Homeowner and local health pause appeal while septic repairs proceed

A homeowner who appealed a local health department order over a septic-related public nuisance agreed on a temporary pause in the appeal while she pursues repairs, the hearing officer said at a conference that set a Sept. 30 status check.

The agreement matters because the hearing officer said she must ultimately decide whether the department’s original order complied with statutory requirements and whether it should stand; the parties asked the hearing officer to delay issuing a final decision while repairs proceed and the department and homeowner coordinate on revised order language.

At the conference, the hearing officer invited the homeowner, identified in the record as Miss Stacy, to summarize progress on repairs. Miss Stacy said a contractor from Hilltop Septic had pumped her tank, inspected the leach field and found the system “very, very full,” and that the contractor is drawing plans and will submit NDDH paperwork and permit forms next week. "He did say that it is functioning properly, and there…