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Granger Township resident says off-site septic discharge is ponding on his property; health department visited site
Summary
A Granger Township homeowner told commissioners that an off-site NPDES discharge tied to a failed septic mound is collecting on his property, creating standing effluent and a potential health concern; commissioners said the county health department inspected the site and will seek alternatives.
A Granger Township resident told the Medina County Board of Commissioners that an off-site discharge installed after a neighboring septic mound failed is collecting on his property, creating standing wet areas he described as septic effluent and a health concern.
Resident Jason Dignan presented maps and photographs and said the off-site discharge routes effluent through a stormwater system and onto his property, where he said it is unable to travel to the unnamed tributary identified in permitting documents. Dignan estimated the system outputs roughly 300 gallons per day and said that over 60 days the accumulation would be equivalent to the volume of a typical residential swimming pool.
Commissioners and staff discussed the county’s role and next steps. A county representative said two health-department staffers visited the site with a township trustee on about Oct. 6 and that the health department had earlier told the county the systems involved are tested annually and are designed to meet Ohio Department of Health and Ohio EPA standards. Commissioners noted the county does not have permitting authority over state-level health determinations and that an NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) administrative permit cannot be denied by the county if it complies with applicable regulatory requirements.
The resident said he disagrees with the characterization that the health department is actively working toward a resolution and asked commissioners for leadership; commissioners encouraged the resident to continue to follow up with Health Commissioner Krista Wazowski and said the health department was reviewing alternatives, but they also noted the highway engineer had a role in approving the discharge route and that elected department heads have separate jurisdictional authority.
Why it matters: The complaint raises potential public-health, groundwater and property impacts from an off-site wastewater discharge, and highlights gaps in local authority when multiple elected and regulatory entities share responsibility.
Next steps: County officials said the health department has the matter on its radar, will seek alternatives and that residents should continue direct communication with health department leadership; commissioners offered to assist with coordination if the matter does not progress.
