In total agreement with Walteib: It is totally irresponsible for cottage owners to let their systems become outdated and dangerous to the environment.

We had our system replaced six years ago and just had it cleaned and emptied -- still operating like new -- we clean the sandpoint and replace it every five or six years. ...great idea to check and upgrade systems when they change hands; obviously a good investment by the new owner and not one that should be absorbed by all of us who already take care of their systems.

I was at a meeting of the Friends of Sauble two years ago when they were in the middle of their initial studies of the dunes. At this meeting the health inspector was quite adamant that the quality of water at the beach was quite high and that the quality of the filtration system afforded by the sand at Sauble was the best in the country and maybe the world. Although the Friends of Sauble do not have a mandate that includes the quality of the water at the beach, it was made quite obvious at this meeting that the beach environment was more than capable of handling the septic (for lack of a better word) that the beach would produce.

I believe it was also discussed at this meeting (I could be wrong) that management and quality control of the existing septic systems, wells and sandpoints would bode well for the future of the water quality at the beach.

Didn't really want this blog to get political -- guess I get peaved when I think of Sauble people "cheating" when it comes to looking after such a wonderful gift.