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

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involvement in all aspects of wastewater systems, it will become the local educational resource for technicians, homeowners, pumpers and other groups with connections to permitting and management issues. 1. Lending Institutions, Developers, Builders, Realtors and Attorneys: These getups are targeted for education because they are crucial in passing on information about septic systems during property transactions, home sales, closings or even listings of property. The first step of the education could be accomplished by the Environmental Health staff asking for an appearance before executive committees or full session meetings of local affiliate groups on a periodic basis. Update meetings and regular mailings of specific printed literature will be needed to keep all members current. The committee wanted somehow to include Realtors and lending institutions in the chain of disclosure of system type and management requirements, but there was no firm agreement on how this could be accomplished. In the work group session, a focus group With representatives from this array of professions was suggested by Margaret Brown to elicit ideas. on educational efforts. 2. Homeowners Associations: All of these associations would be targeted for education and all will be encouraged to view ongoing septic system maintenance as a community effort and a community benefit. The group also wanted to explore whether, in new developments, requirements for system . operation can be incorporated into subdivision covenants. A listing may be available from the "Community Watch" program. 3. Septic System Installers: These contractors are now subjected to a simple registration process before they can install septic systems in Orange County. There is no current requirement for licensure or certification either here or elsewhere in North Carolina. If the expansion goes forward, routine continuing educational sessions sponsored by the Health Department could be considered either as a condition of the registration process or to be put on a `Preferred list" of contractors and his information would be provided to permit applicants. Some method of sanction and removal of renegade or incompetent contractors must also be implemented so that frequent violators of installation standards can be effectively managed. 4. Septic System Pumpers: When a citizen calls a septic pumper today for routine maintenance of a system, the pumper, in most cases, empties the tank without regard for the actual level of the biosolids. In some instances, the removal of biosolids before they reach a detrimental depth is unnecessary and may adversely affect the biology of the tank. The pumpers would be encouraged through education to check the biosolids and empty them only when necessary . An upside of this process is that the pumper could charge a lesser fee when the tank is not cleaned because they save the costs of disposal at the accepting wastewater treatment plant plus the travel there to dump the load The homeowner saves by paying a lesser amount for the pumper's service and the expected increase of the volume of septage needing disposal is minimized The startup and equipment costs for the pumpers to implement this practice are • minimal. The group went further to say that more information is needed from each pumper on the origins of the septage and on those systems which are Page 4 of 12 19,.