Missouri
The attorney general recommended that Camden, Miller, Benton, and Morgan counties work together to create a regional sewer district whose boundaries surround the Lake of the Ozarks. Experts suggest the system could cost $150 million and take 10 to 20 years to complete. The recommendation also included legislation requiring all onsite systems within 2,500 feet of the lake to pass a point-of-sale inspection.
Additional recommendations included amending the septic code to enhance the inspection authority of the state Department of Health and Senior Services and the civil and criminal enforcement authority for county prosecutors, and implementing a tax credit for homeowners wishing to replace grandfathered systems.
Florida
If attempts fail to kill legislation requiring septic tank inspections every five years, a Senate analysis found that the mandate would create hundreds of private-sector jobs for certified inspectors. The Department of Health estimated that annual inspections would increase from 17,000 to 500,000 per year. Legislation (HB 13 and SB 168) to repeal the environmental program passed several subcommittees.
Montana
The Lewis and Clark City-County Health Department approved regulations governing how onsite system owners meet county maintenance standards. Owners can file paperwork detailing household water use and septic pumping history, and the data would be used to determine how often the system should be pumped. They also can hire certified inspectors every four years and base a pumping schedule on the inspections. The law, which becomes effective July 1, will be phased in over several years, targeting vulnerable groundwater areas first.
Maine
The York Water District pressured the town of York to enforce its 15-year-old ordinance requiring certain property owners within the Cape Neddick River watershed to pump their septic tanks every three years. Nearly half the 55 property owners who received a notice requesting records to prove their tanks were pumped sent documentation. Those who failed to comply because the tanks were buried under deep snow were given another 90 days. In May, the town sent letters to another 1,000 property owners informing them to have their tanks pumped every five years.
Inspectors from the Department of Environmental Protection early this year found 15 of 126 septic systems around Northern Bay had failed. The Town of Penobscot was ordered to develop a remediation plan within 30 days, though work was not expected to take place until later in the year. Local officials say they will work with the property owners to repair or replace the failed systems.
Mississippi
The House and Senate passed legislation modifying a 2009 law that required completed onsite systems to be approved by the state Department of Health before the home’s water was turned on. Under the House bill, sites of two acres or more would not need health department approval provided the property was not next to water, professional engineers could design the systems, and licensed contractors could install them without constant state supervision. The Senate bill repeals a 2009 law and reverts back to the health department recommending systems to property owners, but having no authority to force them to use it.
Washington
King County officials sent letters to 200 islanders within county-designated marine recovery areas stating that they must have their onsite systems inspected by July 1 or be in violation of county health codes. The county established the marine recovery areas four years ago, but many homeowners with inadequate systems do not want to pay for replacements.
Minnesota
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency proposed to extend septic tank design registration for all manufacturers to April 4, 2012, since the agency is still amending the Subsurface Sewage Treatment System rules. The 2008 rules required tanks to be tested for structural integrity and watertightness, then registered with the agency.
California
The community of Calabasas is suing six property owners for failing to have their septic systems inspected. The mandatory inspection program was passed in August 2009 and gave residents until May 2010 to have their system checked. The deadline was extended to October, and a letter reminding people of the requirement was mailed again in December 2010. Legal action is pending against four more homeowners.
Two environmental groups have filed suit against California for failing to adopt new septic system rules to comply with a 2000 law (AB 885). The original deadline was January 2004, but as of March the California State Water Resources Board has yet to pass new regulations.
