Editorial: Unglamorous but important work

Carver County septic system case raises questions about fairness.

Last update: October 18, 2009 - 5:14 PM

Septic system code compliance may not be the most glamorous of topics, but it's an issue that many Minnesotans grapple with.

There are an estimated 500,000 septic systems around the state, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Many cabins, farms and homes in exurban areas rely on them. Selling the property or pulling a building permit often triggers an inspection to ensure a system is up to date. Homeowners in some communities may face periodic inspections. A fair amount of money rides on the outcome. Upgrading an old system can easily cost a homeowner $5,000 to $10,000.

Given how widespread septic systems are, how costly repairs can be and a leaky system's health hazards, there's considerable public interest in ensuring that inspections are done properly and enforcement is handled fairly. A recent headline-grabbing Carver County case involving an elderly Chanhassen couple left the troubling impression that this isn't always the case.

At one point, Lowell Carlson, 75, and his wife Janet, 69, said they'd rather go to jail than fix the decades-old septic system on a Norwood Young America farm they bought several years ago. The couple, who represented themselves in court, argued that there were widespread inequities in how septic systems were regulated around the southwest suburban county. They pointed out that a facility purchased by Carver County last year -- a former ballroom now known as the Waconia Events Center -- was allowed to operate with the same kind of system.

The Carlsons have since agreed to fixes and should have. In the meantime, the ruckus they raised over the county-owned facility has understandably continued. Whether or not Carver County officials care to admit it, the case left the harmful perception that there's a double standard for septic system enforcement -- one for homeowners, another for government.

That's why Carver County Commissioner Tom Workman's push to further evaluate the Waconia facility made sense. Requests by him to do so have been shot down by the board. But noting that the certified inspector who recently passed the Waconia facility's system was the same one who installed it decades ago, Workman filed a complaint with MPCA. The state agency responded last week, saying the inspector's findings were "inconclusive.'' The agency recommended a third-party evaluation.

The Carver County Board will take up the MPCA's findings on Tuesday. "We want to get to the bottom of this issue," County Board Chairman Gayle Degler said in a welcome statement last week. Commissioners should also seize this opportunity to scrutinize the county's inspection and compliance process for fairness. Again, it's not the most glamorous task, but it is worthwhile work that hopefully will inspire other local governments to tackle this important issue.

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