Tag: Sen. Sam Singh

Flow to host webinar about new septic system legislation

Published on February 26th, 2026 by - Blog Posts, Reports & Media Releases

Webinar Registration

Traverse City, Mich. – Michigan’s water and public health are threatened by an estimated 330,000 failing septic systems, but new legislation (SB 771) recently introduced by Sen. Sam Singh (D-28) proposes common-sense statewide septic standards to help keep human and household wastes out of our lakes, rivers, and drinking water wells. Michigan is the only state in the U.S. without a statewide septic code, and only 12 of Michigan’s 83 counties have septic ordinances.

On March 6, 2026 at 12:30pm, Flow Water Advocates will host a live webinar via Zoom with Sen. Singh to discuss Michigan’s outdated, fragmented approach to septic system oversight and how key provisions in the new bill will protect water quality, property values, and human health.

Sen. Singh will be joined by a panel of experts, including Megan Tinsley, Water Policy Director, Michigan Environmental Council; Dan Thorell, Health Officer, Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department; and Anthony Kendall, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Michigan State University. The event will be moderated by Skip Pruss, Flow Senior Advisor and former Deputy Director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (now EGLE).

The webinar is free to attend, and will include audience Q&A. Registration is available online at www.FlowWaterAdvocates.org/septic and via Zoom.

Meet our panelists:

Sen. Sam Singh, Michigan State Senator (D-28)
Sam Singh is a Democratic Michigan State Senator representing the 28th District and serves as Senate Majority Floor Leader in his first Senate term. He previously served three terms in the Michigan House of Representatives, where he was selected by his colleagues as Democratic Leader and championed education, environmental protection, and economic development.

Anthony Kendall, Assistant Professor in Earth and Environmental Sciences and AgBioResearch, Michigan State University
A lifelong Michigan resident, he studies how climate and land use impact water resources and the human and ecological systems that depend on them. His research reveals the hidden processes shaping water use and informs resource management decisions. Anthony is also a dedicated educator, training the next generation of scientists, practitioners, and decision-makers at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Dan Thorell, Health Officer, Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department
Dan Thorell is a public health leader with more than 29 years of experience in environmental health. He serves as health officer for the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department. He was previously the Health Officer, Deputy Health Officer and
Environmental Health Director at the Health Department of Northwest Michigan. Thorell Executive currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Michigan
Association of Local Public Health.

Megan Tinsley, Water Policy Director, Michigan Environmental Council
The Delta Charter Township resident comes to the Environmental Council with 12 years of combined experience at two Audubon Societies. She began as an Everglades science advocate and policy associate at Audubon Florida, where she coordinated with scientists and other allies to advance restoration projects like increasing freshwater flows to Florida Bay. She then moved to New Jersey Audubon as a conservation associate and a policy director.

Septic systems standards legislation introduced in Michigan state senate

Published on January 28th, 2026 by - Blog Posts, Reports & Media Releases

January 28, 2026

Lansing, Mich. – Today in the Michigan Senate, Sen. Sam Singh (D-28) introduced legislation to establish the state’s first-ever comprehensive framework for the oversight and maintenance of onsite wastewater treatment systems, also known as septic systems. The legislation (SB 771) will modernize Michigan’s outdated approach to septic system oversight, and protect the health of communities and the state’s lakes, rivers, and groundwater.

Live webinar: The case for a statewide septic code in Michigan

Join us on March 6 at 12:30pm for a live webinar with Sen. Sam Singh and a panel of experts, as we discuss the new legislation and answer your questions.

Register online

Michigan is the only state in the nation without a statewide sanitary code for septic systems, despite widespread evidence that failing and aging systems contribute to bacterial and nutrient contamination in drinking water wells and surface waters. The legislation recognizes that while properly functioning septic systems are an effective and affordable wastewater solution, septic system failures pose serious risks to public health, safety, and the environment.

Michigan has attempted to pass a statewide septic code over a dozen times and counting over the past decades, but previous efforts have repeatedly stalled in the legislature. The new bill requires the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to develop a Statewide Sewage Code within three years, creating uniform performance-based standards for both conventional and alternative septic systems. If the legislation is passed and signed into law, Michigan will have consistent, enforceable protections to prevent failing systems from contaminating groundwater and surface waters — a critical step forward for public health and water quality.

Key provisions of the bill include:

  • Homeowners with high-risk or older systems (20+ years and within 500 feet from any surface water or within a high-risk erosion area, critical dune, or 100-year floodplain) are evaluated first, followed by routine 10-year inspections and checks before any change or increase in use.
  • The bill defines a septic system “failure” and authorizes local health departments to inspect, evaluate, and enforce compliance.
  • The law establishes a Technical Advisory Committee: a group of highly qualified experts — including local health officials, engineers, soil scientists, and environmental organizations — that will guide EGLE in developing rules and performance standards.
  • A new Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Administration Fund, which will provide grants to local health departments, support digitization of septic records, fund public education campaigns, and assist low-income homeowners with inspection and repair costs.
  • The legislation allows the use of approved alternative and innovative treatment technologies to meet state standards, ensuring flexibility for communities and property owners.

To ensure compliance, the bill includes civil fines, liens for chronic noncompliance, and criminal penalties for falsifying reports or conducting unregistered evaluations.

“It is high time for Michigan to adopt a uniform septic code,” said Liz Kirkwood, Flow Water Advocates executive director. “Failing and aging systems threaten drinking water and our lakes and rivers. This legislation establishes common-sense protections that every Michigander can support — because clean water is not optional, it’s essential for our health and communities.”

Flow applauds Sen. Singh for his leadership in addressing one of Michigan’s most persistent and under-regulated sources of water pollution. The legislation builds on years of collaboration among environmental organizations, local health departments, and clean water advocates to create a fair, science-based approach to septic management that works for both rural and urban communities.

“Clean water begins at home,” Kirkwood added. “With this legislation, Michigan finally recognizes that protecting our water means maintaining the systems that return it to the ground.”

###

Flow Water Advocates is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Traverse City, Michigan. Our mission is to ensure the waters of the Great Lakes Basin are healthy, public, and protected for all. With a staff of legal and policy experts, communicators, and community builders, Flow is a trusted resource for Great Lakes advocates. We help communities, businesses, agencies, and governments make informed policy decisions and protect public trust rights to water. Learn more at www.FlowWaterAdvocates.org.