PUBLIC-HEALTH SPECIALISTS STUDY SOIL FOR BETTER SEWAGE DISPOSAL

Scientists and public-health specialists from Southeast Missouri are studying soil so they can better advise contractors and installers of sewage treatment systems.

A new Missouri law requires all developers of properties under three acres to get a permit before installing a septic tank or aeration system. The permits are issued by county health departments.

The goal of the law is to protect the public health and the groundwater supply.

"We have got to do something to deal with sewage problems in rural areas if we want to protect our resources and good health," said Charlotte Craig, director of the Cape Girardeau County Health Department.

Since the law was implemented, Cape Girardeau County has issued 61 permits, the second-most number of permits in the state. Butler County was first with 87 permits.

Inspecting and consulting with those building houses or installing sewage treatment centers added new aspects to the duties of health departments. Most public-health specialists are biologists and need additional training in the science of soil.

Don't call it dirt, Dr. Harry James, professor of soil sciences at Southwest Missouri State University, told a class Friday.

James is teaching a six-day class at the Cape Girardeau County Health Department along with Joe Heinline, who coordinates training concerning sewage systems for the Missouri Department of Health.

Representatives from Southeast Missouri counties including Cape Girardeau, Scott, St. Francis, Ste. Genevieve, Dunklin, Iron and Madison are attending.

Putting in a system correctly not only will make for a cleaner environment but will be more cost effective for the homeowner, said Heinline.

"The right installation can make a sewer system last 10 years or longer," he said. It can also cut down on repair costs.

Students are learning to recognize soil types and understand landscaping issues and possible problems relating to installation of sewage systems.

"The soil is required to do a lot of cleanup in these sewage treatment systems," Heinline said.

James explained that treatment in a septic tank or aerator system depends on microbes in the soil to break down sewage.

"You want to make sure the waste stays in the soil long enough to detoxify and that the soil can do what we ask of it," he said.