Healthier rural homes in Ohio's future
Karen Mancl
  

Remember the 1970's? I do. Only a few homes had color TVs and none had VCRs or DVD players. Rotary desk and wall phones served homes and businesses. I started college in the 1970s and took my slide rule and a typewriter.

Of course tremendous advances in technology in the past 30 years have improved our personal safety and quality of life. While we have updated our homes with modern appliance and electronic devices, in Ohio we are still using and installing 1970-era septic systems to dispose of wastewater.

1970s septic system technology
Even today, Ohio has the oldest household sewage code in the nation. While state-of-the-art at the time, the sewage disposal systems permitted under the 1977 code do little to control pathogens that cause disease or pollutants present in human sewage that contaminate streams and wells.

Researchers at The Ohio State University and other leading universities in the nation have developed modern, effective and affordable onsite sewage treatment systems to remove pollutants and pathogens. However, under Ohio's 1977 code, they are difficult to approve for use.

New systems on the way
This situation will change under a new law passed by the Ohio legislature Dec. 1, 2004. The new sewage treatment system treatment system legislation, which allows for the development of an up-to-date sewage code, will help bring new technologies into Ohio to improve pubic health protection in rural and suburban Ohio. Improvement in soil assessment and matching appropriate technologies to the special needs of the home site is the first step. The new law also provides for improved maintenance to not only protect public health but the homeowner's investment.

With new practices and technologies will come the need for education. The Ohio State University operates the Soil Environment Technology Learning Lab to provide educational programs for wastewater treatment professionals. The Learning Lab, constructed at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center, north of London, has modern treatment systems now in operation offers hands-on workshops for installers, regulators and designers.

The septic system industry has also responded to the technological advances and educational opportunities. The Ohio Onsite Wastewater Association (OOWA) holds annual technical conferences and certifies qualified installers through their IQ program.

Homeowners and home builders looking for qualified installers and designers can check their educational credentials. Both the Ohio State University and OOWA post names of trained professionals on their websites. Check both http://setll.osu.edu and http://ohioon-site.org for more information.

It appears that during the next decade, we will move out of the 1970s and see tremendous advances and improvement in sanitation and environmental protection to enhance the quality of life in rural Ohio.

Karen Mancl, professor and Extension water quality specialist, can be reached at 614-292-6007 or mancl.1@osu.edu.

This column is provided by the OSU Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering.