The 2017 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 2017 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 2017, 86 counties, 83 cities, 39 townships and three other permitting authorities submitted SSTS annual report information to the MPCA. LGUs reported 4,709 new systems and 6,197 replacement systems were installed in 2017.

Since 2002, LGUs have issued 187,766 SSTS construction permits for new and replacement systems. This means that roughly 35% of Minnesota's 537,354 septic systems are less than 16 years old.

Direct any questions about the 2017 SSTS Annual Report to Cody Robinson, MPCA St. Paul, or by phone at (651) 757-2535.

This is a reminder that Advanced Inspector Grants, which pay up to 75% of the cost to review an SSTS with design flows of 2,500 gallons per day or more, are still available, albeit through a slightly different process. Funds for this grant were made possible by the Clean Water Legacy Act to protect groundwater and surface water from impacts resulting from the improper design and/or construction of subsurface sewage treatment systems.

Grants are executed between the MPCA and an interested county. The Advanced Inspector may be a Qualified Employee Advanced Inspector of the county where the work is occurring, a Qualified Employee Advanced Inspector of another local unit of government working through an agreement between the local governments, or a private Advanced Inspector under contract with the county. Qualified Employees are individuals who are certified in a specific license area by the MPCA and then employed by a local unit of government.

When a county has a project that requires an Advanced Inspector and wants to start the grant process, it should first contact the MPCA. The name of the project, the county SWIFT ID, the county SWIFT signer, and the projected amount of grant funds needed will be required to start the process. 

Timing is everything

A grant agreement will then be developed at the MPCA and once both the county and the Agency sign the agreement, the county can begin work reviewing, permitting, and inspecting the septic system. Only work completed by an Advanced Inspector after a grant agreement has been executed with the MPCA is eligible for funding.

The first grant agreement executed under this new process took only  one week to complete. Once the agreement was signed by the county, they were able to begin work within two weeks of the grant request.  Each grant agreement is unique, so turnaround times may vary, but preliminary results predict quick turnarounds.         

Each project will require a new grant agreement. Upon completion of each individual project, the county submits an invoice and the final certificate of compliance to receive payment. A template invoice will be provided to counties.

These funds are available to counties to support their work in regulating systems that require that an Advanced Inspector perform the review, inspection, and permitting of new SSTS systems with a design flow of 2,500 gallons per day or more. For more information, please check the MPCA website .

Aaron S. Jensen is the MPCA project manager for this grant.

The MPCA has mailed Order of Sanctions to installers who did not submit the tank fee submission form by Jan. 30, 2018. This means that approximately 35 installers statewide are not licensed. As a reminder to counties, please check the online SSTS search tool to help limit unlicensed work.

Thank you to those installers who have submitted the form. Invoices were mailed on May 10. Payment is due within 30 days. Please submit payment before the due date to avoid license suspension.   

What activity is supported by this fee?

Legislation directed the fees be deposited in the environmental fund. The environmental fund is used to cover Agency SSTS staffing for review of new technology, technical assistance for local governments, training individual sewage treatment system professionals, program planning, and enforcement for the SSTS program. These activities result in a more effective licensing program, allows MPCA to work more closely with SSTS professionals statewide, and allows the MPCA to keep the rule updated as new advances are made in wastewater treatment.

The Process

November: SSTS installers will receive the SSTS septic tank installation record/submission form. Installers should check with local governmental units (LGUs) to verify the number of tanks they installed. SSTS installers must complete the entire SSTS septic tank installation record/submission form and submit it to the MPCA by January 30 of the following year. Failure to submit the form may result in license suspension. Do not include payment with the SSTS septic tank installation record/submission form.

April: SSTS installers who report installing one or more septic system tanks will receive an invoice from the MPCA for payment. This invoice must be paid within 30 days of receipt. Include the invoice with your payment submission. Failure to submit payment may result in license suspension.

SSTS installers who did not install any tanks in the current calendar year should report zero on the SSTS septic tank installation record/submission form. SSTS installers who no longer own a licensed business should contact the MPCA. Please contact Kristi Kalk at 507-344-5261 or Sadie Wunder at 218-316-3909 with any questions.

MPCA SSTS staff are in the process of conducting local government unit (LGU) SSTS implementation assessments. The purpose of these is to help the LGU understand what the program requirements are and, where appropriate, identify opportunities or gaps in current practice.

While counties may be assessed, staff are focusing on cities, townships and other permitting authorities to assure that:

• Their ordinances are up-to-date with the respective county
  
• They submit an annual report
  
• They implement a permitting program
  
• They are capable of enforcing their
      ordinance. 
  

The questionnaire is located here. Agency staff will be contacting LGUs to schedule an assessment.

By statute, cities, townships, and other permitting authorities have one year from county adoption to update their ordinances and comply with county minimums. If you would like to learn more about city and township LGU requirements, please review this factsheet. 

 If you have questions or if you would like to schedule an assessment please contact your MPCA SSTS Field Staff.