MSU Extension Septic System Education

Tuesday, January 12, 2027

GENERAL SESSIONS

8:30-8:45 a.m. Welcome and Announcements

8:45-10:00 a.m. Keynote 

Water Movement in Soils 

Water rules! Dispersal and treatment of wastewater in an onsite system is directly related to how water – clean or contaminated – moves through the soil. Appreciation for this is critical to an evaluation of the soil/site and must be incorporated into the design of the system. This talk will consider how water moves – saturated and unsaturated – in the soil on a micro (pores) to macro (landscape) scale. A consideration of the role of the biomat will be included.  Additionally, several examples of how a lack of understanding of water movement has resulted in subpar system performance.

10:00-11:15 a.m. Keynote

Do Soils Lie?

How often have you heard (or said it) the line “these features are relict and can be ignored”? Does this mean the soil is lying?  This talk will examine what features and properties in the soil mean and how to interpret them to get the most out of a soil and site evaluation.  The goal is to improve the matching of the system to the soil and site conditions.

11:15 a.m. – 1 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open 

12–1 p.m. Lunch and Networking

1-4:15 p.m. AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS – TRACK 1

1 p.m. - Designing Onsite Systems to Last 50 Years or More 

Larry Stephens, Stephens Consulting

When most people in the onsite business are asked how long should a septic system last today you will most likely get the answer of 20 or 25 years. I can point to a large number of systems in my home state that have been functioning successfully now for 40 years or more!  This begs the follow-up question: why do many systems fail in the first 20 years, and what are the ingredients needed to double or triple that lifetime? With all the new tools and technologies available today that were not there even 25 years ago, why are we still settling for designs of systems to meet such a short-sighted, limited goal?  My experience is that we can do better!

2 p.m. - MOWRA Technical Training: Proper Application for Advanced Treatment

Jason Buck; Ron Lindsay; Larry Stephens, Stephens Consulting; Mike Stephens, Guardian Wastewater

Session Description Coming Soon 

3:15 p.m. MOWRA Technical Training: Using Panel Data and Tools for Troubleshooting Onsite Systems

Mike Stephens, Guardian Wastewater

This session will cover the importance of system troubleshooting of the electrical and mechanical components in a pump system.  Using real world examples and experiences, Mike will show how to use panel data, observations, and tools to diagnose problems with the operation of common components in a system. He will demonstrate a systematic process to improve your troubleshooting capabilities and stop guessing at the problem.

1-4:15 p.m. AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS – TRACK 2

1 p.m. - Updates to the Michigan Septic Loan Replacement Program (SLRP)

Michigan EGLE

This session will provide an update on Michigan's Septic Replacement Loan Program (SRLP), including revisions to Program Minimum Standards, newly approved products, septic tank pumping record requirements, and permit addendums for local health departments. The presentation will examine how these changes improve program accountability and support compliance with Michigan's Part 117 requirements for septage waste management by strengthening documentation of septic tank pumping and proper septage handling during replacement projects. Attendees will gain an understanding of current program implementation, regulatory considerations, and the tools available to local health departments to ensure consistent administration of septic system replacement activities.

2 p.m. - Land Application with Septage Solids 

Benjamin Love, Michigan EGLE 

This session explores taking dried septage solids from Septage Waste Receiving Facilities (septage treatment plants) and diverting them from landfill disposal to beneficial land application for agronomic use. Successful implementation requires overcoming a variety of legal, technical, and logistical challenges. Participants will gain insight into the nuances of Part 117 permitting and recordkeeping requirements, materials handling, land application considerations, spreading difficulties, as well as agronomic rate calculation.

3:15 p.m. - From Truck to Treatment: Inside the Clinton River Septage Receiving Facility  

Mary Skywinter and Greg Knauf, Oakland County Water Resources

This presentation provides septage haulers with a clear, accessible look into how the Clinton River Water Resource Recovery Facility (CRWRRF) operates its septage receiving operations. Attendees will learn what happens to their material the moment it is offloaded — from automated screening and flow control to real-time tracking, data collection, and integration with plant-wide treatment processes. The session highlights how these implementations improve reliability, regulatory compliance, and transparency for haulers.

Beyond the receiving station itself, the presentation explains how septage is incorporated into biosolids handling and biogas generation. Haulers will gain a better understanding of how their material is managed responsibly, how their contribution is a vital recycled resource, and how collaborative communication between haulers and facilities supports smoother operations for everyone.

1-4:15 p.m. AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS – TRACK 3

1 p.m. - Insights into Onsite Sewage Treatment System Regulations in Michigan 

Onsite sewage treatment system regulations must strive to be fair to all parties, logically organized and easy to understand and enforce. State level regulations should set the minimum state-wide standards (i.e. “the ‘floor’ of the regulation). Local units of government should have the option to set more stringent standards through duly adopted ordinances, should they have particularly vulnerable resources, for instance. The code should be limited to essential information. Avoid “nice to have” suggestions.

