Lobby For More Money Directed Toward Onsite Wastewater Infrastructure

Installers can join a national lobbying effort to demand more federal money to support onsite wastewater infrastructure improvements.

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A national trade association leader calls the onsite industry the “red-headed stepchild’’ compared to municipal sewer interests when it comes to obtaining federal infrastructure improvement funding. No offense to redheads or stepchildren everywhere, but Eric Casey, executive director of the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA), made a strong case for his claim during a talk at the Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport Show in Indianapolis earlier this year.

Casey says the treatment private decentralized wastewater receives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is fundamentally unfair, and that Congress needs to wake up to the vital role the onsite industry plays in the country’s overall wastewater picture. In the talk aimed at motivating the industry to take its concerns to legislators, Casey shared some arguments to prove that – like the late, great comedian Rodney Dangerfield  – onsite “Don’t get no respect.’’ 

Ponder this from Casey:

  • One-third of Americans utilize decentralized wastewater treatment, but only 2 cents of every $5 spent by EPA on wastewater programs go to onsite initiatives.
  • The EPA’s Decentralized Wastewater office currently has a staff of one person, compared to the hundreds of employees serving Big Pipe concerns.
  • Members of Congress – ordinarily concerned with private sector job creation – have been slow to embrace the onsite industry Casey says generates $3.8 to $5.6 billion in economic activity and employs up to 150,000 people.

TAKING ACTION

So what is the industry doing to change all of this? For starters, NOWRA (with the support of a group of industry manufacturers) has hired a lobbyist to mount an education effort in Washington. There’s been an initial meeting with Congressional members and staff, and Casey told WWETT attendees they could participate in organized “fly-in’’ meetings with their legislators in Washington in the future.

Installers are a busy group of people, especially during the peak construction season we’re in right now. As the economy improves, contractors I talk to have work stacked up weeks and months into the future. Asking them to shut down the mini excavator and put the crew on hold to meet with their legislators might not be realistic. They might not see how they can benefit from taking the time off. 

But there is a big picture to consider. Fighting for greater recognition of the value of onsite systems may ensure a brighter future for decentralized wastewater. Gaining more federal dollars to repair, rebuild and expand septic system infrastructure will help your customers complete expensive projects that improve the environment. Going green is a positive message today, and installers will benefit if they are seen as green advocates.

Expanding public funds for onsite improvements is a major goal of the industry effort. However, some might question why public money should be funneled into private infrastructure projects. You could turn that around and say that users of private wastewater systems are also contributing to the public sewers through their tax dollars. And Casey adds there is precedent for spending public funds in the private sector when it’s done for the greater good of everyone, such as college loan programs or public health efforts.

“There are 90 million taxpayers (with onsite systems) who aren’t being legitimately served, and that’s who we’re speaking for,’’ Casey says.

Casey points to Lowndes County, Alabama, where onsite systems are failing and homeowners don’t have the means to repair and replace them. This is a public health concern, and the government should step in with programs like loans and grants to fix the problem, he says. 

“In many communities there is raw sewage running along the streets. These are very poor people who could never afford to put $7,000 into a new system. Infant mortality rates are sky high, and part of that has to do with public health that is so poor,’’ Casey says. In cases like this, local municipal treatment plants might have access to federal funds for improvements, but not the greater population that uses onsite systems, he says.

BIGGER PIECE OF THE PIE

The NOWRA lobbying effort seeks to have 20 percent of EPA wastewater funding earmarked for decentralized wastewater initiatives. This would be a major change over the current situation, which favors centralized sewer projects by a 250 to 1 ratio, according to Casey.

“We want a bigger piece of the pie,’’ he says. “We’re not likely to get 20 percent, but even if we get 2 percent, it will be 10 times what we get now.’’

His case for more funding is even stronger if Casey is right in asserting that use of decentralized systems will only grow in the future. He contends that continuing to lay pipe for municipal sewers is proving unsustainable in many areas, and that onsite will be perceived as the better way to go in light of overwhelming future maintenance needs for sewer systems.

Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, was supportive of NOWRA’s early lobbying, Casey says. The first meeting provided an opportunity to educate elected officials and staffers who don’t understand what onsite systems are.

“It was eye-opening to most of them. They were surprised that the industry was such a big part of the overall national wastewater infrastructure, yet it gets so little support from the federal government,’’ Casey recalls.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

With a greater understanding of the onsite industry, Casey believes lawmakers on both sides of the aisle will find ways to lend greater financial support. He says the potential for job creation and green aspects of decentralized wastewater are politically attractive to both Republicans
and Democrats.

“Money that comes into this industry to repair and replace systems is going to result in more private sector jobs – more manufacturers will build the tanks and more installers will put them in the ground,’’ Casey says. “That’s an important argument that’s often overlooked.’’

It seems clear that an infusion of money is required to support necessary improvements to an aging onsite infrastructure. And the prospect of grants, low-interest loans and other incentives for homeowners – the customers of onsite installers – would be welcomed.

At the WWETT Show, I spoke with a group of onsite contractors and liquid waste haulers from Ohio about long-overdue updates to regulations in their state. I think these onsite professionals understood the need to identify and fix failed systems to create a cleaner and safer environment. But they voiced concern for their customers, worried that pumpers would now be required to report failing systems to the county.

The Ohio contractors said their customers often don’t have the funds necessary to pump the septic tank, let alone be forced to pay for a costly system repair or replacement. If the EPA finds a way to funnel more funds to support onsite systems, the burden could be eased for homeowners, and everyone will benefit from safer wastewater treatment and cleaner groundwater.

We can all have an impact on educating legislators who hold the purse strings for these tax dollars. We can start by talking to our local county officials, calling our state representatives and, ultimately, paying a visit to our members of Congress. Remind them how many people in your service area rely on septic systems. Tell them what it would mean for homeowners and onsite-related small businesses to have a little more support from the EPA.

NOWRA plans to keep the pressure on at Capitol Hill.

“We haven’t had a voice in Washington, and the situation will not change unless we are in there swinging and playing the game,’’ Casey says. “If we’re not going to be there, we’re not going to advance the goals of the industry.’’



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