In the Spirit of Sanitation
Happy New Year! The Environmental Health staff in Sanders County are looking forward to 2008 for many reasons, number one being the Revolving Loan Fund. The state bureaucrats finally gave the county the first installment for the loan fund. This program is unique to the state of Montana, and is a wonderful opportunity to help you afford replacing your failed or obsolete septic system. Why should you care? Well, even if you don't care about the environment, and your well has not been contaminated by a poorly functioning septic system, you probably care about your family's safety.
One recent failed system included a tank caving in. A gentleman was out on his deck when a big hole opened up in his back yard, right where he had been standing earlier while he stored things under his deck! He was lucky he didn't end up in that rusted out, sewage filled tank. And he was lucky one of his grandkids didn't end up in that tank; it is just a matter of time with these old systems. They will fail.
A failed septic system is evident when the drainfield is so clogged it causes sewage to back up in your yard, or your basement, or your house. A system could be failing to adequately treat the sewage, and this failure might not cause a stinky backup, but over time the under-treated effluent pollutes groundwater, soils, and even surface waters. Clean up at this point is much more difficult and much more expensive.
The Revolving Loan fund is available to all residents of Sanders County. Low interest loans are available to pay for replacing old or malfunctioning septic systems, and to help people afford hook up fees to central sewer systems. Please contact my office at 827-6961 to find out more about this program and what you need to do to replace your old septic system before tragedy occurs.
Environmental Health will also be having regular food safety classes once a month. The program will be offered throughout the county and will be open to food service workers and anyone else interested in food safety.
Classes are four hours long, and you get a certificate upon completing the class. The cost is minimal. Contact our office for a schedule of the classes and the costs.
Please look for our spring presentations on caring for your well and septic system. The information to be provided can be valuable in protecting the investment you have in your home and your water supply. We hope everyone that relies on wells or springs for their water supply, and a septic system to take care of their sewage, will attend these informative programs.
In 2007, we helped 26 people replace their failed septic systems. Often times, the failure involved huge messes and inconveniences for the people relying on the septic system. We hope 2008 will bring in many more people to replace their obsolete septic systems BEFORE they have a problem. The Revolving Loan Fund is here to help you afford replacing your system, and the Environmental Health staff is here to help you through the process.
Barbara is the sanitarian for Sanders County. If you have environmental health questions or concerns you would like to see discussed, explained or answered please contact her at 827-6961; e-mail at sanderscosanitarian@metnet.mt.gov ; or by snail mail at PO Box 519, Thompson Falls, MT 59873