Something strange here.
According to local politicians, septic tanks are failing all over town, endangering the public health.
They want to spend billions — in addition to the billions already spent — on infrastructure, much of it for the purpose of doing away with some of the 65,000 septic tanks in the city.
Under new policy, taxpayers will pay for these improvements to private property, rather than the homeowners.
The state of Florida says septic tanks are acceptable except in certain soil conditions and the city has permitted thousands of them in the past years.
But now they are being described as a menace.
It is the homeowner’s responsibility to keep them maintained and operating properly.
So, what have city and state officials done to protect the public from all the failing septic tanks that presumably are oozing hazardous waste?
A total of 31 notices were sent to homeowners in Duval County last year by the Florida Dept. of Health.
“We provide notices to them if their septic tank was failing and if it got to the point of sanitary nuisance then it would be referred to the State Attorney’s Office for enforcement,” a spokesman told Eye on Jacksonville.
None were referred to the State Attorney’s Office.
In summary, 31 out of 65,000 septic tanks were failing and none got to the point of being a sanitary nuisance.
Mayor Lenny Curry wants to double the local gas tax, from 6 cents to 12 cents to “do something” about the septic problem, and to pave roads.
Eye can’t quite reconcile all of this information. Maybe our readers can help.
Do you know anyone suffering with disease or poor health as a result of septic tanks? Eye would like to interview those persons.
