Otter Tail County Advances Water, Septic and Land Protection Priorities

Chris LeClair, Otter Tail County Land and Resource Management Director, presented departmental priorities and recent activity to the county board on Feb. 18, 2026, pressing a coordinated push on septic-system replacements, water-quality protections and land-use work across the county. LeClair highlighted existing financial tools and outreach designed to get repairs underway for non‑compliant subsurface sewage treatment systems that threaten groundwater.

The Land and Resource Management Department is mandated to protect public health, safety and general welfare by ensuring the proper location, design, installation, use and maintenance of SSTSs, a responsibility LeClair emphasized during his presentation to county staff, commissioners and local stakeholders. County materials note failing systems are one way that groundwater and waterways can become polluted, a direct risk to lake homes and rural wells across Otter Tail County.

As part of education and outreach, the department is encouraging homeowners to maintain septic systems and to take a free online homeowner course offered through the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association and the Rural Community Assistance Partnership. The county says the homeowner-focused course includes a comprehensive user guide to help owners understand and maintain their systems. The department also published a photo showing a subsurface sewage treatment system installed at a lake home in Otter Tail County, credited to OTC Land and Resource Management.

LeClair outlined financial-assistance options already in place. Otter Tail County serves as the lender for a Zero Interest Septic Replacement Loan program in which the cost of a replacement system is assessed to the property and repaid via property taxes over ten years, interest-free. The county was also awarded a $15,000 Clean Water Fund grant that can be used to replace eligible SSTSs; county materials note those 2021 grant funds have been allocated. County communications state both of these funding sources, if approved in individual cases, can be used by low- and moderate-income homeowners to obtain grants or loan assistance for noncompliant systems.

LeClair told the board he has taken the issue to Washington. “On behalf of the residents of Otter Tail County,” he said, “I asked both US Senators to support these initiatives in an effort to get financial assistance to the residents of Otter Tail County. We will continue work to at the state and national levels to highlight and find solutions to these challenges our rural residents face.”

County staff say work will continue to seek additional state and federal support and to coordinate with local stakeholders on land-protection measures tied to water-quality outcomes. For homeowners seeking details on maintenance, courses or funding eligibility, contact Chris LeClair at cleclair@co.ottertail.mn.us or 218.998.8105.