I am looking for research that has identified the perceived barriers and benefits to householders properly maintaining their septic system. I am also looking for information on programs that have successfully encouraged householders to maintain their septic systems. Thanks in advance for any assistance that list members can provide with this.
Best,
Doug
Doug McKenzie-Mohr, Ph.D.
McKenzie-Mohr Associates
(506) 455 5061 voice/pager
(506) 455 0550 fax
[email protected]
http://www.cbsm.com
Proper Maintenance of Septic Systems
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While I have no personal experience with Septic Socials, it is an outreach tool that communities in Southern Maine are usig. I believe there are others around the US also using them. Here is a link to an invitation in the town of Kittery Maine http://www.kittery.org/Pages/KitteryME_News/Place%20old%20News%20in%20this%20folder/S02A0B591 While this one is at a very public place, I have heard they are also being done in nieghborhoods where people gather at someone's home.
Kathy Hoppe
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
United States
Can Doug or Joan please explain to an Australian what maintenance is required to US septic systems? Here in Oz, the primary maintenance is to empty the main tank once its full of solids. Not to do so creates wet areas in gardens with bad smells and often back-flushing of wastewater into or close to the house. So it's in the interests of the home owner to have a septic tanker visit and remove the 5 cubic metres or so of sludge. Are things different in the US?
Bernie Masters
environmental consultant
Bernie,
I am not an expert on this, but from what I understand the main maintenance issue is similar to what you describe in Australia - the need to empty/pump the main tank every few years to remove solids. However, most municipalities recommend having your system at least inspected once a year to check for other potential problems. For example, people tend to forget that they are on septic and put things into the system that cause problems (chemicals, cooking grease or other solids down the kitchen drain, sanitary napkins, etc...). Another common problem is exceeding the capacity of the drainfield, which is not really noticeable to the homeowner until they have a significant problem now visible in their lawn - and requires an expensive repair. Annual checks/maintenance can help prevent many of the more major problems by catching them while they are smaller, and also less of a threat to water quality and the water table. A problem that is specific to the watershed where I am working is that many of the septic systems are in soils that are not appropriate for these systems, causing higher likelihood of seepage, and many homes were originally built as seasonal lake homes and now are all permanent residences. The septic systems in many cases have not been properly upgraded to accommodate the greater usage.
Hope some of that helps.
Joan
Joan Brehm
Associate Professor of Sociology
Illinois State University
United States
In some areas of Oregon, the Extension Service (thru OR DEQ funding) conducts a free class called "Rural Living Basics" which includes information on proper septic tank maintenance, the importance of system placement, and the fundamentals of construction. Free nitrate screening of well water is offered at these events, and there often are >20 - 50 rural residents attending each session. In the Southern Willamette Valley, these classes have been held 3-6 times a year for more than 6 years - and are still strongly attended. Not only do the residents get good information about their septic system, but they also learn about their domestic well, how to take care of it, and whether their family is being exposed to high levels of nitrate in their drinking water.
Some links that include Extension septic tanks guidance
http://wellwater.oregonstate.edu/html/septicsystems.htm
http://gwma.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/HarrisburgRLBFlyer.pdf
Audrey Eldridge
Oregon DEQ
United States
Thanks for the background information, Joan. Australia generally has strong state and local government laws which can force people to install Aerobic Treatment Units (ATUs - in effect, mini sewage treatment plants) as part of the building approval process if soil conditions are inappropriate for effective disposal of liquids. This doesn't help with existing installations of septic tanks, of course, where regular inspections seem not to be required here. Our state government authorities occasionally remind people about the potential of inefficient or defective septic tank systems to pollute underground drinking water supplies (and there are enforceable minimum separation distances between septics and groundwater bores throughout Australia).
We're also big into Natural Resource Management where the various levels of government promote integrated catchment management to protect water quality in wetlands, rivers and in near-shore marine environments. Septics are significant contributors of both P and N to surficial groundwater and to surface water bodies of various types and, while there is no legislation to remove septic tank systems that cause pollution of this type, there's a lot of publicity via the media about fish kills and how people should take personal responsibility for their contributions to nutrient enrichment problems.
Bernie Masters
environmental consultant
Hello,
I notice this topic was posted a few years ago. Was research ever found that identifies barriers to septic system maintenance? I work with a local government and we are currently developing an education program with four main components: 1) know your system (where it is located, how old it is, size), 2) use water wisely (the less water going through the system, the less likely to overload the system), 3) the toilet/sink is not a trash can, and 4) regular & preventive maintenance is key (we recommend inspecting/pumping every 3-5 years).
