A Chicago attorney is lobbying for legislation in the Illinois General Assembly that would regulate at least 130,000 septic systems in the state.

Ann Alexander said 10 to 25 percent of surface-discharge septic systems are failing annually because of poor maintenance and need to be inspected to ensure public health.

Alexander is an attorney at the non-profit Environmental Law and Policy Center, 35 E. Wacker Drive, Suite 1300, Chicago.

When the systems fail, fecal coliform bacteria is released into the environment at 100,000 times the acceptable level, she said.

Fecal coliform, found in human waste but not a health threat in itself, is used by health officials to indicate the presence of harmful bacteria, said Mike Zima, manager of the DeKalb Sanitary District.

There are about 500 potentially dangerous septic systems in DeKalb County, Alexander said, and the number grows every year.

The legislation would give the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency the authority to monitor the septic systems, Alexander said. It also would define the terms under which certain septic systems would be allowed.

Ideally, Alexander said, she would like to see the systems monitored as often as four times a year. However, an annual visit to home sites by a state regulator would suffice.

Alexander said the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency proposed the legislation last year, but it never was acted upon.

The agency hopes to see a vote on the issue this November.

There are 130,000 existing surface-discharge septic systems in the state, and 6,000 new systems are installed every year with state regulation only at installation, Alexander said.

“It’s like the Wild West out there,” Alexander said.

The system’s capacity is compromised when homeowners do not have the normal sludge accumulation pumped out of the tanks.

“The systems break down constantly,” Alexander said.

When the system fails, untreated waste water is discharged into the environment and could contaminate water supplies, Alexander said. The agency is working on compiling evidence of environmental contamination, she said.