| Think of them as the equivalent of Tupperware parties for septic systems. |
A malfunctioning septic system can be serious business, but learning how to operate and manage one doesn't have to be. This is the philosophy of marine educators in Washington State who use humor and hospitality to get homeowners' minds in the toilet.
"I believe education should be fun," says Teri King, marine water quality specialist for the Washington Sea Grant Program. "We use humor to take a sensitive topic and really help people understand what's going on."
Septic Socials, "the new party trend to get hip on waste management," is one way Washington Sea Grant is spreading the water quality word. Think of them, King says, as the equivalent of Tupperware parties for septic systems.
A social involves a homeowner inviting 20 to 30 friends over for snacks and a peek at the septic system. King or another educator leads the group in discussions on how failing septic systems impact water quality in the bay, and takes them through all the ins and outs of how a septic system works, how to check and maintain it, and how to keep it healthy.
"There's a lot of joking and laughing, and the odd embarrassment, but by the end, people have the understanding that it does matter what goes down the drain," says King.
The idea for the program grew out of a series of public septic system workshops in the early 90s. "They went OK," King says, "but what I got out of the evaluations is that people wanted to get down and dirty, and really understand what's going on."
To allow for this, the hosting homeowner must allow the home's septic tank to be dug up. This is done a week before the event so there are "no discoveries while the neighbors are there," King explains.
To give people a hands-on experience, the tank is opened—typically before food is served—and guests are allowed to "peer in and see what it's like." They are taught to measure the scum layer, which is the stuff that floats on the surface, and the sludge, the solids that settle out, to determine when a tank should be pumped.
"People are fascinated with septic systems, and I don't know why," King notes.
At the end, attendees are given a homeowner's manual and some M&M candies to remind them of septic system maintenance and monitoring. "They laugh, but whenever they see M&M's in the future, they think of their septic systems," she says.
Not only are the socials a good time, but they are making a difference. In surveys sent out six months after an event, every participant says they have applied information they received in the session. King says local stores also have been influenced to reduce the amount of system additives and house cleaning chemicals they carry. Similar socials are being held in Oregon, California, Montana, and Canada.
"Socials help people understand that they are sewage treatment plant operators and that they have an active role in its operation and maintenance, and what they put into it," King says. "Once they understand what they've got, they can value it for the treasure that it is."
For more information on Washington Sea Grant's septic system programs, point your browser to www.wsg.washington.edu. You may also contact Teri King at (360) 432-3054 or guatemal@u.washington.edu.
