Overview Description of
OSDS Management Program
Background
On-site sewage disposal systems (OSDS) commonly know as septic systems,
are waste water treatment systems that use septic tanks and drainfields
to dispose of sewage below the ground surface. They are typically
used in rural or large lot settings where a sanitary sewer is not
available. When a septic system is correctly located, adequately designed,
carefully installed and properly managed, you will have a waste disposal
system that is simple, economical, effective, safe and environmentally
sensitive. Time and neglect will result in a failure of an OSDS. The
Rouge project supported studies of OSDS by local health departments
so that failures could be reduced and prevented. The Overview Description
of OSDS Management Program presents findings from the studies and
activities that local health departments have taken to improve the
operation and maintenance of OSDS.
When a septic system isn't working well it can cause serious problems.
Sewage can pond on the ground near the drainfield or back up into buildings.
Animals and people may become ill from contact with these discharges.
People can also become ill when flies, other insects, rodents and pets
come in contact with sewage and transfer harmful organisms to people.
Pollution from failing septic systems can contaminate ditches, creeks
and shallow drinking water supplies and give off offensive odors. In
addition to public health, pollution and nuisance concerns, it is costly
to repair or replace the system. Normal use of the system is often interrupted
while the system is repaired or replaced.
In urban areas, OSDS are considered as temporary because experience
has shown that they will eventually fail. They fail due to inadequate
soil conditions, long term use, lack of proper maintenance or misuse.
Failing septic systems may allow untreated human waste to eventually
be discharged into the Rouge River, where it can affect drinking water
supplies, cause unacceptable water quality and present a public health
risk.
For these reasons the Rouge Project has emphasized education of owners
and regular maintenance of the OSDS. This will not only prevent the
health and environmental hazards associated with failures, but will
extend the life of an OSDS for many years and avoid costly replacement
of the system. For a more detailed description about how an OSDS works
and maintenance suggestions click here.
Water quality testing of the Rouge River found consistently high levels
of fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria upstream of locations that had
combined sewer overflows and in several locations where there were no
municipal sanitary sewers. A review of the 1990 census information provided
by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), showed that
there were 18,242 OSDS in the Rouge River watershed. Where were the
OSDS contributing to the high bacteria levels? To find out, two surveys
were conducted by local health departments.
The Oakland County Health Department used dye to determine if OSDS
were leaching into nearby surface water. Dye introduced into the sewage
systems was recovered downstream of OSDS in 52% of the systems in 1994
and 39.3% of the systems tested in 1995. For details of these studies
see 1994
and 1995
Rouge River Headwaters On-Site Sewage Disposal Systems Survey.
The Wayne County Health Department conducted a visual inspection of
424 OSDS. Failure was identified as sewage on the ground surface, sewage
discharging to a ditch, sewage backing up into the house, or heavy growth
of vegetation of the disposal field. They found that 21% were failing
at the time of the visit to the property.
For more details on the Wayne County survey see Report
on the On-site Sewage Disposal Systems Project Within the Tonquish
Creek Basin and Middle 3 Subwatershed Area-Rouge River, January
1, 1997 through December 31, 1997.
Failing OSDS were also reported by local health departments when OSDS
were inspected at the time of sale of a property, by road crews that
were doing construction and found sewage discharging to road ditches,
and by crews doing illicit discharge investigations. Based on the surveys
and other reports of failing OSDS, it was concluded that OSDS were a
significant contributor to the water quality problems in the Rouge River
and that an OSDS management program was needed to address these problems.
The Rouge Project performed a nationwide survey of OSDS evaluation
and maintenance programs to learn how OSDS were being managed in other
areas. The survey looked at the process others used in developing an
evaluation and maintenance program; assessed existing programs for management
of OSDS including financing alternatives to replace OSDS; and septage
disposal practices being used by other locations. Information was compiled
on the following: the governmental agency in charge of the OSDS program;
the management activities associated with the program including permit
issuance, education, inspections, monitoring and reporting; funding
alternatives for the program; components of the full program; why the
OSDS program was started; and the legal basis for the program in that
geographic area.
It became clear from information gathered from this survey that there
are several methods that can be used to effectively manage OSDS. It
also became obvious from the information gathered that there are compelling
reasons for the Rouge River watershed to develop and implement an evaluation
and maintenance programs for OSDS.
Using the above information, the Rouge Project developed and proposed
a strategy to address OSDS issues in the watershed. Information on
the nationwide survey described above and on the proposed strategy are
available
in the following report, Strategies
to Address On-Site Sewage System Problems, October 1998.
OSDS Management Program in the Rouge Watershed
The objectives of the OSDS management program include the improvement
of water quality in the Rouge River by finding, eliminating and preventing
failures of OSDS, providing options for local units of government
to manage OSDS and to encourage the safe and sanitary disposal of
septage.
