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Dunn County committee backs scoping for state‑mandated septic maintenance program
Summary
County staff briefed the Planning, Resource and Development Committee on a state‑mandated on‑site septic maintenance (PELTS) program affecting roughly 11,000 systems; members directed staff to begin scoping and inventory work while expressing concerns about staff workload and public reaction to a potential fee.
Dunn County’s Planning, Resource and Development Committee on Feb. 4 reviewed staff recommendations for implementing the state‑mandated on‑site septic maintenance program (PELTS) and asked staff to begin a scoping and inventory phase.
Tammy, a county planning staff member, told the committee the county’s inventory has gaps after a software migration and that the county currently estimates “just shy of 11,000 private septic systems in Dunn County” covering “about 55 to 60% of our population.” She said the county’s 2024 snapshot shows roughly 53% cost recovery for the program and that staff had proposed a nominal annual fee (she used $5 as one example) while noting other counties’ fees ranged from $3 to $16.50 and averaged just over $9 per year.
The PELTS program is state mandated, Tammy said, and the county has been sending three‑year maintenance notices as required; however, she said the county has not yet used delinquent notices because its tracking software lacked the capability until recently. Tammy said the county sends about 5,000 postcards for the current cycle and expects the first years of implementing a formal fee and compliance tracking to require substantial staff time.
“It's going to be a process,” Tammy said, noting that building an accurate parcel‑linked inventory and coordinating with townships and the treasurer’s office will take time and that any assessment revenue likely would not appear on county receipts until around 2028–2029.
Some members pressed on costs and enforcement. “I think the return on investment to plan and launch something like this is not good,” Diane said, expressing skepticism about whether the staff effort and potential public opposition would be worth an estimated $50,000 in annual revenue. Gary asked whether the county could cap what private pumpers charge homeowners; Tammy replied the county cannot regulate pumper pricing and emphasized education so homeowners hire informed contractors.
After the discussion the committee—without a roll‑call vote on a specific ordinance—directed staff to proceed with a scoping/inventory phase, refine implementation planning, and return with more detailed proposals and cost estimates.
Next steps: staff will refine the data set, work with municipalities and the treasurer’s office on parcel matching, and present a scoped plan and cost estimate to the committee for further direction.
