RUSS continuing to get HC septic, wells up to date

The Regional Utility Service Systems is continuing to work with the Board of Health to get septic tanks and wells up to code a year after they were contracted by Henry County to take over environmental services.

In April 2018, Bruce Hudson, executive director of Regional Utility Service Systems (RUSS), said it would take 25 to 30 years to fix issues that have been building for years. During a Board of Health meeting on Tuesday, June 25, Buzz Bezoni, Board of Health chair, asked how the Board of Health can speed up that process.

'I think it comes down to the appetite of the county,” Hudson said. 'If the Board of Health is willing to really go at it, then that's what we do.”

Hudson has spent the past year using a proactive approach of catching out-of-date septic systems and wells during inspections and time of transfers.

'I'm sure there's 100 or more systems not in compliance, mostly along the river, I would guess,” Hudson said.

Hudson said that RV parks typically don't have the correct holding tank capacities or dumping stations. Those are difficult to catch, however, because not many people are doing time and transfers on RVs. Hudson said what they could do is write a letter giving notice of inspections and that it's already in the Iowa Code that sewage cannot be knowingly discharged into the environment.

'You tell me what you would like RUSS to do in fulfilling the 28E Agreement for environmental services (for Henry County), and I'll do that,” Hudson said.

Bezoni said he would like the Board of Health to consider adopting a plan for how to go about catching all out-of-date septic tanks and wells more quickly.

Greg Moeller, vice chair of the Board of Health, said Henry County Planning and Zoning would need to be 'heavily involved” in that process.”

Hudson said that as long as there is consistency in who is enforcing environmental regulations, all of those residences that are out of compliance will eventually get cleaned up.