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Medina County staff: health-department sewer-connection policy could affect about 750 properties
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Summary
County staff outlined a health-department sewer-connection policy that would allow some septic systems to remain until sale or failure, but require others to connect within 180 days when new sewers are extended; a county GIS audit estimated roughly 750 properties fall within a 150-foot buffer and could be flagged.
County staff briefed the Board on a health-department policy governing connections from septic systems to sanitary sewers and said it could affect an estimated 750 properties within Medina County.
The county described two scenarios. For properties already adjacent to existing sewers, owners on septic systems may remain on those systems until the property is transferred, the septic fails or it creates a public-health nuisance (or is defined as an illicit discharge by Ohio EPA). Those owners would be notified when the health department becomes aware of a transfer, nuisance or failure.
For developments that extend sewer mains, the county said owners of properties located between the extension endpoints — where a new sewer line effectively bypasses existing septic systems — would be required to connect to the sanitary sewer within 180 days once notified.
“ We basically looked at any dwelling … if that dwelling fell within a 150 foot buffer on our sewer system … we found about a 750 properties that currently fit this description,” Jeremy Cinco, the county sanitary engineer, said during the discussion.
County staff said the 750-property figure is an estimate derived from auditor parcel data and GIS buffering; they offered to provide the list of parcel numbers to the health department or other stakeholders on request. The board asked staff to share the estimate with local real-estate stakeholders so sellers and buyers are aware of possible connection obligations.
The discussion did not change any immediate policy; it was informational and staff were directed to follow up with the health department and interested parties.
