Our invisible water crisis.
Michigan faces a long-standing and largely invisible water quality crisis driven by failing septic systems. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) estimates that 330,000 of Michigan’s 1.3 million septic systems are currently failing. Untreated sewage is entering groundwater, rivers, and lakes at alarming rates. Studies have documented human fecal contamination in 100% of sampled rivers in the Lower Peninsula, demonstrating that failing or substandard septic systems — also known as onsite wastewater systems — are a major and widespread source of pollution.
Michigan is located at the heart of the most extensive fresh surface water system in North America, yet it remains the only state without a statewide septic code, leaving most households without consistent standards for installation, maintenance, inspection, or repair. As of early 2026, only 12 of Michigan’s 83 counties have local septic ordinances — which vary widely in scope and effectiveness. The result is a fragmented, inequitable, and inadequate framework that has allowed the dangers of failing systems to persist for decades. Following well over a dozen prior attempts to pass statewide standards, legislation introduced in early 2026 (Senate Bill 771) offers the most achievable path in decades toward addressing Michigan’s septic system failures.
Download our fact sheet: The case for a statewide septic code in Michigan.
This fact sheet breaks down the State’s need for a statewide septic code to better protect the Great Lakes. Download to learn more about what you can do to maintain your septic system.
