Assistance offered for septic system repairs in Jefferson County | News, Sports, Jobs

By On Mar 18, 2021

STEUBENVILLE – Jefferson County Income Eligible Residents have the option to work with the Jefferson County Health Department to repair or replace their malfunctioning sewer system with funding administered by the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District.

The county was recently awarded $ 150,000 by the Ohio EPA to help eligible homeowners repair or replace existing failing septic tanks that are affecting groundwater, creeks, and creeks in Jefferson County’s water catchment areas.

Program funding comes from the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund, which provided Ohio Health Districts with approximately $ 11.125 million in principal forgiveness funds in 2020 for projects that repair or replace faulty domestic wastewater treatment systems, or connect homes with faulty systems to existing centralized plumbing Sewage systems.

To be eligible, the total household income must be below 300 percent of the US Department of Health’s poverty guidelines, and the home must be owned and inhabited by the applicant. The home’s sewer system must also be documented as faulty by the Jefferson County Health Department.

Because of the large number of faulty wastewater treatment plants in the county and the high cost of replacing a system, the district expects there will be more eligible projects than there are dollars to fund them. Eligible applications will be assessed against water catchment areas and environmental factors to determine the order in which projects will be funded. The number of wastewater treatment plants that the funding can replace or repair depends on the actual cost of each project.

Applicants who manage to secure funding can qualify for funding of the repair or replacement project or connection costs of 50 percent, 85 percent or even 100 percent, depending on their income.

Homeowners interested in applying for funding can request a package application from the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District at (740) 264-9790. Applicants must provide proof of income and home ownership and photo identification. Completed applications and required documents must be received by the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District office by April 20, 4:30 p.m.