We have conducted a survey to try and determine the septic system owners' knowledge. One question we did ask was what would prevent them from having the septic tank pumped. Here is the specific question and the responses:
"Please tell me if any of the following reasons would keep you from having your septic tank pumped:"
Fear of damage to the yard 5.5%
Don't think about the septic system 17.4%
System has not shown any signs of a problem 37.3%
Don't think it needs to be pumped 16.7%
Didn't know we were using a septic tank 1.3%
Cost to have it pumped 26.0%
Other 17.4%
In looking at this, I just realized we did not get a summary of the verbatim response for those items in the "other" category. I will have to request these.
From the barriers listed, it seems that most think the system is OK as long as it shows no signs of problems. Of course, the homeowner can miss early signs of trouble, causing groundwater contamination and sewage runoff into our creeks and rivers before the homeowner has problems in the house. It is possible we can tie this barrier in with the second most given reason for not maintaining the system: Cost. If a homeowner maintains the pump BEFORE a problem, the cost for maintaining will be less than a repair. This is similar to going in and paying the routine cost of an oil change to avoid the more expensive cost of repairing an engine. Homeowners can't wait until a problem arises if they want to lessen their septic system maintenance costs. Homeowners also have to realize they depend on their septic system every day. It is one of those items taken for granted.
We are in the process of trying to figure out what type of educational prompt to develop to remind homeowners of their septic system. Because maintenance is not as routine as an oil change, it is a bit more challenging. We aren't going to require pumpers to send reminder cards. (Another item to note: We did speak with plumbers/pumpers. They asked if we could include in our educational materials that we or some other agency, such as EPA, be listed as the one recommending the maintenance. The plumbers/pumpers reported homeowners look at them as if they are trying to scam them into unnecessary repair costs. They would like for us to take this off of them.) We don't have a long-term budget to cover the costs of mailing reminder cards. And is a reminder all that is needed to get one to maintain the septic system?
Another part of our plan is to meet with and educate realtors. Realtors are required to let homeowners know the home is on septic. (It is not required the septic be cleaned prior to closing in our state.) This means the realtors have the first opportunity to educate the homeowner.
The bigger trick is how to educate people already in their homes. We are currently hoping to develop a brochure to mail along with a refrigerator magnet to act as a long-term reminder. But what is the effectiveness of a magnet on behavior change?
Any new information you may have learned over the last two years is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Laurel Loftin
Athens-Clarke County Water Conservation Office
United States
www.thinkatthesink.com
Hi Laurel,
We have been doing some CBSM piloting on septic maintenance this summer. In fact, the draft report was just sent to me for review this morning. It will be some time though before it is finalized and available.
What I can tell you is that from similar experience in a few jurisdictions, we have identified the same issues as you have. Most people don't know much about septic systems, and often people who have moved out of serviced areas are surprised to find they have a septic system at all. Knowing about maintenance is even a bigger issue.
I used to be a weekly guest on a local television show, where I spoke about different environmental issues. When I spoke about septic systems, I received more email questions than any other topic. Often they were something like: "There is a big wet spot on our lawn where the septic system is and it smells. Is it supposed to be like that or is something wrong."
There is a significant requirement for basic education about a septic system and how important it is to maintain it. I often tell people that regular maintenance can protect against a cost of $10,000 or more to replace the system. That seems to get their attention.
In our work, we are getting the local septic maintenance companies to contact people to remind them that they should have their system pumped, but we are backing it up with communications from the local government. In some jurisdictions, the government is introducing regulations to require that regular maintenance be done. Difficult to enforce, but backdrop regulation does help as a motivator.
Cheers,
Ken
Ken Donnelly
Vice President, Atlantic Canada
Lura Consulting
Canada
www.beyondattitude.com
Laurel and others,
We have been a bit delayed in our efforts on septic systems but thanks to a second round of funding, we will be implementing a pilot program called "Septic Socials" this spring with a targeted group of homeowners on a local lake.
This is a concept/approach that we are borrowing from some groups in Maine, it is not one we created. Septic socials are designed to bring neighbors together to learn how their septic system functions and what the proper maintenance practices consist of.
Septic socials have several goals. One goal is to educate residents on how septic systems work. This knowledge is crucial to understanding how to avoid problems associated with septic systems. Septic system owners learn practices to use and those to avoid for example, spacing out laundry loads and using non-toxic cleaning products on toilets are easy practices to begin and contribute to septic system health. Another goal is to teach septic owners how to avoid system failure, and how to identify whether their septic system is experiencing problems or failing. Septic system owners also learn the health and environmental impacts associated with improperly functioning systems.
