Residents of the Baffin Bay watershed are invited to attend educational workshops on septic system maintenance Aug. 13 and 14.
The workshops are free, will cover identical information, and will be held:
- 13, 1 - 3 p.m., at the Jim Wells County Fairgrounds Women’s Building, 3001 Johnson St. in Alice.
- 14, 10 a.m. - noon, Seawind RV Resort Rec Hall, 1066 FM 628 in Riviera.
Landowners and residents in Jim Wells, Duval, Nueces and Kleberg counties who depend on septic systems are encouraged to attend. The workshops will focus on best practices for operating and maintaining home septic systems.
To register, contact Shaylynn Postma, Texas Water Resources Institute research associate with Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Bryan-College Station, at shaylynn.postma@ag.tamu.edu.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wastewater specialists will be available to answer attendees’ questions about septic systems. Participants will also learn about a grant program that will provide a limited number of septic system inspections and pump-outs only in the Petronila Creek and San Fernando Creek watersheds. These clinics do not certify homeowners to do their own quarterly inspections required for aerobic systems.
Lunch and refreshments will be provided with support from H-E-B's Our Texas Our Future campaign. Funding for the class 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.
Home septic systems, also known as on-site sewage facilities or OSSFs, treat wastewater before it is dispersed on-site. Malfunctioning OSSFs can pose a human health risk and may contribute excess bacteria and other pollutants to local watersheds. Proper septic maintenance can help extend the life of systems and reduce the need for costly repairs.
San Fernando and Petronila Creeks Watershed Protection Plan
Failing septic systems were identified during the San Fernando and Petronila Creeks watershed protection planning process as a potential source of bacterial contamination in 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 to Baffin Bay. To learn more about efforts to protect the Baffin Bay watershed, visit bringingbaffinback.org and see the San Fernando and Petronila Creeks Watershed Protection Plan at baffin.twri.tamu.edu.
