Mahoning County and Trumbull County in Ohio have been locked in contention for the last decade on a rather odd subject: septic tanks. The rules and regulations for maintenance and fail safety plans for over 16,000 septic tank owners in Mahoning County and 21,000 septic tank owners in Trumbull County have been so hotly debated that in 2007 a set of rules was put into place and rescinded a mere two months later.

In 2010, the Ohio Department of Health brought together 43 groups – including homeowners, realtors, manufacturers, and engineers – to weigh in on a consensus by the people and for the people. This coalition met monthly for two years to consolidate a list of rules that appeased all parties.

The new list for both counties, which will go into effect on January 1, 2014, includes 15 suggested rules for maintenance, inspection, and fail safety plans. However, only three of those rules are ‘mandatory’ for every septic system in the counties. One of the mandatory items requires that all septic tank owners report system maintenance occurrences. However, Trumbull County has voted that tanks already set up will be grandfathered in. In other words, maintenance that has already occurred does not need to be belatedly reported.

Rebecca Fugitt, one of the top ODH officials dealing with septic tanks, has stated that the legislation’s primary goal is to raise awareness of how often septic tanks need to be pumped in order to avoid community contamination.

For more information on septic rules and regulations in your county, keep up to date with our blog. And for all of your septic maintenance needs, contact Freedom Septic Services today!

Source: http://www.vindy.com/news/2014/nov/30/septic-owners-facing-new-rules-come-jan-/