Agenda - 03-09-1999 - IIA - Laserfiche WebLink

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8 r� Individual contact with the system owner is the most effective means of education, but it is also the most labor intensive and sometimes difficult to coordinate. It is the surest way to familiarize homeowners with the location and fimctional aspects of their septic system to where they become more competent in its continued optimal operational performance. In many instances, this type of interaction reduces" both the perception of intrusion and the feelings of animosity while providing something more than a technical report in the mail to learn from. The dissemination of printed material, both for new septic systems and existing situations, is in place, but several aspects of its use need retooling. A primary problem is that, in many situations, the ultimate owners of the property are not known when the Certificate of Occupancy is issued for the home and therefore they do not get the initial packet of information for their septic system. This same problem.also holds true when a property is sold or otherwise transferred from one party to another. Part of the solution to this dilemma will be targeting special groups for education as mentioned below in the future efforts section. Another way to approach this problem is the periodic use of mass mailings stressing the benefits of understanding and properly maintaining septic systems. The mailings can be individually sent or incorporated into the tax bill mailings. Regardless of the firture of the WTNT expansion, reviews and reworks of both the printed materials and the Internet site are underway and should be complete by the • end of the year. Future Efforts General — It is the opinion of the committee that several options should be explored to better "market" the educational materials. These included: • Videos on septic systems, especially maintenance • Education level oriented materials • Promoting a "conservation lifestyle" • Yellow Pages ads for repair advice and contact numbers • Promotion of septic systems as a safe and ecologically sound method of wastewater disposal • Promotion of onsite wastewater technologies as an integral part of the county's infrastructure Better Reports — Future post - inspection reports should be geared toward enhancing long -term performance of the system and education of the owner, not just providing advice for discovered non-compliance and failures. This effort will be made regardless of the WTW expansion. Target Groans — Several specialized groups targeted for specific educational go efforts will help eliminate some of the current problems and prevent future problems in the expansion. Because of the health department unique role in the Page 3 of 12