Publication Summary

The purpose of this strategic plan is to describe the process and findings of a broad based Septage Management Advisory Committee (SMAC). The SMAC was created to evaluate the current environment for the management of septage, identify problems in the existing rules and any other internal or external barriers, and propose solutions that would lead to broader overall acceptance of the regulatory program by stakeholder groups and the public.

The SMAC met a total of eight times from September 2002 to May 2003. As part of the facilitated strategic planning process, the committee developed and agreed upon a broad goal to provide reliable long-term systems for the management of septage that protect public health and the environment and are economically feasible and publicly acceptable.

To achieve this goal, eight specific objectives and a set of evaluation criteria were developed. These formed a framework to discuss and develop a consensus regarding specific strategies that should be employed to meet the goal.