Federal septic repair funds available

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

The Mahoning County District Board of Health will receive $300,000 in federal funds this year to help low- and moderate-income households repair or replace their failing septic systems.

This year, for the first time, up to $150,000 of that money can be used for abandonment of failed septic systems and connections to existing sanitary sewer systems, said Ryan Tekac, the board’s environmental health director.

Homeowners with documented failing septic systems, whose households consist of four or fewer people and whose annual household income is $24,300 or less, qualify to have federal funds cover the full repair or replacement cost.

Other low or moderate income households qualify to have the federal government pay varying percentages of repair or replacement costs under a complex formula based on household size and income.

Between 2011 and 2013, the BOH received nearly $348,000 from the federal program, enabling repair or replacement of 28 failing household sewage treatment systems.

No federal funds were awarded for this program in 2014-15, but the BOH got $300,000 for it last year.

Homeowners interested in participating in the 2017 program should call the BOH at 330-270-2855 and select the environmental division.