Boardman, Coitsville residents to get letters about septic tanks

The septic pumping
reminder program, started 11 years ago, can help
prevent costly repairs.

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County District Board of Health has mailed pumping reminders to 273 Boardman Township and 394 Coitsville Township residents with septic systems.

“There is no law that requires homeowners to get their septic tanks pumped,” said Matthew Stefanak, county health commissioner. “But reminding homeowners to get their septic systems serviced regularly can save them thousands of dollars in repair costs,” he said.

According to health board records, 779 households in Boardman Township and 655 households in Coitsville Township rely on septic tank systems to treat their household sewage.

Septic tanks should be pumped at various 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.

Homeowners will receive a pumping interval recommendations 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 that information to keep track of when the septic system was last pumped.
The board’s reminder program has prompted thousands of county homeowners to do preventive maintenance on their septic systems since the program began in 1997.

More information about preventing water pollution from household sewage disposal systems can be found on the Health Reports/Advisories page of the health board Web site at www.mahoning-health.org.