(Augusta, ME) – A bill to strengthen water quality statewide through modest changes to Maine’s septic system rules has been signed into law by Governor Janet Mills after receiving overwhelming approval from lawmakers.
The changes were specifically crafted not to increase the burden on property owners but rather to ensure new septic systems being installed in certain sandy soils in Maine are being designed with both public health and environmental protection in mind.
“Poorly performing septic systems are a significant threat to Maine’s clean water,” said Luke Frankel, Staff Scientist at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “This new law will curb pollution by improving the design standards for septic systems in sandy soils next to lakes and ponds to ensure wastewater is properly treated.”
Due to Maine’s glacial history, much of the state is now covered with sandy soils that do a poor job of removing nutrients through natural processes like cation exchange, microbial activity, and root uptake. This phenomenon where septic system effluent receives minimal treatment because of its location within sandy soils or above shallow bedrock has been called “short circuiting,” and Maine’s current underground wastewater rules do not have provisions in place to address it.
LD 1550, sponsored by Senator Henry Ingwersen (York), aims to fix this by directing the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to amend the state’s current septic system rules to better promote nutrient removal in sandy soils through natural processes, like what already occurs in fine-grained soils. By focusing on natural processes backed by science to reduce pollution, the approach proposed in this bill represents a cost-effective means to tackle an emerging threat facing water bodies in Maine.
“There are many aspects of lake health that are out of our hands, but managing septic systems is entirely within reach,” said Susan Gallo, Executive Director of Maine Lakes. “This new law protects Maine’s lakes and ponds, and the wildlife and people who use them, by ensuring that future septic systems are constructed to reduce both pathogen and nutrient flow into lake water.”
Excess nutrients in Maine’s freshwater systems, especially phosphorus, contribute to declines in water quality and clarity, degradation of lake habitat for fish and wildlife, and excessive algae growth or “blooms.”
