Mahoning Valley - Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct that the Ohio Department of Health did not have a 2025 deadline for counties to have their O&M program started by.

Ohio law requires counties to ensure septic systems are maintained, but how those programs work and what they cost varies widely across the state.

In the Valley, homeowners may pay recurring fees for inspections that some of their neighbors in nearby counties don’t.

Since 2015, the Ohio Administrative Code has required every county health district to operate an Operation & Maintenance (O&M) program for household sewage treatment systems.

The goal is to prevent failing septic systems from contaminating drinking water and surface water.

The state, however, left it up to local health departments to decide how to run the programs and how much to charge.

Mahoning County’s newest program launched in 2022.

Depending on the type of septic system, homeowners pay about $40 to $125 per year, or $90 every three years.

Trumbull County’s fees can be lower, with some residents paying $25 every three years, but more complicated systems there can cost up to $175 annually.

Columbiana County has no recurring O&M fees, tying inspections instead to property sales, installations or complaints.

Mahoning County Public Health Director of Environmental Health Colton Masters said those differences don’t tell the full story.

“Mahoning’s higher rates are tied to the systems we have more of," he said, "I would be willing to bet the total amount [of fees compared to Trumbull County] these are bringing in are probably about the same.”

Masters said the fees cover inspections, lab testing and administration, and the county is also rolling out new GIS tracking software to monitor systems more efficiently.

He emphasized the program does not generate a surplus and is audited annually by the county fiscal office.

“The program has to be paid for somehow,” Masters said, “Some departments that use reduced fees may have levies that help pay for that.”

But Masters also expressed frustration with the Ohio Department of Health for not providing funding, uniform standards or clear timelines for counties to follow.

“They didn’t set those thresholds, even though we asked them to when we were developing this program,” he said, “They’ve repeatedly just not made those, and said, ‘We’re leaving it up to each county.’”

Masters said a uniform state approach would have created more consistency and would ensure that each county is implementing the program to the best of its ability. 

“It would have made things so much easier for us to be able to say, ‘The state has determined your fee is this much,’” he said, “That would have helped create the uniformity we’re really looking for across the districts.”

Masters said he wants citizens to know that the fees go directly to the program.  

“If it was truly about just trying to get more money from the citizens, I’ve got to be honest, I wouldn’t be working as hard as I have to get the state to help fund this program,” he said.

Mahoning County leaders said their plan protects water quality while keeping septic systems working longer, even if it looks different from programs in neighboring counties.

Laura Fauss, Public Information Officer of the Columbiana County Health District, told 21 News that Ohio Department of Health rules do allow for local departments to develop O&M programs that best fit their districts. This is likely because a one size fits all approach would be difficult to implement due to the great variation across the state of LHDs, communities, HSTS types, age and function as it relates to soil variations.