News Release

Drainfield Reconstruction at Heart O’ the Hills Campground to Begin July 29 for Two Weeks

Date: July 17, 2019
Contact: Penny Wagner, 360-565-3005

Campground will remain open with water and portable toilets; Parking for Lake Angeles and Heather Park Trailheads Relocated to Amphitheater Parking Lot

Port Angeles, WA: A project to reconstruct the on-site sewage system drainfield for the Heart O' the Hills Campground is set to begin Monday, July 29 and is expected to last until August 9. Increased visitation to the campground created a need to expand the current drainfield. This project will also replace the sewage lift station pumps and improve wastewater treatment.

The $230K contract, funded by cyclic maintenance funds, was awarded to Valdez Construction of Oak Harbor, WA who completed the wastewater treatment and drainfield rehabilitation for the Hoh Rain Forest in 2018. Valdez Construction plans to use Peninsula Drain & Septic out of Port Angeles, WA as a subcontractor on this project. The repair is permitted through Clallam County Environmental Health Services.
                                                                                                                                             
Visitors should expect construction activity, truck traffic, and noise during the nine-hour work days which may start as early as 7:00 am, Monday through Friday. No construction activity will take place at the lift station, located on the campground side of the road, before 8:00 am.

Portable toilets will be available at each of the four comfort stations throughout the campground. Water will remain on for campers but the drain lines will be plugged under the grates at the dish washing stations to avoid overloading the septic tank while the drainfield is offline. Campers can expect to see some ponding around the grates. 

Trailhead Impacts
The parking lot at the Lake Angeles and Heather Park trailheads will be utilized by the contractor for material staging and equipment turnaround during construction due to the close proximity to the work site. Hikers can utilize the parking area at the amphitheater in the Heart O’ the Hills Campground, just beyond the entrance station, as an alternative.  

Valdez Construction will need to remove approximately 150 cubic yards of native soil that will be replaced with 150 cubic yards of sand as part of the drainfield reconstruction. Approximately 15 round-trip truckloads will be required during the two-week construction phase.