In cooperation with the Rouge River Remedial Action Committee (RRAC),
four local health departments, communities and others met to develop
a model regulation that could be used by counties or local units of
government to address management of OSDS. Several management options
were reviewed. The model regulation developed by the committee was designed
to be adaptable to local needs. Uniform standards for inspecting OSDS
were included with the model as guidelines. The model regulation was
used by Washtenaw and Wayne Counties to develop county regulations to
inspect OSDS at the time of sale of a property.
The model regulation is included in the document titled Appendix
D Strategies to Address On-Site Sewage System Problems, October
1998.
The RPO helped develop a model database design template for OSDS information.
The goal of this data model is to provide the Rouge River watershed
communities with a database design template for use in a GIS system.
The database templates were developed through several workshop meetings
and incorporate comments from Rouge communities. There are three types
of Rouge communities who will benefit from this document: (1) Communities
that are building a database for OSDS (this type of community may or
may not have GIS tools available to supplement their work); (2) Communities
that are building their GIS using ArcView and planning to store the
attributes in some desktop database environment; and (3) Communities
that are building their GIS using Arc/Info and store their attributes
in INFO tables or a relational database management system like ORACLE,
Informix or Ingres, linked to Arc/Info. The model database is available
by contacting the Rouge Project Office. Wayne County adapted this database
for entering all information in their files on OSDS permits issued between
1967 to the present.
Washtenaw County's OSDS regulation went into effect in January 3,
2000. This regulation requires the inspection of all residential OSDS
at the time of sale of a property by private evaluators. Through December
31, 2003, 3,347 OSDS have been evaluated by private evaluators and 646
have been found that were non-conforming (19%). There are 532 failures
that have been corrected through December 31, 2003. For more information on the Washtenaw County
Regulation for On-site Water and Sewage Inspection System at the
Time of Property Transfer click
here.
Wayne County's ordinance went into effect in February 2000. It requires
inspection of all OSDS at the time of sale of a property. It also requires
septage servicers to report amounts of septage removed for septic tanks.
Through December 31, 2003, 431 OSDS have been inspected under this ordinance
and 114 were found to be failing (26% failure rate). For more information on the Wayne County On-Site
Sewage Disposal System Evaluation and Maintenance Ordinance click
here.
More details of these two programs were reported in a paper presented
at the National On-site Wastewater Recycling Association Conference,
November 2000 titled, Management
of On-site Sewage Disposal Systems: A Comprehensive Approach, November
2000 and a paper presented April 4, 2001 at the American Society of
Agricultural Engineers conference titled, Evaluation
and Management of Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems: New Challenges, New
Initiatives,
New Partnerships.
The Rouge Project also developed and made available a DemoInfo
bulletin titled, Septic
Systems. This brochure has been provided, by local health departments,
communities and septage servicers, to homeowners and others. Other
educational material has been developed by local health departments
to explain their regulations and to give more details about septic
systems. Wayne County has developed a video for new owners of OSDS.
Washtenaw County has also produced brochures.
Local health departments in the Rouge Watershed have said that an
inspection program of OSDS needs private evaluators. A training program
has been developed by Wayne County in cooperation with Michigan State
University (MSU). The program consists of 13 chapters and power point
slides. Training has been conducted at the MSU Tollgate Center in Novi.
The Tollgate Center has several types of OSDS located there that can
be seen and inspected. Evaluators have been certified by Washtenaw and
Wayne Counties following attendance at a training program, passing an
exam and paying a fee.
The Rouge Program Office (RPO) conducted a survey of septage servicers.
The septage servicers identified the need for a septage disposal facility
that could be accessed on a more frequent basis then was available.
The only place that could be used on weekends was the Detroit Wastewater
Plant. This is a long distance from where most septic tanks are located.
The Oakland County Drain Commission proposed constructing an automated
facility in Pontiac that could be used for septage disposal. The facility
was officially opened March 15, 2002. The facility is a secured facility
with video surveillance, which can be accessed by a card system, with
payments made electronically. It is available 24 hours a day. This will
increase significantly the hours that septage can be disposed of and
hopefully will be more efficient for the septage servicers.
Forty communities, three counties and a few other entities have applied
for the voluntary storm water permit issued by the Michigan Department
of Environmental Quality. A requirement of the general storm water permit
is that OSDS be addressed as part of an illicit discharge elimination
program. Communities in Washtenaw and Wayne Counties have supported
the county regulations for inspection of OSDS at the time of sale of
a property. Communities have assisted in developing a database identifying
where OSDS are in their communities and are providing educational information
to OSDS owners.
In Oakland County communities are drafting a local regulation to inspect
OSDS and two communities have contracted with Oakland County Health
Department to inspect OSDS on a regular basis. The City of Southfield
contracted with the Oakland County Health Department to inspect OSDS
in Southfield. Residents either can connect to the sanitary sewer
or have their OSDS evaluated on a regular basis. A total of 871 site
inspections
have been conducted from March 1999-March 2004. The results of these
inspections are:
- 667 passed certification
- 177 failed to pass certification
- 27 installed new onsite sewage
systems
Of the 177 sites that failed to pass certification (20% failure rate),
95 connected to the sewer, 20 reviews are pending and 62 are subject
to enforcement action.
|
