Editor’s note: This story on the scope of Jefferson County’s sewer problems is Part Two of a continuing series.
Part 2 (Published April 4)
By Peggy Scott
For the Leader
With one in every two septic systems in Jefferson County failing, county sewer supervisor Troy McDonald doesn’t have to look very hard to find problems.
He can spot dozens of failing septic systems without ever leaving his car.
A lush patch of lawn amid an otherwise lackluster yard often signals a problem with a septic system.
Or, McDonald said, a yard might have a suspicious-looking patch of enthusiastic weeds.
"You will see a beautiful lawn and then an area with weeds four feet tall," he said. "That’s where you’ll find the problem. All that fertilizer and water makes the (foliage) grow."
If he opens the car window or steps outside, a failing septic system is often unmistakable. "You can smell it. You can see the dampness," he said. "Sometimes you can see raw sewage on top of the ground."
The 2009 Jefferson County Data Book reported that in 2001, the county had an estimated 65,000 on-site wastewater treatment systems – for example, septic systems, lagoons and aerators. This was a 110 percent increase from the 1996 total of 31,000. Figures have not been updated in 12 years, but could only have risen.
County officials estimate that half of these systems, most of which serve just one home, are failing.
As a result, an estimated 1.6 billion gallons of raw sewage are illegally released in Jefferson County each year.
About 27 percent of Jefferson County’s 220,000 residents live in municipalities that have developed public sewer systems.
In addition to the cities, there are four public sewer districts – Rock Creek, Glaize Creek, Northeast and Selma Village – as well as two public sewer districts that operate as private ones, primarily serving customers within a particular neighborhood – the Lake Adelle and Valle Lake districts. There also are numerous private companies that own and operate lagoons and other sewer systems.
But the large majority of the 160,000 residents in the county’s unincorporated area do not have access to public sewers of any kind.
Homeowners essentially operate their own private septic systems and are solely responsible for the installation and upkeep.
While the Jefferson County Public Sewer District is working to bring centralized sewers to more and more of the county, the county has a sewer problem of massive proportion, McDonald said.
At any given time, there can be hundreds of formal violation cases under investigation by the county. Most violation cases are investigated after someone files a formal complaint. In some cases, violation cases can be opened due to observations by county inspectors or officials.
In 2012, the county opened 162 new cases, and 391 pending cases were resolved.
In 2011, the county had 123 new complaints about failing septic systems; 154 cases were closed.
At present, there are about 250 pending cases.
Jefferson County’s authority to regulate sewer systems stems from a law the Missouri Legislature approved in 1994 to protect the state’s groundwater.
Under the law, county ordinances regulate sewer systems serving single or multiple residences or businesses with wastewater flows of 3,000 gallons a day or less.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources regulates all other sewage lagoons or sewage treatment facilities with daily flows of more than 3,000 gallons, including public sewer systems.
If violations occur in wastewater systems regulated by the DNR, the state agency takes steps to correct the violations. The DNR also licenses and provides training to wastewater system operators and installers.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency also can take enforcement actions against those violating the federal Clean Water Act who, for example, discharge untreated sewage to waters of the United States.
County steps up, fine-tunes regulations
With more than half of the county’s septic systems failing and a lack of centralized sewers, Kristi Bales, director of county services, said something dramatic had to be done, to keep the situation from worsening.
In August 2011, the county enacted a new set of mandatory maintenance requirements for all property owners with on-site wastewater treatment systems.
The new requirements outline a strict permitting process and require that new sewer systems be designed by engineers and put in place by licensed installers, who must regularly update their training.
After about a year of working with the new codes, the Jefferson County Code Commission voted March 20 to recommend that the Jefferson County Council change a section of the requirements dealing with system capacity.
The 2011 requirements stipulate that new septic systems must be able to treat 150 gallons per bedroom per day. The Code Commission recommends going back to the earlier standard – 120 gallons per bedroom per day.
The 150-gallon stipulation is too expensive for homeowners, said Rick Lane, Code Commission chairman.
He estimated the regulation could cost people an extra $3,000 to $6,000 when installing new or replacement systems. The overall price for such work also can vary greatly, costing from $8,000 to $30,000, Lane said.
"There are so many variables, depending on things like type of soil," he said.
Lane said five design engineers, four soil evaluators and two Code Commission members worked on the subcommittee that evaluated the regulations. They recommended returning to the lower capacity.
