In a
continuing effort to assist county SSTS programs, the MPCA works with
the Legislature to secure funding to support and enhance the work
counties do to promote effective sewage treatment.
In August, the MPCA awarded grants to counties for the following related SSTS activities:
- administration of local SSTS programs,
- special projects to improve SSTS compliance rates and
- assistance to low-income homeowners to upgrade their systems.
The
Legislature provided funds for county base grants of $18,600/year and
incentive grants for counties that have adopted "triggers" to promote
SSTS compliance or are implementing special projects to improve
compliance.
Funding was also made available for grants to low-income homeowners to help them bring their septic systems into compliance.
Just over
$440,000 was granted to counties that are working to improve compliance
by adopting compliance inspection triggers when a property is sold or a
property owner applies for any type of permit. Others are improving
record-keeping and conducting septic system inventories. Over $840,000
dollars was granted to counties to assist low-income homeowners with
SSTS upgrades.
Sixty-two
of 86 eligible counties submitted grant applications this year. Of
these, 44 qualified by requiring compliance inspections triggered by a
property sale and 12 qualified by requiring inspections any time a home
owner applies for a permit. Twenty counties received money for having
plans to improve compliance and 38 counties received low income fix-up
funds.
Another
area where the MPCA is able to support county SSTS programs is by
providing grants for work done by advanced inspectors on systems
designed to handle more than 2,500 gallons per day. These grants
reimburse the county for 75 percent of the cost of this work, whether it
is done by county staff or licensed Advanced Inspectors hired by the
county. Currently, there are 22 counties participating in this grant
program. The application period for this grant is currently open.
Contact Aaron Jensen for more information as well as the MPCA website.
The
advanced inspector grants are distributed by the MPCA. All other grants
flow to counties through the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR)
Natural Resources Block Grants. There will be additional funding
available in FY17 for the add-on competitive grants.
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