Septic System Clinics Scheduled for August 13 in Alice, August 14 in Riviera

Residents of the Baffin Bay watershed are invited to attend free educational workshops on septic system maintenance on August 13 in Alice and August 14 in Riviera.

The workshops, hosted by the Texas Water Resources Institute and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, cover identical information and are geared toward residents of Jim Wells, Duval, Nueces and Kleberg counties who rely on septic systems to power their homes.

Locations and times of the workshops are:

• August 13, 1-3 p.m., Jim Wells County Fairgrounds Women’s Building, 3001 Johnson St., Alice.
• August 14, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Seawind RV Resort Recreation Room, 1066 Farm-to-Market Road 628, Riviera.

Both workshops will focus on best practices for operating and maintaining home septic systems. Lunch and refreshments will be provided with support from HE-B’s Our Texas Our Future campaign.

To register, please contact Shaylynn Postma, a research associate at the Texas Water Resources Institute at Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Bryan-College Station, at (e-mail address).

Basics of maintenance, subsidy program and other topics covered

Wastewater specialists from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be available to answer questions attendees may have about septic systems. Participants will also learn about a grant program that provides a limited number of septic system inspections and pumpouts in the Petronila Creek and San Fernando Creek watersheds only. The workshops do not certify homeowners to perform their own quarterly inspections required for aerobic systems.

Home septic systems, also known as on-site sewage facilities or OSSFs, treat wastewater before it is distributed on-site. Poorly functioning home septic systems can pose a risk to human health and can contribute to excess bacteria and other pollutants in local watersheds. Proper septic system maintenance can help extend the life of systems and reduce the need for costly repairs.

Clinic part of the San Fernando and Petronila Creeks Watershed Protection Plan

Failing septic systems were identified during the planning process for the protection of the San Fernando and Petronila Creeks watersheds as a potential source of bacterial contamination to nearby streams and waterways. This clinic is offered as an educational component of the San Fernando and Petronila Creeks Watershed Protection Plan.

Petronila Creek and San Fernando Creek are two of the three major tributaries of Baffin Bay. For more information about protecting the Baffin Bay watershed, visit bringingbaffinback.org. For more information about the San Fernando and Petronila Creeks Watershed Protection Plan, visit baffin.twri.tamu.edu.

Funding for the workshops is provided by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as part of a Clean Water Act Section 319(h) grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

TWRI is a division of AgriLife Research that brings together the expertise of Texas A&M AgriLife agencies.