Butte County seeks public input on updating wastewater, water well ordinances
Butte County Public Health is asking residents to weigh in on how local water and septic systems are managed — and your input could shape the future of those rules. The department is reviewing decade-old ordinances on water wells and septic systems, and 2 surveys are now available to help guide that process.
CHICO, Calif. — The Butte County Department of Health is conducting an ordinance review process for both wastewater and water well ordinances. The department is requesting residents of Butte County to fill out surveys about their septic systems and how they receive water.
The Public Health Department posted a link on Facebook to 2 different surveys, which Action News Now has attached on its website for easier accessibility.
The surveys are designed to give insight to Butte County Public Health on how to move forward on updating their decade-old ordinances.
This isn’t being done because anything alarming was found—it’s really just about maintenance.
“Groundwater management has become increasingly more important through the drought conditions that we witnessed throughout the last decade, the fire conditions we witnessed,” said Nick Ostrovskiy, senior program manager for Butte Public Health. “The county just wants to ensure that essentially the ordinance reflects the best practices while we also continue to protect public health and resources.”
The department’s goal is to get ahead of any future problems, keeping environmental and local concerns in mind. They want to hear from residents what has worked, what hasn’t and also answer any questions they might have.
The surveys are running for the next few months, up until late August. Until then, the Butte County Public Health Department has several public committee meetings, including wastewater and water well community meetings on July 2 in Oroville.
The project will be grant-funded by the State Community Development Block Grant. It’s also been approved by a local Board of Supervisors, so there’s not a direct cost to the county.
Ostrovskiy said the entire process could take about 2 years.