Local counties get money to fix septic systems

SANDUSKY — The Ohio EPA has announced a new round of grant money to local counties to help homeowners replace failing septic tank systems. Health departments in seven counties — including Erie, Ottawa and Sandusky counties — will each get $250,000 apiece. Money also went to Paulding, Putnam, Williams and Wood counties. Depending on household income, low to moderate-income homeowners can obtain funding to cover 50 to 100 percent of the cost of fixing failing household sewage treatment systems. The money comes from the H2Ohio fund and follows previous funding awarded to the counties for fixing septic tank systems. Robert England, chief environmental public health officer, said the new grants announced this week represent a new funding stream aimed at cleaning up water in high-risk watersheds. Erie County received money because it is in the Sandusky River watershed, England said. The funding comes in addition to $150,000 Erie County received from its previous funding source for fixing septic tank systems, so the health department now has $400,000 to work with this year, England said. Erie County has been helping homeowners with failing septic tanks systems since 2016, and has been able to help about 40 households, England said. "It's all over the county, really in all of the rural areas," he said. While much of the work has been to fix septic tank systems, in the last two years the health department has been able to offer the alternative of tying into a sewer system, England said. Ottawa County's health department was pleased to get the $250,000, said Jerry Bingham, the county's health commissioner. "The funds will be used in addition to the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund program that is already utilized here in Ottawa County to replace or repair failing sewage treatment systems for homeowners," Bingham said. "Ottawa County has already helped over 32 families replace their failing sewage systems over the last few years," he said. "It's a win-win situation where we will be able to create jobs for area contractors, assist families to replace failing sewage systems one by one, and to make Ottawa County a healthier community for all to enjoy."