When Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe water resource professionals discovered that 60 percent of the Minnesota reservation’s septic systems were sub-standard or failing, they feared for the reservation’s health, indigenous rice fields, and fish populations.
Shirley Nordrum, a Leech Lake Extension educator with the University of Minnesota, responded with an extensive education program. She explains to homeowners how having the sanitation department pump their septic systems could protect their health and contribute to the safety of the environment and their community. She uses funds from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Federal Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) to conduct this outreach effort. Her program has become a model for other communities.
