Submitted by Sarah Flanagan
The Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association has now completed two successful septic workshops – the first was held on July 26th at the Pike Bay Community Centre and the second was held on August 12th at the Stokes Bay Community Centre.
During these workshops, participants had their questions answered and learned about the inner workings of septic systems, how to correctly care for their system, proper water and product use, and the Biosphere Association’s Septic Incentive Program. These workshops were led by Rick Roman, project manager.
The Association is very grateful to AJ Arps from Bruce Peninsula Septic Service Inc for lending his expertise to the workshops and providing a demonstration for attendants by pumping out the septic systems at the Pike Bay Community Centre and Stokes Bay Community Centre. If you missed these septic workshops and are interested in learning more, you can visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/septic-systems and view the Septic Smart booklet, which contains information about the functioning and proper care of septic systems.
The Biosphere Association will also be hosting at least two more septic workshops over the next two years.
In addition to these workshops, the Association runs a septic incentive program, which aims to improve water quality in the region by helping homeowners with septic pump-outs, inspections, and replacements. This work is a part of the Six Streams initiative, which is responsible for gathering information on the quality of water in local streams, providing cattle with alternative watering sources to those streams, replacing failing septic systems, reducing phosphorus and sediment loading from soil into streams, and improving shoreline quality and stewardship.
Under-performing septic systems affect water quality in streams, may lead to beach closures due to poor water quality, and may contaminate well water used for drinking. Currently, the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association is the only group doing this vital conservation work in the local area. Over the last six years, through this initiative, the BPBA has helped to replace 50 household septic systems and inspect and repair over 100 others.
Over the next two years, the Biosphere Association has funding for 60 household septic pump outs and inspections and the installation of at least 5 effluent filters. Additionally, $4,000 subsidies are available to help homeowners when they replace faulty systems. At this time, we are concentrating on the Northern Bruce Peninsula, south of Miller Lake, where the subsidy will be available for at least 15 household septic systems being replaced. If an individual’s system is inspected and found to be faulty, they may qualify for this financial assistance.
Finally, the Biosphere Association will be collecting water samples at existing monitoring stations. This program is made possible through generous funding of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks.
To learn more about the Biosphere’s programs, visit http://www.bpba.ca/
