DecentralizedWastewater.org

10/23/2026

Did you know that NOWRA - The National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association has recently updated their Homeowner’s Onsite System Guide and Record Keeping Folder with new graphics and information? The folder features basic information about onsite systems and tips to keep onsite systems maintained and functioning. Homeowners can also use it to record vital system information and track any maintenance or repairs!

If you want to distribute this handy tool to homeowners you work with, the document can be downloaded as a PDF, or printed copies can also be ordered from NOWRA.

Download the PDF at this link:https://www.nowra.org/Customer-Content/www/CMS/files/Homeowner_s_Onsite_System_Guide-Online.pdf
Order copies from NOWRA using this form:https://www.nowra.org/Customer-Content/www/CMS/files/2026_NOWRA-Home_Folder_09_14_26.pdf

10/21/2026

Last week on Tap Talk, our team welcomed a returning guest back to the show: Dr. Andrew Jacque, founder and chief scientist at Water Quality Investigations. Andrew previously guested on episodes TT069 and TT070 along with his colleague Emily Hefty-Dieckhoff, where they covered the basics of biofilms and the impacts they have in household water systems. In Part 1 of this new two-part episode, Andrew dives even deeper into the water quality issues that biofilms cause in all kinds of water systems from private wells to public water supplies.

Listen at the Tap Talk website, linked in this post, or find the show on audio platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, and Audible.

Find the episode on our website here: https://www.drinkingwaterpodcast.org/tt090-biofilms-in-focus-impacts-on-private-and-public-water-supplies/

10/19/2026

It’s getting close to that time of year where septic systems in cold winter climates ought to be prepared for the season ahead. According to the University of Minnesota Water Resources Center, the basic precautions to protect a septic system ahead of the winter include:

🟠 Winterizing pipes
🟠 Minding the furnace
🟠 Cleaning/pumping the septic tank
🟠 Maintaining a vegetative cover over the soil treatment area
🟠 Protecting the soil treatment cover from additional weight

Read more from UMN at their seasonal septic system maintenance webpage: https://septic.umn.edu/seasonal-care

10/16/2026

October’s From the Trenches newsletter was distributed yesterday! Check for it in your inbox, or take a look at the link in this post. In this edition, we feature the news of the USDA providing funding for rural water, our recent collaborations with UGA Extension water specialist Gary Hawkins, the announcement of next spring’s Private Well Conference in Asheville, and more.

See the newsletter at our online archive here: https://wateroperator.activehosted.com/social/a516a87cfcaef229b342c437fe2b95f7.478

10/14/2026

🚨 This month’s “From the Trenches” newsletter is coming out tomorrow! If you’re not already on our email list, be sure to sign up ASAP. All you need to do is follow the link below to our website’s “Latest News” page, where you’ll be able to sign up in the sidebar form labeled “Get the Latest News.” From that page, you can also explore our archive of past newsletter editions, as well as check out our blog posts.

Click here to find the sign up: https://decentralizedwastewater.org/latest-news/

10/12/2026

For Tap Talk’s 89th episode last week, we were pleased to welcome on Gary Hawkins, a water resource management specialist at UGA Extension! In this role, Gary spends a lot of his time conducting outreach and education programs for the citizens of Georgia to teach them more about their septic systems, private wells, and other water resources. In this episode, he dives deep with Steve and Jennifer on how he has built creative and engaging methods of delivering needed onsite wastewater education.

Listen at the Tap Talk website, linked in this post, or find the show on audio platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, and Audible.

Find the episode on our website here: https://www.drinkingwaterpodcast.org/tt089-outreach-in-action-the-art-of-making-septic-education-fun/

10/09/2026

We hope that everyone is still being SepticSmart even in October! But not all homeowners are familiar with the EPA’s Quick Tips, so we compiled them into two blog posts to better break down these critical principles for septic owners and operators. Check out Part 2, attached to this post, to learn more about how to Shield Your Field, Protect It and Inspect It, Don’t Overload the Commode, and Pump Your Tank!

Follow this link to get to our blog: https://decentralizedwastewater.org/reviewing-the-septicsmart-quick-tips-part-2/

Helpful Information Reviewing the SepticSmart Quick Tips, Part 2 ByLaura Schultz September 29, 2026September 30, 2026 In this blog post, we’re breaking down SepticSmart Quick Tips #4-7 (Shield Your Field!, Protect It and Inspect It, Don’t Overload the Commode, and Pump Your Tank!). Last week, we...

10/07/2026

Last week on Tap Talk, our team welcomed back Dr. Amie Shei of The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, and we were also joined by Jenna Day of RCAP Solutions! Amie and Jenna share what’s happened with their efforts to advocate for statewide regulations on private well water quality since we first had Dr. Shei on the show in episode TT041 (“Data: The Key to Private Well Advocacy.”) They explained to Jennifer & Steve how sampling hundreds of wells grew into a statewide coalition, a funded MassDEP study, and a bill that would require private well testing when a property is sold.

Listen at the Tap Talk website, linked in this post, or find the show on audio platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, and Audible.

Find the episode on our website here: https://www.drinkingwaterpodcast.org/tt088/

10/05/2026

Were you able to make it to the “Onsite Wastewater Systems: Uses, Basics, and Advanced Systems” webinar that our sister program The Private Well Class hosted on September 24? If not, don’t worry — the video recording is posted on YouTube and is freely available to view!

This webinar covered onsite wastewater system management, types of onsite systems and their specific uses, how these systems work, and the new lesson in the Private Well Class homeowner course on onsite systems.

Head to the Private Well Class website to find the video recording: https://privatewellclass.org/webinars/onsite-systems/

10/02/2026

To mark this year’s SepticSmart Week, the US EPA released a SepticSmart Week activity book for kids! The purpose of the activity book is to get children interested in and educated on taking care of septic systems. The book features coloring pages, puzzles, a word search, and the SepticSmart Quick Tips.

We’re pleased to share that our sister program, The Private Well Class, is currently hosting the activity book online through our partnership with the EPA and the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP). A direct link to the book can be found on both our own homepage and at PrivateWellClass.org. We encourage you to download the book and use it for outreach to families and children!

Go here to take a look! ➡️https://privatewellclass.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/09/SSW-Activity-Book_Print-Ready_Final.pdf