MAHONING COUNTY Officials say spreading septage on land is safe

Some residents are concerned about the practice.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR HEALTH WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- There's a new furor in Jackson Township about an old policy, according to one Mahoning County employee.
Spreading septage on land has been done in Mahoning County since 1920, and despite concerns of some Jackson Township residents that it could contaminate drinking-water wells and streams, it is safe if done properly, said Matthew Stefanak, Mahoning County Health District commissioner.
There are 11 sites where the county has approved the spreading of septage.
Septage, which is the liquid and solid material removed from household septic tanks, is good fertilizer and a wonderful soil conditioner to reclaim stripped or eroded soil, Stefanak said.
Septage, which is 96 percent to 99 percent water, low in heavy metals, nitrogen and phosphorus and biodegradable, is safe to use on land if applied according to Environmental Protection Agency regulations, the health commissioner said.
Residents disagree
However, not every one agrees with Stefanak's assessment, especially some residents in Jackson Township who live in the area of the newest acreage approved for septage application.
Residents say they are concerned that if septage is sprayed on the 67-acre parcel land at 2387 Salem-Warren Road, it could contaminate their drinking-water wells and streams that flow to Meander Reservoir, which supplies drinking water for parts of two counties.
However, Stefanak said the health department has closely monitored approved sites for many years and has not detected pollutants.
"That is why I am comfortable as a scientist and a 'health cop' that it is a safe practice," Stefanak said.
He said the health department monitors the soil chemistry to ensure that too many chemicals, primarily phosphates, do not build up in the soil. Over the years, he said the health department has ordered some sites to rest until phosphate levels are reduced.
The primary limiting factor is water, particularly between April and November. Pumpers are prohibited from applying septage when the soil is saturated, Stefanak said.
Regulations
Before it is applied to land, the septage is treated with lime, which kills bacteria and viruses and eliminates most of the odor, Stefanak said. Also, septage must be managed so it does not attract insects and rodents that can carry pathogens, he said.
There are also crop-harvesting restrictions: 30 days after application for animal-feed crops and food crops not touching the ground; 14 months for food crops touching the ground; 20 to 38 months for food crops below ground; and one year for lawn turf.
Also, land appliers must adhere to distance regulations: 25 feet from field drainage swales, wet weather and intermittent streams; 50 feet from property lines and roads; and 500 feet from lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, occupied dwellings, wells and cisterns.
In order to reassure people that land application of septage is safe, Stefanak said his department would step up environmental monitoring to prove there is no pollution.
He noted that before land application of septage occurs, drinking-water wells, farm ponds and streams are tested for pollutants to determine if the level of pollutants increases after the application of septage.
What is somewhat different about the disputed site in Jackson Township is that several streams flow through it.
Testing
Because of that, Stefanak said the health department plans to consult with the Ohio EPA on how often to test streams.
Regarding drinking-water wells, he said about one-third of the wells tested any place in the county have bacteria caused by the presence of animal or human fecal matter.
The health department enforces the U.S. EPA regulations on land application of septage, registers pumpers, requires pumping reports and inspects and tests land application sites.
The health department said septic pumpers removed 2,564,913 gallons of septage from 2,386 household sewage-treatment systems in Mahoning County in 2003. Of this amount, 1,515,626 gallons were taken to waste treatment plants in Struthers, Warren, Alliance and New Castle, Pa., for disposal. Some 598,000 gallons were applied to land in Mahoning County, and the rest was applied to land in Columbiana and Stark Counties.
alcorn@vindy.com