Residents of the San Fernando and Petronila Creek watersheds are invited to attend an educational workshop on septic system maintenance on June 4.
The workshop is free and will be held June 4 from 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., at the Texas A&M – Kingsville Engineering Complex, Room 109. Parking is available across the street in Lot F. Lunch and refreshments will be provided, with support from H-E-B's Our Texas Our Future campaign.
To register, call the Kleberg-Kenedy Extension Office at 361-595-8566.
Landowners and residents in Jim Wells, Duval, Nueces, and Kleberg counties who depend on septic systems are encouraged to attend. The workshop will focus on best practices for operating and maintaining home septic systems.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wastewater specialists will be available to answer attendees’ questions about septic systems. These clinics do not certify homeowners to do their own quarterly inspections required for aerobic systems.
Participants will also learn about a grant program providing a limited number of free septic system pump-outs to homeowners in the Petronila Creek and San Fernando Creek watersheds.
To apply for the septic system pump-out program, contact Shaylynn Postma, Texas Water Resources Institute research specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Bryan-College Station, at shaylynn.postma@ag.tamu.edu.
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 streams, bays, and groundwater. 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.
