Drainage complaints may be valid if either of two conditions is present:
Clermont County Public Health can’t take action if pooled water does not impact an HSTS or has not become a breeding place for mosquitoes. Public Health does not regulate stormwater runoff, discharges from swimming pools, or discharges from sump pumps.
Pooled water that covers a leach field or a portion of it can severely reduce the capacity of the system to absorb wastewater.
Pooled water covering the discharge pipe could cause a system malfunction or cause sewage to back up into a house.
If a drainage way is blocked and causes water to back up and affect a household sewage treatment system, Public Health can order the property owner to unblock the drainage way or provide a way for the water to drain.
Standing water that provides a breeding site for mosquitoes can be a valid complaint. It takes approximately ten days for mosquito eggs to hatch. So, standing water may not be considered a health nuisance until it has pooled for at least ten days. We must observe mosquito larvae before we can take action. The property owner must treat or eliminate the standing water if mosquito larvae are found.
A property owner that has pooled water and is a mosquito breeding site must treat or eliminate the standing water, regardless of the source of the water. Clermont County Public Health cannot order someone other than the property owner to treat or eliminate standing water on the property.
You can treat standing water with a mosquito larvicide. Mosquito dunks are a home version of this larvicide that you can purchase at most hardware or garden stores. It is non-toxic and contains bacteria lethal to mosquitoes and black fly larvae. One cake will treat up to one hundred square feet of surface area and last up to thirty days if a rainstorm doesn’t wash it out.
If pooled water is present in a drainage ditch on a county road, the Clermont County Engineer may be able to clear the ditch. If there is a problem with a drainage ditch on a township road, contact local township officials.
