MAHONING COUNTY Residents will receive septic system reminders

Preventive maintenance can save thousands of dollars in repairs, the health board said.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning County Board of Health will soon begin mailing pumping reminders to nearly 1,380 Austintown and Smith township residents who have septic systems.
"There is no law that requires homeowners to get their septic tanks pumped," said Matthew Stefanak, Mahoning county health commissioner. "But reminding homeowners to get their septic tanks services regularly can save them thousands of dollars in repair costs."
According to board of health records, 1,567 households in Austintown Township and 1,462 households in Smith Township rely on septic systems to treat their household sewage.
Septic tanks should be pumped at different intervals depending on household size and water usage. A four-person household with a 1,000-gallon septic tank should have its septic tank pumped every three years.
Recommendations
Homeowners will receive a pumping interval recommendation and a list of licensed pumpers with their reminder letter. Pumpers notify the health board when they pump a septic tank, and the board uses this information to keep track of when a septic system was last pumped.
The board reminder program has prompted thousands of homeowners in Mahoning county to do preventive maintenance on their septic systems since the program began in 1997.
"We believe the program has helped keep many septic systems functioning properly that would have otherwise malfunctioned and threatened public health and the environment," Stefanak said.
More information about preventing water pollution from household sewage disposal systems can be found on the Health Reports/Advisories page of the board Web site at www.mahoning-health.org.