So That's Why the Grass Is Greener

"Sometimes," Zuza said, "it's more important to catch the public's attention than to try to give a sophisticated message."

His latest idea? A sticker on every school toilet that reads: "The Chesapeake Bay starts here."

"Frankly, I haven't gotten anyone to bite on that idea yet," he said. "But the thinking is if we can catch these kids while they're young, when they grow up they'll be ready to do the right thing."

But teaching people to do the right thing doesn't mean they'll do it, according to a report last year in the Journal of Environmental Health. After canvassing Ohio counties, the authors found that "at best only a handful of residents" pumped their tanks in response to education about septic systems.

The solution, the report said, may be more aggressive regulation. After systems are installed, few local governments require that they be inspected, pumped out or maintained.

In coming months, Talbot County, Md., will try to improve the situation there. The county hopes to use "flush fee" funding to pay for a pilot program to install nitrogen-removing septic systems at 250 houses. The county would then regularly inspect the systems and tell homeowners when they need to be pumped.

"People want to see us pursuing more aggressive strategies," said Ray Clarke, the county engineer.

Four months ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a 66-page handbook to help local governments develop similar plans.

In Virginia, two options have been discussed: mandatory inspections or requiring that systems be pumped every few years, said Allen Knapp, a state health official.

Many in the field favor inspections, he said, because some homes need pumping less often than others. Most agree, however, that something needs to be done.

"The one thing that's clear is that septics are here to stay," he said. "We're going to have to figure out a way to take care of them."