International Code Council Celebrates 2026 SepticSmart Week
This year’s campaign, being held from Sept. 14-18, brings awareness to the importance of maintaining septic systems through homeowner education, workshops and sharing on social media.
SepticSmart Week is an annual campaign led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promote awareness about the importance of proper septic system care and maintenance.
Held from every third week of September, the campaign aims to educate communities on the significance of maintaining their septic systems to protect public health, the environment and safeguard local water sources.
Proclamations
SepticSmart Week gives local and state jurisdictions and supporting organizations the opportunity to draw attention to the care and maintenance of septic systems through issuing Proclamations.
Proclamation templates are available on EPA’s website here.
International Code Council Standards Supporting Proper Septic System Maintenance
ICC 825, Private Sewage Disposal Systems, is a new global standard being developed by the International Code Council (ICC) to set minimum requirements for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of residential onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS). These systems include septic tanks and effluent absorption systems, as well as other treatment and disposal systems, for areas where public sewers are not available.
The standard will emphasize resilience to extreme weather, supported by scientific research conducted by the University of Miami that developed the “WISE Toolkit” that complements the standard by helping select the most appropriate OWTS based on soil type, environmental factors, and financial constraints, among other variables.
The development of the standard is nearing completion as the technical committee is in the process of addressing all public feedback in accordance with ICC’s ANSI Standards Development Policy. The publication of the standard is scheduled for 1st Quarter 2027.
To learn more about the development of ICC 825, click here. For access to more PMG-related resources, click here.
About the Author
The International Code Council is a nonprofit association that provides a wide range of building safety solutions, including product evaluation, accreditation, certification, codification and training. It develops model codes and standards used worldwide to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.