2 p.m. - Ottawa County Real Estate Transfer Program

Session Description Coming Soon 

3:15 p.m. Soil Taxonomy

Session Description Coming Soon 

4-5:30 p.m. Networking in the Exhibit Hall

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

8-10 a.m. ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

Join this dynamic 2-hour session featuring rotating round tables, each offering focused, expert-led discussions on key topics in the onsite wastewater and environmental health fields. Attendees will rotate through four 25-minute sessions, choosing from a wide range of topics including:

• EGLE - MI SAVES SRLP
• EGLE WRD Part 22
• Infiltrator ATL & AES for SRLP
• BioMicrobics Microfast System for SRLP
• Eljen GSF for SRLP
• EGLE Septage
• Michigan Traffic Safety Center
• Sludgehammer for SRLP
• Norweco for SRLP
• Hydro-Action for SRLP
• Vertigrid Dispersal System

Whether you're a regulator, installer, inspector, or educator, this fast-paced format offers something for everyone. Connect with peers, ask questions, and leave with practical tips and resources you can use right away.

10:00 a.m. NETWORKING BREAK AND EXHIBIT HALL OPEN

10:30-11:30 a.m. MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS – TRACK 1

10:30 - MOWRA Technical Training: Wastewater Sampling 

Kevin Sherman, SeptiTech, Inc.

Session Description Coming Soon 

10:30-11:30 a.m. MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS – TRACK 2

Load Securement and Legal Vehicle Requirements 

Session Description Coming Soon 

10:30-11:30 a.m. MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS – TRACK 3

Navigating Michigan Criteria for Subsurface Sewage Disposal Variances

The EGLE Onsite Wastewater Management Unit has seen an uptick in Michigan Criteria for Subsurface Sewage Disposal variance requests in the past year and will present case studies that depict the process taken for these reviews and determinations. We'll cover a handful of reviews, common variances, and ways to set yourself up for success during this process.

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. LUNCH AND NETWORKING  

12:30-4 p.m. AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS – TRACK 1

12:30 p.m. - MOWRA Technical Training: Theory of Operation for Control Panels

TBD

Session Description Coming Soon 

3 p.m. - Topic TBD

TBD

Session Description Coming Soon 

12:30-4 p.m. AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS – TRACK 2

Soils Lab 

Michigan EGLE

This session requires pre-registration due to space limitations.

Throughout the state, Michigan Sanitarians and private consultants utilize the “texture by feel” method to classify soils for the appropriate siting and design of onsite wastewater treatment systems. In this session, attendees will have the opportunity to practice identifying soil textures with a wide variety of soil samples. As attendees will be handling soil samples, it is recommended to dress appropriately to this session.

Exemptions from Part 22 Groundwater Discharge Permits

This presentation will cover the various permit exemption categories, requirements associated with exemptions, the steps facilities follow for requesting a permit exemption, WRD’s process for granting an exemption, exemptions records available in MiEnviro, and a discussion of the most common questions related to groundwater permit exemptions.  

Groundwater Discharge Permit Exemption Guidance

12:30-4 p.m. AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS – TRACK 3

Scaling U-M's NEWtrient Recovery Facility for Urine

Since 2018, Dr. Nancy Love’s Nutrient•Energy•Water (NEW) Cycles Group has recycled urine into fertilizers at the NEWtrient Recovery Facility in the University of Michigan’s GG Brown Building. In 2024, the facility received licensing from MDARD as a fertilizer manufacturer, enabling expanded collection of urine, production of urine-derived fertilizers, and field trials of these fertilizers.

This presentation provides updates on urine collection from portable facilities and events off-campus, the production and licensing of new fertilizer forms, the potential for urine capture and reuse across Michigan, and its economic viability. Topics will include the logistics of urine collection, public perception of urine recycling, and progress towards normalizing urine recycling and the remaining regulatory issues.

Remote Monitoring Case Studies

Mike Stephens, Guardian Wastewater

The options to remotely monitor and data log septic systems continues to become more readily available and less costly. This session will describe multiple case studies using types of monitoring equipment to solve specific problems or create greater piece of mind by reducing risks of catastrophic or premature failure.

New Land Division Rules 

Harmony Fierke-Gmazel, MSU Extension

Michigan Land Division Act (MCL 560.101 et seq.) by granting additional land division rights beyond previous statutory limits. While the law expands opportunities for residential and rural development without platting, it also raises important questions about growth patterns, infrastructure capacity, road access, environmental protection, and local regulatory oversight. Participants will explore how increased parcel creation may affect
site suitability, onsite wastewater system development, drinking water availability, and long-term community infrastructure planning. The session will highlight the relationship between land division, zoning compliance, building permits, and public health reviews with strategies for improved interagency coordination.