Residents of the Baffin Bay watershed are invited to attend free educational workshops on septic tank maintenance on August 13 in Alice and August 14 in Riviera.
Septic tank experts will show homeowners how to properly and safely maintain their systems during a workshop Aug. 13 in Alice and Aug. 14 in Riviera. (Texas Water Resources Institute)
The workshops, hosted by the Texas Water Resources Institute and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, cover identical information and are aimed at residents of Jim Wells, Duval, Nueces and Kleberg Counties who rely on septic systems to service their homes.
Locations and times of the workshops are:
- Aug. 13, 1-3 p.m., Jim Wells County Fairgrounds Women's Building, 3001 Johnson St., Alice.
- August 14, 10 a.m. to noon, Seawind RV Resort Recreation Center, 1066 Farm-to-Market Road 628, Riviera.
Both workshops will cover best practices for operating and maintaining home septic systems. Lunch and refreshments will be provided with support from HE-B's Our Texas Our Future campaign.
To register, contact Shaylynn Postma, research associate at the Texas Water Resources Institute at Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Bryan-College Station, at [email protected].
Maintenance basics and subsidy program are among the topics presented
Wastewater specialists from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be available to answer participants' questions about septic systems. Participants will also learn about a grant program that allows a limited number of septic system inspections and pumping in the Petronila Creek and San Fernando Creek watersheds only. The workshops do not qualify homeowners to perform the quarterly inspections required for aerobic systems themselves.
Domestic septic systems, also known as on-site wastewater treatment plants or OSSFs, treat wastewater before it is distributed on-site. Malfunctioning domestic septic systems can pose a health risk and lead to excessive bacteria and other pollutants entering local watersheds. Proper maintenance of septic systems can help extend the life of the systems and reduce the need for costly repairs.
Clinic is part of the San Fernando and Petronila Creek watershed protection plan
During the planning process to protect the San Fernando and Petronila Creek watersheds, defective septic tanks were identified as a potential source of bacterial contamination in nearby creeks and waterways. This seminar is offered as an educational component of the San Fernando and Petronila Creek Watershed Protection Plan.
Petronila Creek and San Fernando Creek are two of the three main tributaries of Baffin Bay. For more information on efforts to protect the Baffin Bay watershed, visit bringingbaffinback.org. For information on the San Fernando and Petronila Creeks Watershed Protection Plan, visit baffin.twri.tamu.edu.
The workshops are funded by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality under a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act.
TWRI is a unit of AgriLife Research that brings together the expertise of all Texas A&M AgriLife agencies.
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