Homeowners in Knox County who cannot afford to deal with failing septic systems may find the financial assistance they need from a $150,000 award to Knox County Public Health.
According to a news release, the Ohio EPA awarded Knox County Public Health $150,000 in principal forgiveness loans for repairing and replacing low-income property owners’ household sewage treatment systems.
Nathan Overholt, director of the county agency’s Environmental Health Division, said individual property owners could be offered reduced interest rates on bank loans to repair or replace failing home sewage treatment systems (HSTS), also known as on-lot systems or septic systems.
He said that the funding comes through the Ohio Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF), in conjunction with local health districts and participating banks.
“This funding reduces the overall cost of the improvements for the property owner and helps ensure effective wastewater treatment,” Overholt told the Mount Vernon News.
The Ohio EPA awarded this funding to provide financial and technical assistance for surface and groundwater quality improvements, he said.
Homeowners who submit an application and meet the qualifications will now be able to repair or replace their failing household sewage systems.
"[These repairs will] ensure untreated sewage effluent is not discharging directly to the ground surface, road ditches or surface waters,” Overholt said.
Knox County Public Health applied for this funding through the Ohio EPA specifically for use with qualified individual homeowners who live where a household sewage treatment system needs repairs or replacement.
