MOUNT VERNON — Knox Public Health has received $175,000 in state funds to help Knox County residents repair or replace failing septic systems.
The money comes through Ohio’s Water Pollution Control Loan Fund. It is a significant increase over the $75,000 the county received last year and the $150,000 in 2024.
Knox County Health Commissioner Zach Green said KPH is actively working with township trustees to let them know the funds are available.
“We’ve been really pushing hard, working with our trustees and zoning officers to be able to get those funds into our infrastructure within Knox County,” he said. “The $175,000 is the most in my tenure with the agency that we’ve actually been awarded.”
Green acknowledged the average homeowner might be reluctant to say their septic system is failing because of the expense to repair or replace it.
However, getting help is easier than residents think.
“The environmental health team has done a great job of identifying contractors,” Green said. “We’ll write the grant for them, do all the administrative work, and we already have individuals set up to go in and do the work for them.
“We’re trying to streamline it to where the average individual is not burdened with trying to learn what all this is.”
Funding is based on income. Households might qualify for full or partial coverage.
A failing septic system can cost more than $30,000 to replace.
“It’s highly important to recognize that that’s a financial burden for many of us, especially if comes out of nowhere,” Green said, acknowledging that homeowners often ignore signs of a failing system.
“And I understand that, but how do we continue to ensure neighbors’ wells don’t become compromised during that time?” he asked.
Who should call?
You might have a failing septic system if you notice any of the following:
• Slow drainage
• Foul odors
• Unusually green grass
• Pooling water
• Backed up drains
• Gurgling noises
Residents can contact Knox Public Health at 740-392-2200 ext. 2009 or download an application online. There is no application fee.
The applicant must be the homeowner, and property taxes must be paid current. Household income determines the amount a homeowner can qualify for.
Knox County used all of the state funding each of the last five years. If residents do not ask for or need the money, it stays with the state.
Green said the township trustees are driving the response because they are “boots on the ground.”
Ohio sewage laws are changing
Green said that House Bill 692 looks to change some of the sewage laws in the state of Ohio. Specifically, the required 10-year re-inspection requirement is on the chopping block.
Speaking on behalf of the health department, Green said the 10-year mandatory inspection requirement is not feasible nor sustainable. He is comfortable with it being eliminated or becoming optional.
However, he said it is a fine line.
“How do you ensure that those [systems] don’t become problematic in the future?” he asked.
“The one element that really scares me the most is removing soil tests before putting in the system.”
Green said in other parts of the state, getting soil testing completed in a timely manner has created hardship for Realtors in particular.
“We need to be able to move, but not testing the soils to really determine what’s in the best interest of the system you’re putting in … we’re going to go backward in some of our innovation,” he said.
“If we’re like well, we don’t know what the soils are, does that cost you more money because we have to upgrade your system to the highest level?”
In Knox County, it takes two to three weeks to get a soil scientist on site and a report.
For newly installed systems, the bill proposes moving the one-year follow-up from a formal inspection to an educational focus.
For example, homeowners moving from municipalities to the country might not know how to ensure they are spraying out the holding tank correctly.
“So, it’s more of just changing some of that language to ensure it’s educational driven,” Green said.
