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Education and Outreach

There are a number of activities and tools available below to help raise public awareness and engage interested or affected individuals in the proper management of septic (onsite) wastewater systems.

You will need the free Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.

Getting in Step: A Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns (PDF - 136 pp, 3.3MB This is a watershed outreach guidebook that provides some of the tools needed to develop and implement an effective watershed outreach plan. If you are a watershed practitioner trained in the sciences, this manual will help you address public perceptions, promote management activities, and inform or motivate stakeholders (EPA 841-B-03-002). Published: 2003
EPA Public Involvement Home Page - Offers a full range of activities that EPA uses to engage the American people in the agency's decision- making process.
Understanding the Management Guidelines (PDF 18 pp, 1.1MB) - This presentation can be used to describe EPA's Guidelines for communities to help them start management programs for septic systems. Published: 2004
Getting in Step: Engaging and Involving Stakeholders in Your Watershed (PDF - 80 pp, 1.34MB) This is a stakeholder guide that provides the tools needed to effectively identify, engage and involve stakeholders throughout a watershed to restore and maintain healthy environmental conditions (EPA 841-B-03-002). Published: 2003
Communicators Guide: For Federal, State, Regional, and Local Communicators Exit EPA Site - This guide provides valuable information on communicating with the public, including how to write a communications plan, work with the media and design a user-friendly Web site.
Background and Technology (PDF 29 pp, 713KB) - This presentation talks about the pros and cons of centralized sewers and septic systems. It also discusses different septic system technologies. Published: 2004
Planning for Septic Systems - Use of Online Decentralized Systems in Developing Areas (PDF 2 pp, 543KB) - Developed by the National Association of Counties, this 4-page fact sheet provides information on the realities of septic tank systems, the benefits of having an onsite wastewater management plan in place, the steps in developing a plan, and resources for more information. This publication can be ordered free of charge from the National Association of Counties Exit EPA Site. Published: 2003
The Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN) Exit EPA Site - This is a "first-stop shop" providing environmental management, planning, funding, and regulatory information for local government elected and appointed officials, managers and staff.

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