Are you a homeowner who uses a septic tank on your property?
Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman’s new Septic Saver rebate program will provide relief for eligible residents who pay stormwater fees.
Kittleman has filed legislation that would offer $100 rebates to Howard County homeowners with septic tanks. The rebates will provide an incentive for these homeowners to pump their tanks at regular intervals.
Kittleman is taking action because Howard County’s Office of Community Sustainability has determined that septic tank pumping is a cost-effective approach to help meet the Maryland Department of the Environment’s mandate to treat 20 percent of the state’s impervious surfaces by 2019. An impervious surface is a driveway, parking lot, rooftop, or any other surface that cannot effectively absorb rainfall. The cost of treating stormwater runoff is included in residents’ monthly water bills, based on the surface area of impervious surfaces on their properties.
“Performing regular maintenance on septic systems is vital to the environment,” said Kittleman. “Giving residents an incentive to get the work done is not only a win for them, but also furthers our mission to be good stewards of our County.”
Kittleman added that if all homeowners with septic tanks took part in the Septic Saver program, Howard County could achieve about 30 percent of its 2019 permit treatment goal. In addition to the rebate, the county’s Septic Savers program will offer homeowners educational clinics and information through a partnership with the University of Maryland’s Septic Clinic Program.
To qualify for the rebate under the Septic Savers program that Kittleman proposes, homeowners would have to submit an invoice showing the completed work and use a hauler that maintains a current septic scavenger permit. Howard County residents would be able to apply for the rebate every three to five years, depending on their pumping needs.
The Septic Saver program will be a win-win for homeowners and the environment.
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