What are septic management programs or districts?
Some communities in Massachusetts have established septic system management districts or other such entities, which enable the town to provide centralized management of private, on-site wastewater systems. These districts gain the authority to conduct inspections to ensure that proper functioning and maintenance of septic systems is occurring. Fees may be charged for this service, but the septic system management districts also relieve the homeowner of much of the responsibility of septic system maintenance. The districts may establish contracts to procure septic system maintenance and repair services at a reduced cost. The Marine Studies Consortium (at Brandeis University) reports that centralized septic system maintenance is cheaper than centralized collection/ treatment systems (sewers and centralized wastewater treatment plants).
