SepticSmart Week: Sharing the Importance of Proper Septic System Maintenance and Care

SepticSmart Week is an annual awareness campaign by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that is dedicated to educating homeowners and communities about the importance of proper septic system maintenance and responsible wastewater management.

This year’s campaign will run from September 18-22, 2023, and will underscore the vital role septic systems play in protecting public health and the environment.

Wastewater Management Through Rainwater Harvesting Systems

Rainwater harvesting systems can play a pivotal role in wastewater management by providing an eco-friendly and cost-effective means to collect and reuse rainwater for activities like irrigation and flushing toilets.

Earlier this year, the International Code Council and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) released an updated joint standard for harvesting rainwater and stormwater. The standard, CSA B805/ICC 805-2022 Rainwater harvesting systems, provides guidance to property owners, contractors, builders, architects and code officials on constructing new buildings or renovating existing buildings in ways to conserve water and protect water resources.

See Related: Updated Rainwater Harvesting Standard: Conserving Water for the Long Run

Maintaining Septic Systems Through Plumbing Standards

Understanding the importance of proper septic system maintenance, the Code Council formed a committee that begun work on a new global standard earlier this year, ICC 825, Private Sewage Disposal Systems.

See Related: Unveiling the 2024 Editions of the International Plumbing Code and the International Mechanical Code

This new standard will provide minimum requirements for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining private sewage disposal systems which include septic tank and effluent absorption systems, or other treatment tank and effluent disposal systems, where a public sewer is not available.

Furthermore, the new standard will focus on the impacts of climate change, and how better to design and install such systems to be more resilient to extreme weather events.

International Code Council Celebrates SepticSmart Week

As the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions, the International Code Council strives to provide communities with the tools they need to promote best practices in septic system care and wastewater management.

To learn more about the Code Council’s Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas resources, click here.