Waste water and good stewardship of environmental resources in Kentucky has been a concern for many years and with the implementation of new legislation in 2016 it became more important than ever for the Extension service to partner with MS4 communities in our county in order to provide educational opportunities for Bullitt county citizens regarding reducing water consumption, reducing runoff, and reducing pollution in runoff.    Approximately 50% of Bullitt County residents are connected to city sewers and with a rising county population and destruction of natural areas coupled with construction in the county, waste water management is vital.   Collaborating with the MS4 managers in 6 cities and the county MS4 coordinator, Extension has custom tailored programming to better focus on the impacts of homeowner behavior on waste water systems and offered some classes to specifically address good stewardship of waste water systems.

Three classes were offered over the last year that specifically focused on waste water management and environmental stewardship for homeowners.    19 other programs were modified to provide more information on proper pesticide use, fertilization practices, erosion control, and runoff reduction, control and reuse in the landscape. Based on surveys administered after programming, 27% of participants in programming focused on waste water management answered that they have made behavior changes resulting in reduction of rain water runoff reaching septic or sewer systems.  52% of participants said that they reduced pesticide usage in their garden or landscapes.  3 participants installed rain gardens after attending our Landscape design series and 4 have modified their landscapes to improve bank stabilization.  Last summer this area suffered a drought event and one participant reported that her rain barrels have been essential in saving her landscape.  On average, participants will fill their rain barrel approximately 3 times during the season. With a total number of 71 barrels distributed in the last 3 years, that means 11,715 gallons of water a season is being diverted from waste water systems.   This also translates to about $65 saved on water and sewer costs per season.   As a result of these program efforts, there will be an overall reduction in pollution, erosion and/or runoff in Bullitt County’s waste water systems.   Additionally, these programs help the County meet EPA requirements for water management education to citizens and will continue to impact this community far into the future.