Holidays Impact Inspections & Well Water Testing |
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Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule
Wake County government will be closed November 24 & 25 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Water Quality Laboratory samples will not be accepted on Wednesday, November 23.
Christmas Holiday Schedule
Wake County government will be closed for the holidays December 23, 26, 27, and January 2, 2023. No inspections will be performed on these days.
The Water Quality Laboratory will be closed Friday, December 23 through Monday, January 2, 2023 in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays. Samples will be accepted on Thursday, December 22. Please be aware that the results for inorganic samples received on December 19-22, including lead, nitrate, and nitrite, will not be reported until after January 3.
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Onsite Wastewater System Inspections |
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Wake County Environmental Services (WCES) has resumed Operations and Maintenance (O&M) inspections for Type IIIb, IV, and V residential wastewater systems this fall. These wastewater system types are required to have the local health department perform an onsite inspection of the systems as stated in 15 NCAC 18A.1961. WCES will send a mailer to homeowners prior to the inspection. If you receive a mailer, please expect the inspection to take place in approximately one to four weeks. You do not need to be home for the inspection; however, if arrangements need to be made (i.e. outdoor pets or if the system is behind a locked fence), please email OMConnect@wakegov.com. For systems that require certified operators, Casey Fulghum, Environmental Health Manager for the O&M program, can schedule the inspection with the certified operator, if desired. Please feel free to contact Casey at Casey.Fulghum@wakegov.com or 919.500.9201 to meet at the site.
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Streambank Vegetation Benefits for Streams and Property |
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Have you witnessed a stream channel widen over the years or large chunks of soil being lost (i.e. erosion) after heavy rain events? Due to increases in growth and urbanization, less water is soaking into the ground and more stormwater is flowing across hardened surfaces (pavement, roofs, etc.) and directly into our streams. This additional stormwater runoff causes streambanks to erode. Erosion from streambanks is the largest source of sediment and pollution in urbanized areas of North Carolina.
What can you do to help?
Make vegetation your friend! Often, we don't realize that by simply removing vegetation or keeping an area only in grass next to the creek we actually contribute to erosion, increase the likelihood for flood damage, and decrease available habitat for wildlife.
Benefits of adding vegetation along streambanks:
- Improves bank stability and reduces erosion, saving property from washing.
- Adds aesthetic value to property.
- Costs less to maintain than turf - no need for mowing, watering, or fertilizing.
- Slows surface stormwater flow.
- Intercepts pollution - fertilizer, pesticides, heavy metals, etc.
- Allows sediment to settle out before clouding up a waterway.
- Provides habitat for many types of wildlife (butterflies, hummingbirds, frogs, dragonflies).
There are multiple options for adding native vegetation and managing streambanks, including installing native livestakes along the water’s edge. Livestakes are live cuttings from specific native trees and shrubs that take root along the bank and help stabilize the soil and prevent further erosion. You can purchase livestakes from local, native plant nurseries or you can forage cuttings yourself. If you are interested in stabilizing a stream on your property with livestakes, now is the best time! Livestakes need to be installed during the dormant, winter season. In the piedmont, that’s typically December through February.
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What would you like to see here?
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