IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE A SURPRISE

Arizona Republic reports…. CITIES, FIRMS FOULING ARIZONA WATER …..

I found the above referenced article referencing your organization most interesting. Forgive me but this is the first I have heard about your organization and I wonder if someone might choose to provide answers to me on the following issue respecting water and wastewater in Arizona.

For the record, my name is Paul F Miller and I have been an active participant in residential wastewater issues in Arizona for the past 30 years. I invite you to perform whatever background check you might choose about me. I believe you will quickly learn that that in some quarters I am labeled the quintessential poster child “trouble-maker” for ADEQ as well as a number of Arizona County Environmental Health Dept.

I find it most interesting that the headlines “we” – that’s you and I – are inclined to read have a “big-fish” focus to them. Meanwhile on a daily basis “we” continue to allow leaking septic tanks and gravity leaching systems to be installed thorough Arizona in soil and topographic condition woefully unsuitable. But hey, it’s out of sight, so it’s out off our radar screen. And besides, what’s the harm…?

I am not attempting to paint Americans as evil-doers, rather very content to live quite unaware, in a cocoon insulated.

For me one shining example of this level of unawareness manifests in the manner “we” continue to choose, here in Arizona, to treat all forms of wastewater. I am not in the finger pointing game, as I have learned long ago when I point my finger at others there are four of my own fingers pointing back at me. What is perplexing is our continued insistence as a “community” that all is well respecting the manner “we” permit all forms of wastewater to be “treated” and returned to our potable water aquifers. You are aware of the longer term health implications “we” are permitting to be perpetuated upon the public…?

I am asking … what does it take to bring to an awareness level to the public, an understanding of the long term damage “we” are creating by our insistence that septic system be “cheap” – that they not be held accountable to any viable operational standard – that they can be operated with virtual impunity with no accountability or responsibility for liquids one puts into these systems, be it private, municipal, corporate industrial or homeowner…?
I continue to be perplexed as to why Arizona is not able to develop a “community” voice for the residential on-site industry. “We” remain as fractured, splintered, disassociated and disconnected as we have even been. In fact it can be truthfully stated we are farther apart today than at any time in the past 30 years. And yet especially within the last ten years the number of residential septic systems installed under our very archaic protocols has increased significantly impacting and impinging on an even greater proportion of available potable water.

I have asked of many regulators, both state and county, why Arizona is not the leader in use of “greywater” and to date no one really wants to answer the question. Why is that… ? I fervently believe “we” choose to avoid answering this question because it opens a Pandora’s Box to a potpourri of questions most of us in the residential on-site industry do not want to be seen in the light of day.

The straw that broke this camel’s back was my recent experience respecting the septic system failure which we were made aware of by Maricopa County private contractor personnel and which I made everyone I could think aware of only to see how efficiently, effectively and effortlessly government invoked – silence – and like the proverbial monkeys – they see no evil – they speak no evil – they hear no evil. Interestingly to date, I still have not heard one word from Maricopa County Environmental Health or ADEQ.

Pardon me, but I no longer believe the “system” can be repaired or salvaged. I have absolutely no problem were we to throw the baby out with the bath water. I see no honor in the system. I see only a system designed to function as most contemporary systems (public and private) – to perpetuate itself – protect itself – to insulate itself. This is I know the curse of anyone with a strong sense of “idealism,” of which I am afflicted.

Does your organization have a position respecting the current ADEQ rules and regulations governing the installation of any residential on-site wastewater (septic) system ….? Does your organization have any position respecting the lack of any formal oversight in the manufacture of and installation of any underground vessel installed in Arizona … ? Does your organization have any position on the current residential re-sale septic program in place in Arizona … ? Are you aware that in the last ten years nearly 100,000 NEW residential septic systems were installed in Arizona with virtually no oversight and with the ability to operate with virtual impunity…? Or are these issues too small potatoes for you…?

If by chance you might want additional information, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you.