The Panhandle District Board of Health approved stricter onsite rules for northern Idaho. The code currently requires systems to handle 150 gpd for one-bedroom homes and 50 gallons for each additional bedroom. Under the proposal, drainfields must handle 400 gpd for three-bedroom homes.A study by district staff of 7,000 homes found that half had undersized onsite systems. Public health experts state that Idaho’s septic codes are among the weakest in the nation and must be revised because developers are turning their attention to steep slopes and places where thin soils are unable to handle wastewater. After a public hearing, the
