Approximately 28,000 homes in St. Mary’s County rely on septic systems. Residents living in these homes are responsible for maintaining these systems so that they function properly. Houses don’t come with septic operation manuals and often homeowners don’t know what they need to do. When problems arise and repairs or upgrades to systems are required, homeowners are concerned about cost and don’t know whether they can trust the professional giving them an estimate.
On Saturday, November 22, 2014, the University of Maryland Extension and School of Public Health will offer St. Mary’s County residents an opportunity to learn about their septic systems from a septic professional at a Septic Maintenance Clinic. This free 2-hour clinic is offered by the Chesapeake Water and Septic Homeowners Education project, an effort to educate homeowners on how to protect their private drinking water and maintain their well and septic systems.
“We will teach homeowners what they need to do to keep their systems working, but also what they can expect when they call a professional,” explains Daphne Pee, Coordinator of the Chesapeake Water and Septic Homeowner Education project. “The overarching goal of this program is to increase the number of Maryland residents who are taking an active approach to personal and family safety and health by following proper maintenance guidelines. While homeowners know that a sewage back-up means something is wrong, they may not realize that problems with their drainage field could lead to contamination of their well water and pollution of the Chesapeake Bay.”
Forty (40) openings are available for this program, and registration is required. The clinic takes place at the St. Mary’s Agricultural Service Center, 26737 Radio Station Way in Leonardtown, from 9:30 to 11:30 am. A member of the Maryland Onsite Wastewater Professionals Association will present information about how septic systems work, what steps to take to maintain the system and what to expect from typical professional services. Participants will receive information about cost-sharing programs that support the replacement of old systems with today’s most advanced technology. Participants can also ask questions about their own systems.
Interested homeowners can register to attend by going to http://extension.umd.edu/watershed or by calling the St. Mary’s Extension office, (301) 475-4482. For more information, contact Daphne Pee, Program Coordinator, at dpee@umd.edu.
