Search Results for: septic

SepticSmart: Can Michigan Move from Last to First?

September 22, 2022

Editor’s note: During SepticSmart Week, which runs through Friday, FLOW is sharing updates on efforts to protect fresh water and public health from uncontrolled septic system waste, as part of an annual educational campaign that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched a decade ago, with the State of Michigan, other states, communities, and organizations, including… septicsmart-can-michigan-move-from-last-to-first/" title="ReadSepticSmart: Can Michigan Move from Last to First?”>Read more »

Get SepticSmart to Stop Pollution, Save Money

September 21, 2022

Image courtesy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Editor’s note: During SepticSmart Week, which runs through Friday, FLOW is sharing updates on efforts to protect fresh water and public health from uncontrolled septic system waste, as part of an annual educational campaign that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched a decade ago, with the State of… septicsmart-to-stop-pollution-save-money/" title="ReadGet SepticSmart to Stop Pollution, Save Money”>Read more »

Preview: SepticSmart Week Aims to Protect Water Quality and Public Health across Michigan, USA

September 15, 2022

Photo of the Au Sable River by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. In the Great Lakes State, we sometimes take water for granted. We turn on the tap and expect our drinking water to be safe. We wade or swim in a lake and assume it is clean. And we flush a toilet believing… septicsmart-week-aims-to-protect-water-quality-and-public-health-across-michigan-u-s/" title="ReadPreview: SepticSmart Week Aims to Protect Water Quality and Public Health across Michigan, USA”>Read more »

SepticSmart Week: Protect It and Inspect It

September 15, 2021

Groundwater, a critical part of Michigan’s water cycle, is out of sight—and so is the groundwater pollution that contaminates thousands of drinking water wells and reaches hundreds of rivers and lakes across the state. Despite its invisibility to the naked eye, groundwater contamination sickens Michigan residents. About 45% of the Wolverine State’s population drinks well water. September 20-24 is SepticSmart Week in Michigan and nationally—an opportunity for owners of property with septic systems to learn about the threat failing systems pose to our water resources, and ways to prevent or minimize such pollution. As our allies protecting Crystal Lake in Benzie County, Michigan, point out: Being septic smart can extend the life of a septic system, keep well water safe, protect the environment and prevent accidents at home.

While Toilets Flush, Inaction on Michigan Septic Policy

September 14, 2020

Nothing defines Michigan more than water. This begs the question, why is Michigan the only state in the union without a statewide septic sanitary code? This question came to the fore last year when Kalkaska County decided it wanted to get rid of its “point of sale” septic ordinance.

During Septic Smart Week, Let’s Protect our Groundwater

September 14, 2020

Most Michiganders don’t know that September 14-18 is Septic Smart Week — and that an estimated 130,000 septic systems in our state are failing. In many cases that means sewage and associated microorganisms are reaching groundwater, lakes and streams.

Michigan Courts Can Enforce a Township’s Responsibility to Remedy Widespread Septic System Failures

February 7, 2020

Michigan remains the only state without statewide regulations governing the inspection of septic systems, leaving the job of protecting waters from septic systems to local governments. A 2012 decision of the Michigan Supreme Court makes clear that, in the face of widespread septic system failures in a region, Michigan courts can nevertheless step in to enforce a local government’s duty to protect the waters of the state from sewage contamination.

Kalkaska County Bid to End Point-of-Sale Septic Inspection Program Fails

November 25, 2019

Residents and wastewater users in Kalkaska County can rest easier at night. A bid to weaken septic and groundwater protections has failed. The November 22 meeting of the District 10 Health Board yielded what appears to be the final chapter of the year-long effort to prevent Kalkaska County from ending the point-of-sale septic inspection program contained in the District 10 Health Department Sanitary Code.

Where Does Michigan Go from Here on Leaking Septic Systems?

November 11, 2019

Can Michigan’s governance system succeed in solving one of our state’s worst water pollution problems? That’s the key question in the wake of FLOW’s Michigan Septic Summit in Traverse City on November 6. Attended by more than 150 people representing diverse points of view, the summit demonstrated that there is widespread interest in addressing a problem that is putting our waters and human health at risk.