April 23, 2020
Comments submitted on behalf of Protect Our Water Jackson Hole, Wyoming Outdoor Council, and the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance on the proposed revisions to Teton County’s small wastewater facility (SWF) regulations. The existing SWF regulations were adopted by the Teton County Board of County Commissioners on July 6, 2010. Amendments to WY Department of Environmental Quality regulations governing wastewater facilities necessitate revisions to the county’s regulations. Overall, although the proposed revisions contain a number of requirements likely to achieve environmental benefits, they lack many basic safeguards recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in its Voluntary National Guidelines for Management of Onsite and Clustered (Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems. The threat of significant impacts to both ground and surface water from a proliferation of residential septic systems in Teton County highlights a need for bold and decisive action to better protect public health and the environment in Teton County.