The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services - POWTS Program provides an informational factsheet.

If your POWTS was installed after July 1, 1969, the CPZ Department may have a permit record that could provide some helpful information. If there is not a permit record for your system, you should contact a POWTS professional and request assistance in locating and identifying your POWTS.

Do:

• Limit the amount of water entering your system: Use water-saving fixtures, practice water conservation, and fix any leaks, dripping faucets, or broken toilet float valves.
• Divert rain water and roof water so it drains away from your septic system.
• Discharge gray water to the system (gray water includes wastewater from sources such as laundry, sinks, and showers).

Don't:

• Connect footing drains (such as drain tile) to the system.
• Flush or put materials down drains that may clog the system (such as grease, fats, coffee grounds, paper towels, dental floss, cotton swabs, feminine hygiene products, condoms, diapers, cigarette butts, or kitty litter).
• Put toxic substances (such as cleaning fluids, oils, paints, disinfectants, pesticides, or mercury) in drains, as they might damage the system or end up in the groundwater.
• Plant trees or shrubs on or near your septic system. Roots from these might clog and damage the drainfield.
• Allow water softener backwash to enter your septic tank without checking with your local regulatory agency or inspector/pumper first.
• Use too much commercial-grade bathroom cleaner. Many people prefer to clean their toilets, sinks, showers, and tubs with a mild detergent or baking soda instead.

A Note About Additives…
It is not recommended to use chemicals or additives to clean or “sweeten” your system. These products do not eliminate the need to pump or maintain your system. “Starters” are not necessary for new systems or after pumping existing systems. While there is no accepted test method to prove septic tank additives work or don’t work, some products are actually harmful. In Wisconsin, all additives must be reviewed by the Department of Safety & Professional Services prior to sale for proof that they will not harm the user, bacterial action in the system, soil absorption, or groundwater quality.

If you choose to use an additive, be sure the product has Department of Safety & Professional Services approval.

Septic Tank Systems:

Most private wastewater treatment systems (excluding holding tank systems) will have one or more septic tanks . Maintenance of septic tank systems includes a visual inspection by a properly licensed POWTS professional at least once every 3 years and pumping of the tank(s), when necessary. A visual inspection will determine whether any sewage or wastewater is leaking onto the ground, will check the condition of the tank(s), and will verify that aboveground tank covers are properly locked or secured. In addition, if the inspection finds that combined sludge and scum exceed 1/3 of the tank volume, the septic tank(s) must be pumped. Most septic tank systems installed after 2000 will have a management plan that may also require additional maintenance, such as cleaning of filters.

Every time a septic tank system is inspected, maintained, or serviced, a report must be submitted electronically to the Marathon County CPZ Department office by the POWTS professional on behalf of the property owner. Reports must be submitted within 30 days of completion. If maintenance is not reported on time, the CPZ Department will send a notice reminding the property owner that the legally required maintenance of the septic tank system is due and that the POWTS code requirements have not been met. Maintenance requirements will not be satisfied (and code violations will be in effect) until Marathon County receives the required completed report from the POWTS professional.

Holding Tank Systems:

Holding tanks are not as common in Marathon County as septic systems, as they are allowed only when no other type of wastewater treatment system can be installed (for example, where groundwater or bedrock are found at or very near the ground surface). Holding tank systems simply collect and hold the wastewater created by your home or business. Because these systems do not include any components to treat or redirect the wastewater, all sewage collected in the tank must be professionally pumped out and hauled away to an approved disposal site (a built-in alarm will sound when the holding tank is nearly full and requires a maintenance call). The frequency of pumping depends on the amount of water you use and the capacity of your holding tank. Average wastewater volume is approximately 60 gallons per person per day. Of course, water conservation practices will help reduce pumping frequency.

Maintenance of holding tank systems involves having a Certified Pumper empty your tank each time it fills. It is not legal for property owners to empty their own holding tanks or to discharge any wastes, including “gray water” (such as water from laundry, sinks, showers) onto or into the ground. A visual inspection will determine whether any sewage or wastewater is leaking onto the ground, will check the condition of the tank, and will verify that above ground tank covers are properly locked or secured for health and safety reasons. It is the property owner’s responsibility to be sure that covers remain in place and locked or secured to prevent unauthorized access. Pumpers must report missing locks to the County.

