Funding available for septic system repair and replacement in Lampasas River watershed

The Lampasas River Watershed Partnership is coordinating a septic tank repair and replacement program for residents of the Lampasas River watershed to help improve and protect water quality. Watershed residents may be eligible for up to $8,000 to repair or replace defective systems.

The Lampasas River Watershed Partnership is coordinating a septic tank repair and replacement program to help improve and protect water quality. Up to $8,000 per treatment plant is available to local residents. (Photo by Texas A&M AgriLife by Lisa Prcin)

The Lampasas River Watershed Partnership is a collaborative effort by Texas A&M AgriLife Research, the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and local stakeholders to address water quality concerns in the Lampasas River watershed.

This is the second round of government grants available to cover the cost of repairing or replacing approximately 20 wastewater treatment plants within the watershed. The Lampasas River watershed includes portions of Mills, Hamilton, Lampasas, Coryell, Burnet, Bell and Williamson counties.

“As part of the implementation of the Lampasas River Watershed Conservation Plan, funds are available for homeowners to repair or replace defective sewage systems within the watershed,” said Lisa Prcin, senior research fellow at AgriLife Research and Lampasas River Watershed Coordinator , Temple.

She said the first round of funding enabled them to replace 20 broken sewage systems for residents of the Lampasas River watershed.

Visit http://www.lampasasriver.org/ossf for more information on the grant program, including general eligibility, needs assessment criteria for participation, and an interactive map of watershed boundaries. The application can also be downloaded from the website.

For questions about the grant program or to submit an application, contact Prcin at 254-774-6008 or email [email protected]. For information on wastewater treatment plants in Texas, see http://ossf.tamu.edu/.

Residential wastewater treatment plants, also known as on-site sewage treatment plants, are used to treat wastewater before it is distributed around the property. Defective systems can contaminate water bodies with bacteria and other pollutants that pose a threat to human and aquatic health.

Lampasas River watershed protection plan

The Conservation Plan was developed and implemented by the Lampasas River Watershed Partnership to address concerns about water quality in the Lampasas River watershed. These efforts include helping homeowners repair and/or update their systems.

“The Lampasas River Watershed Protection Plan was adopted in 2013, and efforts have been made to secure technical and financial support to implement parts of the plan and improve water quality throughout the watershed,” Prcin said.

“During the creation of the plan, stakeholders identified faulty sewage systems as the main contributors to bacteria in the watershed,” Prcin said. “One goal of the Lampasas River Watershed Partnership was to reduce the number of failed wastewater treatment plants.”

Funding and support for Lampasa’s Watershed Protection Plan comes from nonpoint-source grants from the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water Act.

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