beginning to ask some pertinent questions

Perspective for your consideration …What does it look like when it’s fixed…?

About Sewers, Septics and Water Pollution…Prescott News... EXCERPTED… Lauren Millette … http://prescottenews.com/news/current-news/about-sewers-septics-and-water-pollution.html ... First, I invite everyone to make the time to view Ms. Millette’s article available on line at the site noted.
Secondly, The question still remains as to who will pay for sewering unsewered Prescott areas. There are 610 units on the outskirts of Prescott on septic tanks and 1,822 water meters in the city not linked to sewers. Although Prescott City Councils have dodged this issue for decades, water pollution complaints have percolated it to the top of main stream conversation at city hall and in north Prescott homes. City staff and members of the Prescott Mayor's Advisory Committee on Unsewered Areas met twice this summer since the topic packed council chambers and spurred hours of public outcry at several council sessions when Prescott Mayor Jack Wilson presented the concept that residents in these unsewered north Prescott neighborhoods foot the bill.
Although city staff initially associated the spillage with leaking septic units, residents on septic complained to council their septic tanks are maintained regularly and they should not have to fork out money for a city sewer line when they believe the sewage is coming from old, corroding sewer pipes the city has needed to replace for decades.
What about enforcing health code violations? Arizona Department of Environmental Quality officials relegated responsibility over environmental concerns to the county for this region even in areas annexed into various cities and towns. City staff reports they contacted ADEQ regarding the leaking sewage and were told the issue needs to be addressed by the county health department until the point where the pollution it is out of control and complaints are filed with ADEQ that no steps are being taken toward mitigation.
I want to rise and salute the folks in Prescott who are at least choosing to begin to ask some of those pertinent questions which government regulators and bureaucrats have for years summarily hidden from public view.

The process to design, install, utilize and maintain (O&M) any residential onsite wastewater treatment and effluent disposal system (SEPTIC SYSTEM) is one deliberately fraught with misinformation, misdirection and outright deception. And let me be even a bit bolder, I am willing to present my case before any audience in Arizona.

We have deliberately made the design, installation, utilization and O&M of all SEPTIC SYSTEMS merely a function of promoting and sustaining growth at the expense of water quality. Not, true, you say…? In the approx 18 months prior to the implementation of the initial ADEQ Unified Permit Rule approved by GRRC for Jan 2001, a number of citizens, regulators, engineers, contractors, homeowners voluntarily met to promulgate a rule which we endeavored to be clear, concise and understandable. Being novices, we were out “politic” by ADEQ and its minions and were trumped at GRRC by the then Governor of Arizona – Jane Hull. The Unified Permit Rule fostered by ADEQ, implemented in Jan 2001, sold out to the interests of the developers, the mines, the municipalities, the utilities choosing to summarily turn its back on overt protection of all forms of your water. Harsh and untrue, please ask ADEQ to come to the table prepared to honestly answer all your questions, without the need to play hide and seek with you…? Their game is you seek answers and ADEQ hides all the evidence and the truth from you.

But the bottom lines is “we” and most assuredly includes moi, are unwilling to HOLD the owner and user of any SEPTIC SYSTEM accountable and responsible. The HOMEOWNER is in Arizona the sacred cow, the untouchable.

This harkens to the legacy truth of Sir Issac Newton … for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction … as it pertains to SEPTIC SYSTEMS is there is no such thing as a free-lunch. We have steadfastly absolutely refused to hold the HOMEOWNER accountable and/or responsible for the care, custody and control of the SEPTIC SYSTEM he utilizes. And then with timidity we ask why our water is being polluted…?

We allowed ADEQ to implement a program which could have set the initial bar in establishing accountability and responsibility of HOMEOWNERS for the current operating state of the SEPTIC SYSTEM on their property, the mandatory RESALE SEPTIC INSPECTION & CERTIFICATION PROCESS, only to see them bastardize the process by making sure to legally holding no one in the process accountable save the buyer – caveat emptor.

Enter today a new economic factor challenging cities, towns, municipalities, etc to control all forms of water including and especially wastewater. Today’s wastewater is tomorrow’s potable water for you and yours, make no mistake about it. There is $$$ for those who can control and have dominion over how wastewater is collected, treated and utilized in the future. One need only take a cursory look on the internet and Google topics like, water privatization, Bechtel, Suez, Veolia Environment and RWE for starters, to get a glimpse of the extent these and other multinational corporations are moving to take control and dominion over all forms of water.

Here is a most telling fact … Arizona Department of Environmental Quality officials relegated responsibility over environmental concerns to the county for this region even in areas annexed into various cities and towns. City staff reports they contacted ADEQ regarding the leaking sewage and were told the issue needs to be addressed by the county health department until the point where the pollution it is out of control and complaints are filed with ADEQ that no steps are being taken toward mitigation. I invite you to ask Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City what ADEQ’s solution to this condition was for them…? Answer … the big pipe … yup, sewer it and built reputed state of the art sewage treatment facilities and you pick up the tab. Oh, yea, these same politicians are not unwilling to sell your tax paid facility to a private firm like Suez or enter into a “sweetheart” deal at the get-go and have them build the facility granting to them total care, custody and control over all aspects of operating the systems – including – what they charge you.

Hey it’s your water, your health, your life, so perhaps you want to have more than a passive voice in how others make decisions over all aspects of your water.