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ABOUT THE LWV How You Can Help VOTING INFO ENVIRONMENT LOCAL OBSERVER NOTES
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The League of Women Voters operates at all levels of government, working on selected issues on which we have studied and arrived at a consensus for action. At all levels, from local chapters all the way up to the national organization, the League of Women Voters contributes to public education on a variety of issues by providing nonpartisan information to help promote involvement, dialogue, and informed decision-making by its membership. Only through the formal study process, however, can the LWV as an organization take a position and action on an issue. Read more about how the league insures the objectivity of a study. Septic management plan would help to protect drinking waterBy JOANNE KNIGHT If you or your neighbor has a septic system that has not been maintained properly, you may be surprised by what is seeping into your drinking water supply. There are approximately 40,000 septic (on-site) systems in Westchester County. If properly maintained, these systems function quite well; if not, they become a serious health risk not only for the owner, but also for neighbors. Failing septics can contaminate drinking water, especially well water, in addition to depositing raw sewage on lawns. Two years ago, the League of Women Voters of New Castle completed a study on sewage disposal. The scope of the study, Sewage Disposal Options for New Castle, included septic systems in "focus areas," neighborhoods designated by the county as systems in need of attention. Our research made clear that a septic management plan is needed for Westchester County in order to maintain an adequate level of sewage treatment so that drinking water quality is not compromised. Despite the potential impact on the health of the community, no such program exists. According to the EPA, management plans are essential to ensure proper functioning of on-site wastewater treatment systems. Without oversight of these systems, serious water quality problems can and do occur. Although the maintenance and care of a septic system is the responsibility of the homeowner, the league concurs with the EPA and is convinced that without a county-administered management plan to assist and educate existing homeowners and new home buyers, the risk of failing systems remains high. It is not difficult to put a plan in place. A simple and effective one would require all owners of on-site systems to have their systems pumped out and inspected by a certified inspector on a regular basis. The county Department of Health would maintain oversight and would have the responsibility of record keeping and enforcement. Communities across the nation have implemented successful management plans, including the nearby Town of Greenwood in Orange County, and Putnam County. Westchester County needs to follow the lead of these and other communities to protect our water quality and public health. As residents of the county, it is up to all of us to contact our legislators and insist that a septic management plan be adopted without delay. "A Drinking Problem" Nine million people drink water from the New York City reservoirs, including the Croton Reservoir; approximately 800,000 of these are Westchester County residents. Twenty thousand homes in Northern Westchester get their water from wells. While these water supplies have been considered safe, they are threatened by malfunctioning septic systems, which are placed on the property of individual houses, housing developments and businesses; these systems treat the wastewater on the premises instead of sending it to a central treatment plant. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, failing septic systems are the second largest cause of water pollution - and this includes drinking water. The agency estimates that 168,000 viral illnesses and 34,000 bacterial illnesses result every year from contaminated drinking water. Of primary concern are the waterborne pathogens from feces seeping from malfunctioning septic systems. These pathogens are a threat to public health, a threat that became a reality in Westchester in 1996 when there was an outbreak of hepatitis caused by a septic system that contaminated the drinking water of a community well in New Castle. Ten years later, Westchester County has done little to attack the causes of this dangerous situation. What the county needs is tighter regulations for septic systems. In 1997 the towns in the New York City watershed and Westchester County signed an agreement with the city to put aside money designated to safeguard the threatened water supply. In particular, some of this money was to be used to clean up and replace failing septic systems with sewers connected to county-owned treatment plants, thus diverting wastewater from the watershed. Unfortunately, the allocation of money for the diversion plan never made it to a vote at the board of Legislators because constituents living near the plants asserted that these treatment facilities could not deal with increased sewage. Septic systems can be a cost- effective and efficient means of treating wastewater if they are properly designed, sited, constructed and maintained. The Westchester County Department of Health regulates the first three criteria, but no agency oversees maintenance once the system is installed. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it is the lack of maintenance that leads to system failure; therefore, the agency has issued guidelines to encourage communities to adopt effective maintenance programs. Westchester County has about 45,000 septic systems. Most of them are more than 30 years old, and were built with what is now outdated technology and under regulations that were weak or non-existent. Many of these systems are failing and could potentially pollute our water. The county needs to establish a program to ensure that owners of septic systems know how to care for them and that they are being regularly maintained by qualified persons. Counties and states across the country have set up septic management plans to provide oversight, education, and inspections. In fact, the Westchester County Department of Planning drafted such a plan in 2000; for unexplained reasons, the plan was shelved and so far nothing has replaced it. At a minimum, the county plan should include an education program on maintenance for owners of septic systems, and a requirement for regular pumping and inspections by certified persons with copies of these records sent to the Department of Health for inclusion in a database for tracking compliance. It would be a shame if we waited until a larger public health emergency, like the hepatitis incident, frightened us into finally taking this action to protect our drinking water." Westchester County Needs Septic Management!The League of Women Voters of Westchester and LWV New Castle have been collaborating to advocate for a Septic Management Plan for the county. Based on findings and consensus from one county study and two New Castle studies, oversight of these systems is essential to ensure proper functioning and long-term efficacy. To date there have been no requirements for maintenance of the 40,000 - 45,000 systems; the county does not even have official records of numbers, sites, and ages. Our information tells us that most of these systems are over thirty years old and that many are failing - meaning that the untreated sewage is seeping into groundwater that makes its way into our drinking water. This is a public health issue. If you are thinking that this does not concern you because you do not have a septic system, consider this: while the water supplies are located in north county, most south county residents drink this water. If you have well water, that water supply is threatened by mal-functioning septic systems. The League Sewage Committee has had several meetings with the Board of Legislators Committee on Energy and Environment to urge its members to pass a septic management plan to protect water quality and public health. Discussions are just in the beginning stages. You can help now by letting your legislator know that (a) you think that this is an important issue and (b) that you encourage them to support a septic management plan to protect public health. Please send an email or make a call. This truly will help. The Op-Ed piece below (published in The New York Times on Dec. 10) was written to inform the public of this critical need for proper management of septic systems. We will keep you posted on the progress on legislation, and at the appropriate time, will send Action Alerts for your support. LOCAL STUDY: Sewage Disposal Options in New CastleIntroduction: The study focused on Random Farms, the Stanwood area, Riverwoods and Yeshiva Farm Settlement. These areas used both sewers and septic systems which allowed the committee to examine these options under actual site conditions. The committee presented its findings in a public education program in June, 2004; our membership reached consensus on this issue. Establishing a position allows the LWV of New Castle to join the policy discussion and to advocate on issues relating to sewage disposal. It will allow us to address the current New Castle plan to divert sewage from watershed areas, as well as sewage disposal in other areas or any future plans on sewage disposal. A pdf of the study report is available here. Consensus Position Statement: The League recognizes that properly sited, constructed and maintained onsite sewage disposal systems are an effective method of treating wastewater. A 1999 League study determined that the proper performance and reliability of these systems is key to protecting water quality; homeowner education on proper care and maintenance is essential for continuing performance of these systems. Given the preponderance of these systems in New Castle, and the likelihood that they will continue to be the sewage disposal option for most New Castle residents, the League strongly supports formalized management plans for onsite (decentralized, septic) systems. At a minimum, regular inspections and pump-outs, and certification of proper operation of these systems at the sale or transfer of property should be required. We also support comprehensive enforcement of existing regulations for wastewater treatment by all responsible agencies and greater coordination among these agencies to achieve that end. The League also recognizes there are areas where onsite systems are not appropriate due to environmental conditions or public health concerns. The determination not to use onsite systems must be validated, considering water quality, development, economic impacts, and timeliness. If validated, sites which will not support onsite systems should be sewered to a centralized wastewater treatment plant. The League recognizes that the creation of sewers does not inherently foster property development. To address these concerns, the town government has the responsibility to use the comprehensive plan to legislate zoning, land use and site plan regulations to reflect the desires of residents. The League expects our town and county officials to exhibit strong leadership to address areas that require immediate attention, and to do so in a timely manner in order to prevent future threats to water quality. A pdf of the study report is available here. More information about Septic Systems Updated June 23, 2007 by Valerie Castleman Many thanks to Westchester Alliance for Telecommunications and Public Access (WATPA ) & the Westchester Library System (WLS) for hosting this site.
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