As a headwaters community of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, our outstanding water resources deserve the best protection — equal to the value they provide. Proper management of septic systems is of critical importance to our valley’s water resources.
It is widely accepted that poorly managed septic systems can lead to significant water quality problems. The 1996 National Water Quality Inventory Report to Congress said that “improperly constructed and poorly maintained septic systems are believed to cause substantial and widespread nutrient and microbial contamination to groundwater.” The proposed Teton County Small Wastewater Facility Regulations need to be stronger in order to protect our sole source aquifer.