Baffin Bay watershed residents are invited to attend free educational workshops on septic system maintenance on Aug. 13 in Alice and Aug. 14 in Riviera.

A septic system is open for maintenance at a home.
Septic system experts will show homeowners how to properly and safely maintain their systems during a workshop in Alice on Aug. 13 and in Riviera on Aug. 14. (Texas Water Resources Institute)

Hosted by the Texas Water Resources Institute and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the workshops will cover identical information and are geared towards residents in Jim Wells, Duval, Nueces and Kleberg counties who depend on septic systems to run their homes.

Workshop locations and times are:

  • Aug. 13, 1-3 p.m., Jim Wells County Fairgrounds Women’s Building, 3001 Johnson St., Alice.
  • Aug. 14, 10 a.m.-noon, Seawind RV Resort recreational hall, 1066 Farm-to-Market Road 628, Riviera.

Both workshops will focus on the best practices for operating and maintaining home septic systems. Lunch and refreshments will be provided with support from H-E-B’s Our Texas Our Future campaign.

To register, contact Shaylynn Postma, Texas Water Resources Institute research associate with Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Bryan-College Station, at [email protected].

Maintenance basics, grant program among topics presented

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wastewater specialists will be available to answer participants’ questions about septic systems. Participants will also learn about a grant program that will provide a limited number of septic system inspections and pump-outs only in the Petronila Creek and San Fernando Creek watersheds. The workshops do not certify homeowners to do their own quarterly inspections required for aerobic systems.

Home septic systems, also known as on-site sewage facilities or OSSFs, treat wastewater before it is dispersed on-site. Malfunctioning home septic systems can pose a human health risk and may contribute excess bacteria and other pollutants to local watersheds. Proper septic system maintenance can help extend the life of systems and reduce the need for costly repairs.

Clinic part of San Fernando and Petronila Creeks watershed protection plan

Failing septic systems were identified during the San Fernando and Petronila Creeks watershed protection planning process as a potential source of bacterial contamination in nearby streams and waterways. This clinic is offered as an educational component of the San Fernando and Petronila Creeks Watershed Protection Plan.

Petronila Creek and San Fernando Creek are two of the three major tributaries to Baffin Bay. To learn more about Baffin Bay watershed protection efforts, visit bringingbaffinback.org. To learn about the San Fernando and Petronila Creeks Watershed Protection Plan, visit baffin.twri.tamu.edu.

Funding for the workshops is provided by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as part of a Clean Water Act Section 319(h) Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

TWRI is a unit of AgriLife Research that combines expertise across the agencies of Texas A&M AgriLife.

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