Milam County Health Department

Lightening Safety Week

Lightening Safety Week was observed June 21-27th, 2009. In the United States, an average of 62 people are killed each year by lightening, in 2008, 28 people died due to lightening and hundreds were permanently injured. Of these victims who were killed by lightening in 2008: 100% were outside, 79% were male, 36% were males between the ages of 20-25, 32% were under a tree and 29% were on or near water. People struck by lightening suffer from a variety of long-term, debilitating symptoms, including memory loss, fatigue, weakness, muscle spasms, depression and an inability to sit for long.

Water Conservation Measures and Practices

Water Conservation Measures and Practices can help save water, lower your water bill and extend the life of your septic system. Here are some of the practices:

Showers usually less water than baths. Install water saving shower head that uses less than 2-1/2 gallons per minute and saves both water and energy.
If you take a tub bath, reduce the level of water in the tub from the level to which you customarily fill it.
Leaky faucets and faulty toilet fill-up mechanisms should be repaired as quickly as possible.
Check toilets for leaks that may not be apparent. Add a few drops of food coloring to the tank. Do not flush. If the color appears in the bowl within a few minutes, the toilet fill or ball-cock valve needs to be adjusted to prevent the water from overflowing the stand pipe or the flapper at the bottom of the toilet tank needs to be replaced.
Reduce the amount of water used for flushing the toilet by installing one of the following: A new toilet (1.6 gallon); a toilet tank dam; or filling and capping one-quart plastic bottles with water (usually one is all that will fit in smaller toilet tanks) and lowering them into the tank of the existing 3.5 gallon or larger toilet. Do not use bricks, since they may crumble and cause damage to the fixture.
Try to run the dishwasher with a full load, whenever possible.
Avoid running the water continuously for brushing teeth, washing hands, rinsing kitchen utensils or for cleaning vegetables.
Use faucet aerators that restrict flow to no more than 2.2 gallons per minute to reduce water consumption.
Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the faucet until the water turns cool.
Insulate all hot water pipes to avoid long delays of wasted water while waiting for the heated water.

Forms:

Click here to view previous Septic/Floodplain/Subdivision Articles

One of the duties of the Designated Representative under Title 30, Chapter 285, On Site Sewage Facilities is to review the subdivision and development plans. Before the permit process for individual OSSFs can begin, persons proposing residential subdivisions, manufactured housing communities, multi-unit residential developments, business parks, or other similar uses and using OSSFs for sewage disposal shall submit planning materials for these developments to the permitting authority. The planning materials shall be prepared by a professional engineer or professional sanitarian and shall include and overall site plan, topographic map, 100-year floodplain map, soil survey, location of water wells, locations of easements as identified in §285.91(10) of this title (relating to Tables), and a complete report detailing the types of OSSFs to be considered and their compatibility with area-wide drainage and groundwater. A comprehensive drainage plan shall also be included in these planning materials. The permitting authority will either approve or deny the planning materials, in writing, within 45 days of receipt. For assistance, please contact Roy Urban at the Milam County Health Department at 254-697-7039.