Brettski:

I work at a health department. I'm in management so not an expert at anything and can't provide good advice on this. I can say that most health department environmental health people will try use common sense to provide you guidance as to the best system for your particular situation if you ask and provide the specifics. They have no profit motive and many deal with a lot of systems.

As an aside, there has been a major battle waging for some time over the septic system issue. Here are some background links. Basically, environmental groups have sued the federal EPA to require Illinois EPA to prevent surface discharging septic systems. Their argument is that discharging systems are prohibited by the 1972 Water Pollution Control Act as it applies to all surface discharges.

There are approximately 150,000 existing septic systems in Illinois. With mandatory maintenance / inspections / soil testing / new systems, there is a LOT of money at stake.

Many local health departments are opposed to this change due to the cost involved for homeowners, due to the fact that non-discharging systems do not work well in many of our soil types, and recognition that too stringent regulations result in more raw sewage discharges (i.e. can't afford or don't want the hassle of a "legal" system so sneak in a 55 gallon drum with a pipe). I could rant about forever; but here are some related links.

http://www.epa.state.il.us/public-notices/2006/general-private-sewage/index.pdf

http://www.epa.state.il.us/public-notices/2006/general-private-sewage/draft-permit.pdf

http://www.owpi.net/

http://www.prairierivers.org/

A couple representatives from IEPA (the one writing the regs and his boss) came to a meeting I attended last week to provide more info. This thing is still pretty fluid; but headed down a bad path. We've stopped it before; but most of the surface discharging systems are downstate and most of the legislators are upstate. The comment period expires July 10th.

This is important for you because I don't remember the language providing any grandfathering provision. IEPA has verbally said that existing systems won't have to comply until major renovation; but...

In total fairness, I think most of the IEPA staff would rather this whole issue go away. Certain "environmental" groups and others who stand to gain are the ones pushing it.

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