Sea Level Rise, Storm Impacts, and Septic Tanks
Understanding our septic tank inventory ensures awareness of environmental impacts and proactive measures we as a city can take to minimize operational failures given rising sea levels and effects of coastal storms.
Septic Tanks - by the Numbers
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24% of homes on Isle of Palms are on septic
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Of 4,800 water accounts, 1,150 are on septic and all are between Breach Inlet and 41st Avenue
Sea Level Rise
On Isle of Palms and in other coastal communities, water table levels are rising, and king tides and heavy rains are creating standing lakes in homeowners’ yards where septic tanks are located. These all degrade a septic tank drain field, causing a septic system to fail and can lead to effluent - i.e., liquid waste or sewage - to be released in groundwater and surface water.
While we know the number of septic tanks that exist, we do not know:
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If those 1,150 septic systems are operating properly
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If their drain fields are still in appropriate locations
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If an existing system is capable of handling the current load of waste being created by the household or short-term rental
History
There was a comprehensive assessment done by the Isle of Palms Planning Commission in 2017 on extending sewer lines that provides an excellent blueprint on how to wean our island away from septic systems. Read the report here.
We recognize that the City did pass an ordinance in 2018 that required property owners replacing old homes with larger homes to either tie into the public sewer system, if available, or install a new septic system designed to serve the number of occupants expected to use the new home. This has led to the proliferation of grinder pump systems as a work-around, and the water & sewer commission does not have a comprehensive long-term plan in their infrastructure that includes grinder systems. Arguably, this has led to a haphazard and inefficient system here on the island.
Over the past year, the Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) has begun a serious dialogue regarding the pros and cons of septic systems within our community. Similarly, several recent articles have been written on this subject. One article in particular from the Post & Courier on Septic Tank Pollution dated June 18, 2023 is an interesting read and can be found here.
BIPA's Position
We fully support the EAC bringing this topic back to the forefront so that residents can be educated on the issue and the city can consider proactive measures now. There must be open, factual discussions about how to address septic systems on Isle of Palms.
We advocate for oversight of septic tanks once approved; i.e, required periodic maintenance and testing.