Socials are usually held at someones house with around 10 to 20 people in attendance. Project Manager Joe Anderson from Springvale, ME, has experience at several septic socials and describes a typical social:
The best setup for us is to work out of someone's home in a neighborhood near the water. We have a local septic professional (either an evaluator or installer/maintenance person) on hand and invite the locals. We target areas that we know have older systems, close proximity to water, and congested house lots. The hosts usually have some wine and beer, cheese and snacks and we let people mingle for a little bit. It helps if one of the hosts is part of the lake or road association. We developed a questionnaire to administer before hand and another at the end to gauge our effectiveness. I have a 15-20 minute presentation and some handouts. We go outside and take a look at the leach field, tank access and the professional on hand helps out with this part. He/she has business cards and usually picks up a few new customers in the process. I try not to keep them for more than an hour total.
We will be using a pre and post survey to help measure the effectiveness of this activity and I will be happy to share the outcomes once we have that information. I am hoping that this more 'personal' and less 'government intervention' approach might be more well received. There is a lot of resistance to top-down government edicts in this region so we are hoping that this will be an improved tactic.
Joan Brehm
Illinois State University
Joan Brehm
Associate Professor of Sociology
Illinois State University
United States
Thank you, Ken and Joan. It is nice to know we aren't alone. I think septic systems, wastewater treatment, and human waste still fall into the taboo subjects category. We all use the bathroom, but no one talks about it. Therefore, failing septic systems don't seem to get the attention they deserve in respect to environmental concerns. People do not seek out educational information on such an unglamorous topic, resulting in an uneducated public and so many emailed questions on this subject. The idea of a septic social is wonderful! It gets people talking in a relaxed atmosphere with friends and neighbors.
In addition to the four educational components we plan to emphasize, we want to incorporate into our education the relationship between a failing septic system and poor water quality. Unfortunately, the warm, fuzzy feeling of knowing the maintenance of your septic system protected water quality isn't likely to be the motivator of behavior change. Ken, I think you are right - regulation and the threat of fines does serve as a motivator. But our county is not interested in creating an ordinance at this time. Joan, we also have the resistance to top-down government edicts.
If you are able, I would love to see the results from both of your septic maintenance research and projects when it is available. I am sharing your responses with our septic committee and maybe we will borrow from you, too. We are not producing anything formal in regards to research, so I don't know what I have to offer you, but, if you are curious, I can probably send you our survey and the results.
Laurel Loftin
Athens-Clarke County Water Conservation Office
United States
www.thinkatthesink.com
Hi Laurel, we are currently running a project to reduce phosphate inputs into a local lake, at source, by focusing on two target behaviours; use of phosphate free dishwasher detergents and regular emptying (every 1 to 2 years) of septic tanks.
Our initial survey work suggests that there are three main barriers with regard to septic tanks, the first is lack of awareness amongst householders of how their septic tank system works and how they should manage it, the second is the lack of awareness of the link between their system and water quality in the lake and the third is the cost of emptying which has gone up dramatically.
Our problem is one of evidence with regard to the actual cause of leakage. We are in a catchment which is not ideally suited to septic tanks and many of the tanks are very old. So if we ask people to empty their tanks we still might not solve our problem.
As of last year everyone who has a septic tank is required to register it with the Environment Agency, this has been useful in terms of making householders aware of their responsibility to maintain their system, but a barrier in other ways as some people are refusing to register their tank for fear of being told they need to spend money on it!
We are still formulating our approach, but our ideas so far include;
Friendly and informative mailshot advising people of the link between septic tank management and water quality in the lake, to include information on septic tank management and the contact details for the two local companies who provide an emptying service.
Ask people to tell their neighbours when they are emptying their system and to pass on the details of the contractor.
Discussions with the contractors to see if they will advise people when they are emptying in an area.
Some form of prompt; maybe a fridge magnet to remind people which month each year they should get their tank emptied.
I'll report back on our progress. In the meantime I would be really interested in the findings of any research in this area.
Emma Edwards-Jones
Green Snowdonia Project Manager
Snowdonia-Active
Wales
I have been looking for similar research and have come up with nothing myself. Is there any new work that addresses this issue? I am working in a rural-urbanizing watershed in Northern Illinois and improperly maintained septic systems appear to be a considerable issue and concern for residents. However, based on our survey research, respondents are strongly opposed to a service reminder from the local health department (one option that was posed to them). I am trying to find any other research that has examined the effectiveness of other mechanisms to encourage households to maintain their system.
Thanks much!
Joan Brehm, Ph.D.
Joan Brehm
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Illinois State University
United States