By Cody Robinson, MPCA

The 2016 SSTS Annual Report for Minnesota is now available online. The report summarizes information submitted by local governmental units (LGUs) such as counties, townships and cities that permit and inspect septic systems and work with local septic system pumpers, designers and installers.

The 2016 report continues to show progress toward the state's goal of identifying the location and condition of all septic systems in the state and fixing or replacing septic systems that pose a threat to human health and/or groundwater or surface waters.

In 2016, 86 counties, 86 cities, 43 townships and four other permitting authorities submitted SSTS annual report information to the MPCA. LGUs reported 4,639 new systems and 5,917 replacement systems were installed in 2016.

Since 2002, LGUs have issued 176,860 SSTS construction permits for new and replacement systems. This means that roughly 33% of Minnesota's 541,865 septic systems are less than 15 years old.

Direct any questions about the 2016 SSTS Annual Report to Cody Robinson, MPCA St. Paul, or by phone at (651) 757-2535.

By Cody Robinson, MPCA

It’s that time of year again! The MPCA is preparing for the debut of its new SNAP survey in order to enable web-based reporting for the 2017 SSTS Annual Report. The MPCA has discussed this rollout on a number of platforms, including the SSTS Talking Tour and previous editions of this bulletin.

Some of the advantages we anticipate from the new process are more accurate, representative data statewide, and a more efficient data collection process that will allow for quicker turnaround on the SSTS Annual Report.

What should I expect?

Each LGU has identified an appropriate SSTS contact and included their email address in prior reports. Those SSTS contacts can expect an email in mid-December with a unique link to initiate the survey. Once you enter the survey, follow the given instructions and enter all data as required.

Make sure the SSTS contact information is for the individual responsible for SSTS administration within the LGU. This allows the MPCA to have accurate contact information for all LGUs across the state. If your jurisdiction contracts SSTS services through a licensed inspection business, they can be forwarded the survey, but we ask that they fill out the contact information and email for the actual SSTS administrator within the LGU. This new process allows us to provide more detailed instruction when each question is asked, so make sure you carefully read all instructions. 

The report is due back to the MPCA no later than Feb. 1, 2018, but we encourage LGUs to send reports in as soon as the questionnaire is completed. Once you have completed the survey, we strongly suggest you print and save your survey responses before submitting them to the MPCA. If you run into any issues while taking your survey, please save your progress and call Cody Robinson using the phone number provided at the bottom of each page in the questionnaire.

If you have any questions about the SSTS Annual Report, please contact Cody Robinson or by phone at 651-757-2535.   

MPCA SSTS staff are committed to empowering Minnesota homeowners to understand and maintain their septic systems in order to protect human health, and groundwater and surface waters, not to mention the significant financial investment a septic system represents.

Earlier this year, the MPCA produced and distributed approximately 24,500 "This Home Has a Septic System" magnets to local government units (LGUs) across the state, and to people visiting the Eco Experience at the Minnesota State Fair.

These magnets serve as a great tool for sparking conversations with homeowners about SSTS maintenance, and provide tips to help maintain a healthy septic system.

Letters sent to LGUs with their magnets suggested they include the magnets with newly issued permits. The number of magnets each LGU received was based on the number of permitted systems they reported through the Annual Report.

The MPCA has approximately 8,000 magnets remaining, and will be discussing how to best get these in the hands of SSTS homeowners moving forward. As the MPCA does not have funding available to produce these magnets year after year, we strongly encourage local units of government to consider having more personalized magnets created for their areas.

Cody Robinson has information on the vendor used by the MPCA, and can provide a templates to assist LGUs in creating their own version of the magnet. 

Contact him via email or by phone at 651-757-2535 for more information.

• SSTS Need-to-Know efforts continue this winter. Groups will meet to pilot new Installer exam questions and continue with developing and validating the Sites and Soils Task Analysis documentation. Contact Nick Haig  if you are interested in learning more about or volunteering in some capacity for these efforts.
• The University of Minnesota course schedule is now available .
• The 2018 MOWA winter conference is approaching. When? January 30-31, 2018; Where? Arrowwood Resort, 2100 Arrowwood Lane, Alexandria, Minn.
• More mini pumper courses will be offered in February and March throughout the state. Stay tuned for locations and dates.