Walteib; although your suggestion of low interest loans sounds very noble but it sets up a worse situation than we have. If you were in the position that you knew your septic needed replacing why would you borrow the money if a low interest loan was coming up at the next test. Systems would be operated when they were known to be lacking and the town would become a lending institution. The tax payers that had functioning systems (that they paid for) would be footing the bill.

Dan O.

As a taxpayer in Town of South Bruce Peninsula I think there is money wasted enough now. Probably Georgian Bluffs has enough to deal with with landfill space challenges and other problems. An inspection program may be coming your way anyway.

I do not see a need to add staff resources to deal with the question of which system is older or who should get a low interest loan. Inspections on a multi year rotation build a data base such that eventually all systems are logged and surveyed. Real estate lawyers acting for buyers already ask for inspections of private services and water tests or other reliable data about the installation. Times have changed.

Septic repairs are just routine maintenance the same as roof shingling or new windows. These days a hi hoe can re and re a tank in an hour and take out a field bed in half that time. It is no big deal. Access problems have to be solved of course and every job is different but many people spend far more on landscaping or a steel roof and the whole idea of private ownership is you accept some responsibility. Participation or low interest loan programs take staff and other resources and I am sorry but I advocate either the status quo or less staff. I am one of the ones who complains about my tax bill so requests for more money and programs don't sit well with me.

Of course things are different for folks who don't have to worry about money so I assume Georgian Bluffs has a different financial profile. :) Anyway Colpoys has many dynamics. Shore wells and septics are part of the landscape in Oxenden. Implementing an area wide inspection program is fair to all and is a political decision and it can be done with very minimal cost to a municipality but it should be done without the expensive services of Grey Bruce Health for inspections.

Wiarton water will probably never be extended any further into Oxenden because the wastewater system would have to be extendend also and the costs would be very high. I would never say never though.

Even if there are a couple of problem systems in Oxenden the impact has no statistical significance when compared to the storm water runoff that is funneled into the bay from Wiarton. Think of Sauble's ditchwater and imagine that and much more piped right into Colpoys. You could say the rain cleans up Wiarton. It has to go somewhere and it does not soak into buildings, streets and parking lots very well.

And you don't even want to know the chemical Wiarton uses to control algae and plant growth in the settling ponds in the hot days of summer or what makes it eventually into Colpoys. These are nutrient rich ponds it is natural that they bloom.