More and more Adirondack towns are understanding the impacts of failing septic systems and how they relate to water quality, tourism, and property values. These towns are implementing laws requiring periodic inspections of septic systems with the intent to assure they are functional.
Based on 2019 homeownership data obtained from the Office of Real Properties, there are 980 homes with septic systems in the Upper Saranac Watershed. In a 2017 Upper Saranac stakeholder survey, findings indicated that 24% of the Upper Saranac systems are over 30 years old or their age is unknown, and 35% of the responding households lacked proper septic upkeep. Steel septic tanks installed over 20 years ago are considered in failure.
Following a similar study of Lake George septic systems that indicated a startling number of residents were not upgrading or pumping their systems properly, a new wastewater regulation and mandatory septic system inspection and pump-out program was implemented. Septic systems anywhere in the Lake George basin must be pumped out at least once every 10 years. If a system is within 500 feet of the Lake or 100 feet of a stream, it must be pumped and inspected every five years.
Many respondents to the Upper Saranac Watershed survey felt that current wastewater treatment practices impacted water quality, with 41.6% thinking that practices needed to be improved; 47.9% were unsure, and only 10.5% thought that current practices were satisfactory for protecting water quality.
Is it time for the towns in the Upper Saranac Watershed to follow the lead of other Adirondack towns and consider similar regulations? As owners of a septic system, we all have the responsibility to protect your family’s health, as well as protect the quality of our lake’s water from contamination. A properly designed, constructed, and maintained system can provide long-term effective treatment of wastewater, and help protect our lake and your property investment.
For more detailed information on septic systems, visit The Upper Saranac Foundations: Homeowners Guide to Septic Maintenances