The date, number of gallons pumped, and name of the pumper must be reported to the CPZ Department. In fact, every time a holding tank system is inspected, maintained, or pumped, a report must be submitted electronically to the CPZ Department’s office by the POWTS professional on the property owner’s behalf. Reports must be submitted within 30 days of completion. If maintenance is not reported on time, the CPZ Department will send a notice reminding the property owner that the legally required maintenance of the holding tank system is due and the property owner has not met the POWTS code requirements. Maintenance requirements will not be satisfied (and code violations will be enforced) until Marathon County receives the required completed report from the POWTS professional.

In addition, owners of a holding tank system are required to have a Servicing Contract with their pumper. Whenever there is a change in property ownership or pumper, a new contract must be completed and submitted to the CPZ Department.

Septic Tank Systems:

• Master Plumber
• Journeyman Plumber
• POWTS Inspector
• POWTS Maintainer
• Certified Septage Servicing Operator/Certified Pumper

Holding Tank Systems:

• Certified Septage Servicing Operator / Certified Pumper

If maintenance has not already been reported by a licensed professional to the County, the CPZ Department will mail a postcard to the property owner as a reminder that maintenance is due.

No. You may choose to have your POWTS maintained at any time before receiving a reminder notice from the County. If your maintainer reports this maintenance, your due date will be reset from that date. If you always maintain and report before the due date, it is possible that you will never receive a notice from the County.

If you have a:

• Septic Tank System - Hire a licensed Master Plumber, Journeyman Plumber, POWTS Inspector, POWTS Maintainer, or Certified Septage Servicing Operator (Certified Pumper) to have maintenance completed.
• Holding Tank System - Hire a Certified Septage Servicing Operator (Certified Pumper) to have the tank(s) pumped.
• Pre-treatment System - Hire a certified POWTS Maintainer to have your system maintained.

Contact the CPZ Department to discuss this. If CPZ confirms that there is no POWTS on your property, you will be removed from the maintenance program.

Yes. Inspection is required every 3 years; however, if the system has had very limited use, it’s quite possible that pumping will not be needed that frequently. When contacting a POWTS professional for maintenance, you may explain that this is a seasonal dwelling and request that they determine whether pumping is needed at this time.

If the building is vacant (this means no occupancy at all, it does not mean limited or low usage), you should contact the CPZ Department to discuss this. If CPZ determines that it is vacant, you would not be required to maintain your POWTS at this time, but would receive another notice the following year.

While septic system maintenance is always required every 3 years, it may not be necessary to pump the tank that often. Pumping is only required when the combined volume of sludge and scum in a septic tank occupy more than 1/3 of the total tank capacity. When maintenance of your septic system is due, you should contact a POWTS professional to inspect it. During the inspection, you may wish to ask the professional to determine if pumping is needed. If not, the professional can indicate this on the report submitted to the County. The professional may still suggest to pump it as a matter of convenience, but it is not required at that time.

Some wastewater treatment systems include a pre-treatment component (such as an aerobic treatment unit or a sand filter), to improve the quality of wastewater discharged from the system. These pre-treatment systems are commonly part of a septic system, so property owners will need to do both septic system and pre-treatment maintenance. There are a small number of pre-treatment systems in Marathon County, each with unique maintenance requirements. They are commonly called for every 6 to 12 months and must be completed by a certified POWTS Maintainer.

Note: Owners of most pre-treatment components are required to maintain a servicing contract with their POWTS maintainer. If you believe you may have a pre-treatment component, please contact the CPZ Department for details on the specific maintenance requirements.

If a maintenance report identifies a problem (such as a missing lock, defective tank, or discharge of sewage to the ground surface), the CPZ Department will contact you to explain how to resolve the problem and to establish a timetable for doing so.

A POWTS that discharges to the ground surface is a failing system. You would not be required to have the system maintained if you hire a POWTS professional (such as a Certified Soil Tester or Master Plumber) to start the process of obtaining a sanitary permit and installing a replacement POWTS. It is important, however, that you notify the CPZ Department that you have started this process and then keep them informed of your replacement progress.

There are currently a few sources, including Marathon County’s POWTS Loan Program, which are designed to provide financial assistance for low-income property owners. Review MCDEVCO’s POWTS Loan Program. The CPZ Department can also provide information about other sources of financial assistance.

Ascent Land Records Suite is Marathon County's Land Records system and contains POWTS maintenance history. Instructions to view POWTS history are available.

There is no requirement for submittal of real estate evaluation reports to the County, so it is common for maintenance associated with these to go unreported. You should contact the POWTS professional completing the real estate evaluation report to determine whether the work they completed for the real estate transfer will satisfy maintenance program requirements and, if so, request that they report this maintenance for you to the CPZ office.

No. All maintenance reports must be submitted electronically to the CPZ office by the licensed professional completing the maintenance.