Owen County Soil and Water Conservation District
743 East Franklin Street, Suite C
Spencer, IN 47460
812-829-2605
To Community Decision Makers of Owen County:
Clean water is a crucial resource in our community. In Owen County, 85% of households are served by septic systems. Many of these septic systems are operating effectively and pose no threat, but there are some that are not operating as they should. Our clean water is being threatened each day by leaking, faulty septic systems.
Septic systems built in Indiana prior to the early 1980's were built to a standard size based on the number of bedrooms in the house. Today, the system considers bedrooms, but also the soil type(s) found in the proposed septic field. This takes into account how quickly water leaves the system and is absorbed into the surrounding soil. The systems that were installed prior to this change are at higher risk of failure.
The first step in addressing this problem is educating homeowners about their septic systems. There are resources available that explain the basics of a septic system and what maintenance needs done to maintain a working septic system. Would you use your influence in the community to encourage homeowners to get educated about septic systems? You could post information on your social networking site or bring it up in a community meeting. You could also help distribute door hangers and attend our upcoming septic workshop. Please contact me at the Owen County Soil and Water Conservation District office at 812-829-2605 to discuss how you would be willing to help with our public education campaign.
Thank you,
Sara Campfield
Watershed Coordinator