Cruiser wakes or seeping septic systems???

[Islander]

I think a failed septic system does more harm. Do you know of any? Just because a system is old or does not meet current codes does not mean it is putting coliform bacteria into the lake.

I know of one Bear Island property that had to pay about 50k for a new system because the Meredith Health Dept. caught wind of a problem (pun intended).

If you know of anybody that has a failed system, send me a PM and I will turn them in in a heartbeat.

NH does have septic system laws but they should have a tougher law like Title V in Massachusetts.

[Paugus Bay Resident]

About the only thing I'm aware of is the Site Assessment law. Essentially, any waterfront home, prior to being sold, needs an assessment of current system by a licensed designer.

http://www.des.state.nh.us/factsheets/ssb/ssb-10.htm

Other than that ....

[Islander]

Other than That.... Place a call to the local health dept. and say something like "the home at xxx has effluent running from its septic system into the lake".

Within a short time the owners of xxx will be spending lots of money.

[ApS]

I can't speak to island properties, except that some still have outhouses! (Though they may actually be better than "septics", depending...)

Non-existant runoff control uphill washed my neighbor's entire 1940s-era system into the lake in a July 2000 thunderstorm. Good riddance, as the tank's location was revealed by the storm's runoff and discovered to be only 20' from the lake.

My other neighbor sold out to a spec-builder (in the "used-house" business—no offense to Realtors®) who installed a new house adjacent—but right in the middle of the old septic system! Town-approved, both share a new drilled well, and both pump effluent into the existing house's new field. That new field has a continuous, but mostly odorless, trickle around its periphery. Once occupied for the season—and depending on the wind direction—suspicious odors waft my way: the Health Department is happy—what's left for me to do?

Uphill—where the lack of runoff-control begins, a developer has put in a septic system to service 20 yet-to-be-built homes. It abuts an immense rock ledge, which is unlikely to provide good leaching capacity. The system's several "lollipops" can be easily seen from Winter Harbor, which has a single small outlet to The Broads for dilution. Algae clumps are a problem in Winter Harbor, where only a minority of lakefront homes have grassy lawns.

IMHO, "slap-dash septics" may be the reason that NH wishes to extend its oversight beyond ~200' from the lake, and not leave it up to the respective Town inspectors and Health Departments.

BTW: A distant lake I frequent requests a pumpout "every three years".

I'd like to see a pumpout requirement upon the sale of every lakefront home—in addition to "an inspection". There's an adequate turnover of lakefront homes to justify this requirement.