A proposed drainfield reconstruction scheduled to begin at the Heart O’the Hills Campground on July 29 has been postponed until after Labor Day.

A project to reconstruct the on-site sewage system drainfield for the Heart O’ the Hills Campground was set to begin Monday, July 29 but is being postponed until after Labor Day to minimize public impacts, Olympic National Park officials said late last week.

During the two-week reconstruction of the on-site sewage system drainfield, the campground will remain open with water and portable toilets but parking for the Lake Angeles and Heather Park trailheads will be relocated to the amphitheater parking lot, according to Penny Wagner, Olympic National Park spokeswoman.

“Increased visitation to the campground created a need to expand the current drainfield,” Wagner said in a press release. “This project will also replace the sewage lift station pumps and improve wastewater treatment.”

Visitors should expect construction activity, truck traffic, and noise during the nine-hour work days which may start as early as 7 a.m. Monday through Friday. No construction activity will take place at the lift station, located on the campground side of the road, before 8 a.m.

The $230,000 contract, funded by cyclic maintenance funds, was awarded to Valdez Construction of Oak Harbor, which completed the wastewater treatment and drainfield rehabilitation for the Hoh Rain Forest in 2018, Wagner said.

Valdez Construction plans to use Peninsula Drain & Septic of Port Angeles as a subcontractor on this project. The repair is permitted through Clallam County Environmental Health Services.

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.

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.

The contractor will use the parking lot at the Lake Angeles and Heather Park trailheads for material staging and equipment turnaround.

Hikers can use the parking area at the amphitheater in the Heart O’the Hills Campground, just beyond the entrance station, as an alternative.