However, Bales said, the bulk of the new regulations remain in place.
Maintenance the key
The reasons for failing septic systems vary. Some were installed incorrectly. Some have outlived their intended lifespan. But most often, McDonald said, the problem is lack of proper maintenance.
"The key is maintenance," he said. "Let systems go, and they are going to fail."
"People do not maintain it. If you don’t pump the tank every two to three years, the solids build up," he said. "If you go over five years, you are abusing the system."
A typical system is designed to last 20 years. "If you don’t pump the tanks, cut that in half," he said.
Newer septic systems, which have more sophisticated treatment controls, require even more maintenance.
McDonald said some homeowners don’t want to maintain their systems. Others can’t afford to keep up with the needed maintenance.
But most often, he said, people don’t understand what is needed.
"They move from the city where they didn’t have to worry about it," he said. "They don’t know how their septic system works."
For example, he’s seen homeowners who paved over their septic system drain fields to provide additional parking areas. People sometimes plant trees in the drain fields, which interferes with operation of the system. They wash cooking grease down the drain, which clogs up the system.
"Even cutting the grass on top of the septic system is important. Long roots can affect the system," McDonald said.
He recalls a homeowner who installed an above-ground pool over the drain field. Almost immediately, the septic system began to fail because the pool blocked proper evaporation in the drain field.
"They took the pool out and the system started working again," McDonald said.
Sometimes, a septic system fails because it’s overloaded with water coming from the house. A leaky toilet or water softeners working overtime can put an extraordinary amount of water through the septic system. When the leaks are repaired, McDonald said, the septic system resumes its normal function.
Nationwide problem
Dennis Owensby, manager of Eco-Robic in Antonia, has 30 years’ experience installing and repairing septic systems. Owensby said failing sewer systems aren’t unique to Jefferson County. It’s an issue faced across the state and nation.
In fact, according to the University of Missouri Extension, nearly 30 percent of all housing units in Missouri use onsite wastewater treatment systems. Several surveys throughout the state have shown that 70 percent of these systems are not functioning properly.
"Years ago, these type of systems were considered a temporary application," Owensby said.
A septic system serving one home was designed to be used until centralized sewers were installed.
"A couple of decades later, people realized that in many areas it is not going to be temporary. So now, they are trying to design systems that are more technologically sound."
But the county is sprinkled with lots of substandard septic systems, some just one step up from an outhouse, he said.
"We have replaced existing homemade tanks put in in the 1930s, made of concrete blocks, barrels, even old cars. It’s unbelievable what’s been substituted for a proper system," he said.
In addition, he’s seen systems installed decades ago on too small a lot. On occasion, he has to tell a homeowner that there isn’t an option to replace a failing system because they don’t have enough acreage to install a proper drain field.
"In Jefferson County, we have some of the best and some of the worst soil in the whole nation," he said.
Soil in the county’s river bottoms is optimum for onsite septic systems. It’s often trucked to other areas to install drain fields.
"We also have rock and clay, and that’s a nightmare for onsite systems," he said.
Old or new, Owensby said, lots of Jefferson County residents don’t fully understand how their septic system works.
"A lot of it is out of sight, out of mind. People don’t know where the wastewater is going," he said. "But the main thing is not servicing the system.
"No matter what type design, old or state-of-the-art, every system must be maintained," Owensby said. "Without maintenance, every system will eventually fail."
Solutions sought
The solution isn’t always that easy. Sometimes property owners are looking at thousands of dollars in repairs or a whole new system, which can cost upward of $20,000.
On occasion, the county and homeowners face a dilemma when the sewer solution is impossible.
Before the county had planning and zoning, lots of homes were put on lots too small to support a properly sized septic system. Sometimes the lot seems to be large enough for a septic system but there is a cliff or clay soil that won’t support a system.
In those cases, McDonald said, the county works with the homeowner to try to figure out a solution.
Under Missouri law, owners of failing septic systems face up to a $1,000 a day fine and/or a year in jail.
However, Kristi Bales said fines and court action are the last resort.
"We would much rather have the money spent on improving the system," she said.
McDonald said the county can’t let the problem slide. Failing septic systems must be repaired, replaced or eliminated.
"We’re polluting our aquifers and rivers," he said. "We’re hearing more and more reports of E. coli and other pollution in our water systems. We have to do something."
