Key Peninsula residents in Washington state are asking the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to start a self-inspection training program for homeowners. Homeowners are looking to save money by performing their own inspections instead of hiring a septic inspection or pumping company. Regulations require homeowners to conduct septic inspections every one to three years, based on the type of septic system
they have. 

According to the Key Peninsula News, several counties in the state already offer training. For example, Thurston County offers classes twice a month. Residents who successfully complete the eight-hour course can gain certification for four types of septic systems: mound, conventional gravity, pressure distribution and Glendon Biofilters. The courses include classroom instruction and field training.

A representative from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said the county is in the early phases of developing a self-inspection training program.

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Georgia county proposes limiting vacation rental occupancy to match septic permits

The Blue Ridge area in the north Georgia mountains is one of the state’s top tourist destinations. Cody Alcorn, of 11Alive, reported that a proposed change to Fannin County’s short-term vacation rental permit process could impact the vacation rental industry there. 

The Fannin County Board of Commissioners proposes that property owners provide their septic permit when they apply for a short-term vacation rental permit. As a result, property owners would be required to limit occupancy to match the septic permit on file. 

Many homes built in the 1990s and 2000s were built on half-acre lots as two- or three-bedroom homes. Since then, these homes have upgraded to four or five bedrooms as vacation rentals.

Fannin County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jamie Hensley said the board is collecting public input on the proposal. "The overall objective is to balance enjoyment of the area with protecting the environment and safeguarding visitors and residents alike," he says.

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Bill aims to address septic tank, property line issues at Table Rock Lake

Congressman Eric Burlison (R–Springfield) introduced a bill in the Missouri Legislature to remedy concerns regarding Table Rock Lake septic systems that infringe on the property of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Springfield News-Leader reported that 23 septic tanks extend underground onto the Corps property. 

Property owners currently pay a lease to the Corps, but the Corps says the leases will not be renewed as they expire. Landowners have until 2030 to relocate the septic tanks off Corps property.

Burlison’s bill would allow septic systems to remain where they are. It is the first of a series of bills that Burlinson plans to introduce to address septic tank and property line issues at Table Rock Lake.

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Louisiana Senate bill creates guidelines for water and sewer systems

The Community Sewerage System Infrastructure Sustainability Act was approved by the Louisiana Senate Committee on Environmental Quality and advanced to the full Senate. Senate Bill 73 would create state-level guidelines for private and public water and sewer systems throughout Louisiana, reported Nola.com. 

The bill requires local boards to spend sewage billing fees only on sewage system costs. The bill also requires local governmental leaders to petition the state before taking on more debt or receiving money from state appropriations. The legislation would provide more structure for sewage systems statewide and potentially assist with the installation and upkeep of sewage infrastructure.

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EPA provides grant for sanitation infrastructure in Kentucky county

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing a $2.28 million grant to the Mercer County Sanitation District. The grant will create two new pump stations on Herrington Lake and eliminate six holding tanks and 129 residential septic systems, according to the Lane Report. The grant also will fund the construction of a low-pressure collection system and 79 pump stations in Boyle County.

“This project will eliminate aged and inadequate onsite septic systems, reducing the infiltration of sewage to the watershed,” says Kentucky’s Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman. “It will improve the lake’s water quality and protect the health of residents who rely on the lake for drinking water.”