply to 2015 renewal. The seminars I attended included presentations on erosion and sediment control, FEMA Flood Certificate requirements, underground utility location, and railroad right-of-way surveying. Preston also attended the last three seminars. The erosion and sediment control training seminar concluded with an exam leading to Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Level I Certification. I am happy to say I passed the exam and am now Level I certified! You can learn more about TDEC Certifications at the following link:

http://tnepsc.org/indexNew.asp

About TAPS:

TAPS is the official organization for professional land surveyors in Tennessee. While you don’t need to be a TAPS member to be a licensed land surveyor in Tennessee, you need to be a licensed land surveyor in Tennessee to be a member of TAPS. Anyone who hires a land surveyor should ask if he or she is a member of TAPS. I have been a member of TAPS for many years, and I have found that TAPS members represent the most diligent, dedicated people you can find. TAPS members can be said to be the surveyors who truly love their work. To learn more, please visit the TAPS website:

http://www.taps-inc.com/

 

Mike Lewis Land Surveying, LandTech News, Underground Utility Location 0 Comments

States don’t always know their boundaries either!

Surveyors have resurveyed a portion of the North Carolina-South Carolina boundary using modern methods and equipment, resulting in the state line being in a different location from where it had been assumed to be for hundreds of years. This news article presents an interesting story about the problems that arise from people not knowing where political boundaries lie. These problems mirror the issues that can occur when private property boundaries are unknown or assumed to be correct when they are not. Read about it below:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46832892/ns/us_news-life/t/nc-sc-state-line-isnt-where-folks-thought-it-was/

 

Mike Lewis Land Surveying, Miscellaneous 0 Comments

Finding property information in Knoxville

Most projects start with collecting basic information about the project site. Typically, one of the first places engineers and surveyors will go is a Geographic Information System (GIS) website.

You’ve probably heard of GIS, but may not know what it is. According to a major GIS software vendor, ESRI (http://www.esri.com/what-is-gis/overview#overview_panel):

A geographic information system (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information.

GIS allows us to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts.

Two popular GIS sites for getting information in Tennessee and Knoxville are:

  1. Knoxville GIS (KGIS)  http://www.kgis.org/KGISMaps/Map.htm
  2. Tennessee Office for Information (OIR) GIS Services Property Viewer  http://tnmap.tn.gov/assessment/

You can find a lot of mapping and data by using search terms like property owner name or street address.

If you have any questions about your property or project contact LandTech and we’d be happy to help. http://landtechco.com/home

Jay Lewis Uncategorized 3 Comments