Surveys and Statistics
OCRM did a survey in 2001 of local government officials and other professionals about their perceptions of homeowners and septic systems. Here's some of what we found:
- Almost half said they don't think most homeowners even know where their system is located.
- Almost three out of four said they don't think homeowners know how to operate or maintain their system.
- Nine out of ten said most homeowners react to problems with their system instead of practicing preventative maintenance.
- Three-fourths also agree that buyers of homes on septic systems are not told where the system is located or how to operate and maintain it.
- It's hard to change behavior when people don't know what it is they're not doing!
[The complete survey and results can be found in the Onsite Septic System Inspector Training Pilot Program Feasibility Study Report (pdf).]
According to surveys done by the EPA, septic systems serve approximately 25 percent of the U.S. population and almost 40 percent of new developments. The U.S. Census Bureau has indicated that at least 10 percent of septic systems have stopped working. Some communities report failure rates as high as 70 percent! State agencies report that these failing systems are the third most common source of ground water contamination.
In EPA's 1997 Response to Congress on Use of Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems, the Agency determined that with the technology now available, adequately managed decentralized systems can protect public health and the environment as well as provide long-term solutions for the nation's wastewater needs. The report also cited five major barriers to increasing the use of decentralized wastewater treatment systems, and one barrier is the lack of adequate management. For an overview of the report, see the Executive Summary (pdf).