MAINTAINING YOUR SEPTIC TANK SYSTEM

Earlier in the year, proposed legislation, the Water Resources Protection Act (Senate Bill 210 and House Bill 283), would have required improvement of septic systems to achieve nutrient removal in certain parts of Maryland. The goal of this proposed legislation was to protect surface water quality by removing nitrogen species from septic tank system discharges. Although the Water Resources Protection Act was not enacted, this does not mean that homeowners can simply forget about their septic tank systems.

Like people, septic tank systems require periodic check-ups and preventive care to remain healthy and function properly. If not properly sited and maintained, discharges from some septic tank systems can contaminate drinking water supplies with pathogens and excessively impact environmental quality. However, following a few simple guidelines for maintaining the septic tank and adsorption field, the two major components of typical septic tank systems, should result in trouble-free, safe operation of your system for many years, and will help reduce its impact on the environment.

Finally, be sure to record information about the size and location of all of the components of your septic tank system and any maintenance that you have performed. This information will be very useful should problems develop or you decide to sell your home.

Adapted from National Small Flows Clearinghouse publications

by Dr. Jennifer G. Becker, Extension Engineer.

EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN SILOS AND HAY MOWS

Fires in silos and hay mows can be controlled and extinguished before a disastrous loss occurs if they are promptly discovered and the right actions are taken. Extinguishing Fires in Silos and Hay Mows ($7.00 plus S&H/sales tax, 40 pages, November 2000), a completely revised and expanded publication from NRAES (Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service), explains the causes of silo and hay mow fires and teaches firefighters how to safely and effectively extinguish them.

The book starts out with a review of silo types. The approach to fighting a silo fire depends on whether the silo is conventional, oxygen-limiting, or modified oxygen-limiting, so determining silo type is a crucial step. Line drawings are included to clearly illustrate the differences among the three silo types. Discussions about modified oxygen-limiting silos are new in this revision. Most of the book focuses on the different techniques required to locate and extinguish fires in different silo types. Factors to consider at the fire scene (such as safety, time, exposure hazards, and toxic gases) and other important concerns (such as structural damage, firespread, and using industrial gases to extinguish a fire) are addressed as well. Fires in oxygen-limiting silos are particularly hazardous, and the book carefully reviews essential safety precautions required by these structures. Many of the book's 21 figures illustrate methods for locating fires in silos and proper extinguishing techniques.

The final chapter, new in this revision, describes the causes of and procedures for extinguishing fires in hay and straw mows. The chapter alerts farmers and firefighters to common hazards of hay mow fires, including burned-out cavities, sudden flare-ups, and toxic gas exposure. Two appendixes list proper hay- and silage-making methods, which are important in preventing fires in these materials. This book is a complete revision of Extinguishing Silo Fires, which was first published by NRAES in 1982. The revision is 28 pages longer than the previous edition, includes updated and expanded information, and is better organized. The publication is written for firefighters but is also useful to farm operators, emergency medical personnel, extension educators, and silo manufacturers and dealers, as they may help in making decisions about extinguishing techniques or offer advice regarding fire prevention.

Extinguishing Fires in Silos and Hay Mows was revised by Dennis J. Murphy, Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University, and William C. Arble, P.E. Dr. Murphy consults nationally and internationally on farm safety education program development. Mr. Arble is president of APLITECH, a consulting firm in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania.

Extinguishing Fires in Silos and Hay Mows, NRAES-18, is available for $7.00 per copy plus shipping and handling from NRAES, Cooperative Extension, 152 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-5701. Shipping and handling for one or two copies is $3.75 within the continental United States. All major credit cards are accepted, and checks should be made payable to NRAES. For more information or a free copy of our publications catalog, contact NRAES by phone at (607) 255-7654, by fax at (607) 254-8770, or by e-mail at nraes@cornell.edu. To learn more about NRAES, browse through our entire catalog, and order books on-line, visit our web site at <www.nraes.org>.