Too many onsite systems are failing, leading to environmental concerns. Effluent is surfacing behind this residential property, bringing contaminants to the surface of the ground. (Photo courtesy of Sara Heger)
To some people the term environmental justice is confusing and unclear as to its origins and goals. At its core, environmental justice is the fair treatment of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income with respect to development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.
EJ took off in the 1980s in the U.S. in response to a toxic waste landfill in a predominately African American community in North Carolina that sparked a wave of protests. These protests gained attention and highlighted the disproportionate number of poor minority communities exposed to pollution and environmental risks.
Subsequently the issue has gained attention across the nation and the world. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established the National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee in 1993 to provide advice and recommendations about broad, cross-cutting issues related to environmental justice, from all stakeholders involved in the environmental justice dialogue.
More recently, the Biden administration created the Justice40 Initiative to ensure federal agencies deliver 40% of the overall benefits of climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, clean water, and other investments to disadvantaged communities. In addition, a new program was initiated by EPA and U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative. This is intended to leverage technical assistance resources to help historically underserved communities identify and pursue federal funding opportunities to address their wastewater needs.
Taking the lead
You may ask yourself what this has to do with septic systems. Everyone deserves to have clean drinking water and a home with proper sanitation; an appropriate septic system is essential for clean water in areas served by septic systems. Some property owners have always lived with substandard sanitation and accepted the perennial wet spot or seasonal backup as normal. But our industry knows we have solutions that will allow rural homeowners to do more than one load of laundry in a day without backup into their homes. Recent focus has highlighted this situation as an environmental justice issue.
Malfunctioning septic systems or lack of sanitation can cause economic impacts to communities due to losses in home and property values, losses in business revenues, and declining economic prosperity. Nutrient pollution from improper treatment can cause algal blooms in coastal waters, lakes, rivers and streams, fish kill events and ecosystem degradation. Contaminated water can lead to disease outbreaks from pathogens and parasites, such as hookworm, and degradation of drinking water resources.
The risks and problems associated with improper wastewater treatment raise the issue that proper sanitation is a basic human right may require the government to fund a solution. This is what the federal government did in the 1930s with the provision of electricity in rural areas and currently provides assistance with conversions to solar power and wind power.
Although the data is not perfect, nearly 25% of homes in the U.S. are served by septic systems. Through lobbying efforts funded by the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association, work is underway by EPA to quantify this issue by having specific questions on decentralized system use added to a future version of the annual American Community Survey (part of the census).
In a recent evaluation of the American Housing Survey conducted by the EPA, about 52% of homes served by a septic system or lack any wastewater treatment have an income less than the median household income for their community. Many times this is family land passed down through generations of the property owners that founded the community.
Financial challenges
Often the areas facing challenges with decentralized wastewater treatment are tied to the combined issues of challenging soil conditions for septic systems, sensitive receiving environments such as groundwater concerns or water quality issues, small lots, and serving older homes and communities. Compounding these issues are financial limitations that result in both a challenge to pay for the design and installation of a new system and ongoing operation and maintenance cost. This is combined with social issues of historical inequities and a lack of understanding of environmental and public health issues.
When it comes time for replacement of septic systems, many low-income households simply can’t afford new septic systems. Unfortunately since 1988, less than 2% of federal wastewater dollars (through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund) have been used on properties served with septic systems. Historically, federal and many state/local programs have allocated wastewater infrastructure tax dollars to public treatment plants in urban areas and left septic system owners to figure it out how to deal with unsafe sanitation.
Therefore the cost of complying with state and local codes is fully born by individual property owners. For some property owners, the cost of a conventional or advanced treatment system far exceeds the budget available. It is important to note that commonly the most sustainable low cost solution with the lowest power usage and carbon footprint for these properties will be a decentralized system.
The good news is that more attention is now being focused on the need for septic system repairs and upgrades. More funding has become available and targeted to prioritize communities and properties that meet criteria to be defined as EJ areas. These funds can be used to install or upgrade failing systems. In April 2023, the EPA announced $100 million for EJ grants. Everyone in this industry has had a project where the property owner could not afford to fix or upgrade their system. The next time this happens, you should reach out to your state to determine if the project would be approved for a low-interest loan or grant program.
In addition to funding available at the federal and state levels, your local community may also have its own septic system financial assistance program. This may be particularly true if you live in a community with a high concentration of septic systems and/or live in a community with impaired waterbodies or septic system failures contributing to degraded water quality. To find out if your community has a financial assistance program for septic systems, contact your local government. More information about these programs can be found at www.epa.gov/septic/funding-septic-systems/
Progress coming
Environmental justice will be a focus at the NOWRA annual conference Oct. 23-25 in Hampton, Virginia. Keynote presentations and case studies will follow the theme “Clean Water for Healthy Communities.” This will be a great opportunity to address EJ issues in our industry and work on solutions to improve wastewater treatment across the U.S.
Wastewater and sanitation issues are getting attention and funding. Our industry needs to be part of the conversation, or otherwise centralized treatment may be characterized as the only way to solve these wastewater challenges. For many of these problems, septic systems are the most cost-effective and sustainable solutions to protect public health and the environment.
About the author: Sara Heger, Ph.D., is a researcher and educator in the Onsite Sewage Treatment Program in the Water Resources Center at the University of Minnesota, where she also earned her degrees in agricultural and biosystems engineering and water resource science. She presents at many local and national training events regarding the design, installation and management of septic systems and related research. Heger is the President of the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association and she serves on the NSF International Committee on Wastewater Treatment Systems.
