There's nothing like taking a drive along the shores of the Indian River Bay to realize how lucky we are to live here in this beautiful part of the country - and we definitely want to help keep our natural resources as beautiful and as vibrant as they can be for many years.

But here at the Sussex County Association of REALTORS^®, we also have an obligation to our home and business owners, and we continue on our mission to be legislative watchdogs on that front.

And with this year's legislative session rapidly coming to a close, there are several environmental issues being considered in Dover that could impact thousands of property owners in Sussex County. In our role as watchdogs, I like to say we're really howling right now.

The current issue of major importance is the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's (DNREC) Pollution Control Strategy (PCS) for the Inland Bays, potential regulation that has been several years in the making.

While we want to do our part to be good stewards and protect our vast natural resources, there are issues with this proposed regulation that we think will adversely affect property owners in our county. Fortunately, we have good lawmakers representing us at the State House who feel the same as we do - men like Greg Hastings, who is completing his first full term as the representative of the 41st congressional district. "I certainly understand the initiative and the drive here because we all want to continue the progressive cleanup of our inland bays," said Hastings recently. "That being said, what concerns me is the restrictiveness that this initiative would place on properties and what it could potentially do to the individual homeowner who still has a private septic system. I know we need to come to a compromise and there needs to be a balance, but right now I'm concerned."

As are we Greg - as are we.

In this economic climate where Sussex Countians are already paying $4 for a gallon of gas, higher grocery prices and increasingly burdensome utility rates, to force homeowners into laying out thousands of dollars for new septic systems would be difficult, to put it mildly.

"The big issue for us in the REALTOR^® community is the septic provisions, specifically where septic systems have to be inspected prior to the completion of a sale," says Charlotte Herbert, the Government Affairs Director for the Delaware Association of REALTORS^®. "There are a lot of unanswered questions in the draft regulations, such as who is responsible to ensure the requirements are met and if a septic system fails, can a property still close? There's also the issue of all septic systems having to comply with new performance standards within the next 15 years. These systems are very expensive and costly to maintain." A major goal for us here in Sussex County is informing the public, many of whom may not be aware that this piece of financially troubling regulation is being considered and may even be implemented before the end of the month.

We urge everyone who has a private septic system to join us at the Georgetown CHEER Center on June 23 at 6 p.m. for a public hearing. This is your chance to make your voices heard, and it may be your only chance. We want everyone who could be affected by this to speak up because, once the regulations are in place, it's awful hard to backtrack.

If you've noticed all the new Mound Septic Systems popping up in recent months, it's because of regulations like this one. While they may function properly and help decrease the amount of harmful nutrients being absorbed by the surrounding soil, there aren't many who will argue that they are pleasing to the eye, and they are costly.

These systems could become more frequent, as could other types of septic systems under this proposed regulation - and it would all be at the expense of the homeowner.

And, guess what? If you live in the western part of the county and you think this will not affect you because you don't live in the Inland Bays watershed - think again.

DNREC has also targeted the Chesapeake Basin for "environmental improvement." This means Marshyhope Creek, the Nanticoke River and Broad Creek, to name a few, could also be impacted by forthcoming regulation, along with all of their tributaries.

"Everyone in Sussex County and across the state should be concerned as the PCS for the Inland Bays will set the framework for watershed management across the state," says Herbert.

In other words, the state is working overtime to improve the quality of our waterways, which in theory sounds like an absolutely fantastic idea and one that anyone would support.

So please join us next Monday at the CHEER Center. Get informed, let your voice be heard and find out what this regulation could mean to you and your neighbors.

After June 30, it may be too late.