Groundwater in the Great Lakes Basin

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APPENDIX D Threats to Groundwater Quality in the Great Lakes Basin — On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems, Septage and Sludge CONTENTS BACKGROUND 56 NUMBER OF SEPTIC SYSTEMS 56 TYPES OF SEPTIC SYSTEMS 57 GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION FROM SYSTEM FAILURE AND SEPTAGE DISPOSAL 59 CONTAMINANTS FROM ON-SITE SYSTEMS, SEPTAGE AND SLUDGE 60 AGING AND FAILING SEPTIC SYSTEMS IN THE BASIN 60 FAILURE PREVENTION – REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND BACKWASH FLUSHING 61 ON-SITE SYSTEM REGULATION 62 RECOMMENDATIONS 64 REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY 65 55
BACKGROUND The first underground septic systems were used by the French in the 1870s (CDC, 2006). By the mid-1880s, two-chamber, automatic siphoning tank systems, the ones commonly used today, were installed in the United States (CDC, 2006). More than a century later, these on-site wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) are proliferating in the Great Lakes Basin due to expanding and widely distributed populations that lack access to centralized sewer systems (CDC, 2006). (See Table 1.) The term on-site wastewater treatment system refers to systems utilizing sub-surface disposal. They range in size from individual single-family systems to systems serving businesses, commercial developments, institutions or groups of homes with flows up to 10,000 gallons per day. Today’s residential septic tanks are typically made of concrete, steel, fiberglass, polyethylene or other approved material, which hold 1,000 gallons or more of wastewater (CDC, 2006). In areas with on-site disposal systems, most of the liquid waste will enter the groundwater (Howard, 2002). In Bermuda, for example, septic discharge provides 35% of the total aquifer recharge (Howard, 2002). NUMBER OF SEPTIC SYSTEMS One-quarter to one-third of homes in the U.S. use septic systems (CDC, 2006), and approximately one-third of new residential homes in the U.S. are constructed with septic or other forms of on-site wastewater treatment systems (Rafter, 2005). In Canada many rural homes also rely on septic systems (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., 2007). In Michigan approximately 50% of new homes are constructed with septic tanks (Fishbeck, Thompson, and Carr and Huber Inc., 2004). In Minnesota it is estimated that approximately 86% or 535,000 homes rely on on-site systems; of these, an estimated 144,000 were failing and 64,000 posed an imminent threat to public health and safety (McDilda, 2007). Septic tank deterioration is a major concern. In Door County, Wisconsin, 80% to 90% of tanks in the area come out of the ground looking like Swiss cheese (Dayton, 2008). It is estimated that $1.2 billion is needed in order to address the state’s septic problems and an additional $3.4 billion to address sewer and wastewater treatment plant issues (Wallace, Nivala and Brandt, 2006). Maryland is estimated to have 420,000 septic tanks with an additional 1,000 installed each year (Murray, 2004). In 2004 a bill was passed implementing a $30 annual fee for homeowners with septic tanks. Table 1. Number of On-Site Systems by State and Province Source: Adapted from presentation by Ric Falardeau at the Science Advisory Board’s Groundwater Consultation, Lansing, Michigan, March 2006. State / Province Total Number of Systems Permits per Year Illinois ND ND 50,000 Indiana 800,000 14,500 50,000 Michigan 1,400,000 35,000 455,000 Minnesota 535,000 17,500 35,000 New York ND ND 200,000 Ohio 1,000,000 20,000 110,000 Ontario 1,200,000 2 25,000 3 ND Pennsylvania ND ND 25,000 Wisconsin 680,000 21,000 110,000 Number of Systems in Counties that Border the Great Lakes 1 56 1 In the U.S. 100% of the 67 county or regional agencies that border a Great Lake and that regulate OWTS were surveyed. In Ontario, the only province bordering the Great Lakes, one office was surveyed at each level within a bordering region: a regional (unincorporated area), township or county level and/or municipal level (building department) office. The total U.S. and Canada survey attempted 80 offices of which 74 (93%) responded. Adapted from Gorman and Halvorsen, 2006. 2 Estimate; actual number unknown (Doug Joy, personal communication at the Syracuse Groundwater Consultation). 3 Number of new or replacement systems per year; 5% are advanced technology (Doug Joy, personal communication). ND – No data
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AReportoftheGreatLakesScienceAdviso
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Citation: Great Lakes Science Advis
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Commissioners’ Preface The Great
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2 required to monitor basin groundw
Page 11 and 12: 4 Systems have a 30-year lifespan d
Page 13 and 14: 6 Groundwater quality is routinely
Page 15 and 16: 8 Transmittal Letter Groundwater/An
Page 17 and 18: 10 Acknowledgements, Activities and
Page 19 and 20: APPENDICES Appendices A through L p
Page 21 and 22: INTRODUCTION Groundwater, a major n
Page 23 and 24: 16 DESCRIPTION OF NATURAL SYSTEMS M
Page 25 and 26: that are not substantially affected
Page 27 and 28: Estimates of the Level and Extent o
Page 29 and 30: APPENDIX B Threats to Groundwater Q
Page 31 and 32: 24 PATHOGENS Bacteria, viruses and
Page 33 and 34: Viruses Viral pathogens continue to
Page 35 and 36: SPECIFIC EPISODES Walkerton In 2000
Page 37 and 38: 30 season. The sampling sites inclu
Page 39 and 40: 32 Curriero, F.C., Patz, J.A., Rose
Page 41 and 42: Infection of a suitable host specie
Page 44 and 45: APPENDIX C Threats to Groundwater Q
Page 46 and 47: Road salt has significant toxic eff
Page 48 and 49: converted to nitrite in the human s
Page 50 and 51: Atrazine Atrazine is an extensively
Page 52 and 53: Wisconsin DNR keeps track of about
Page 54 and 55: Table 1. Chemical Contaminants in G
Page 56 and 57: isks for 23 diseases in six contigu
Page 58 and 59: Figure 1. Number* of waterborne-dis
Page 60 and 61: Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Wa
Page 64 and 65: Figure 1. Source: General Descripti
Page 66 and 67: (Gorman and Halvorsen, 2006). Any s
Page 68 and 69: Table 3. Washtenaw County, Michigan
Page 70 and 71: that the OWTS would last until it w
Page 72 and 73: REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY Aglie,
Page 74: Septic Tanks - Septic Tank Articles
Page 77 and 78: INTRODUCTION Leaking underground st
Page 79 and 80: sites that were previously closed,
Page 81 and 82: Table 1. USTs in Great Lakes States
Page 83 and 84: Estimation of Costs for Remediation
Page 85 and 86: Table 6. Operational Compliance of
Page 87 and 88: 80 Indiana Government. (2007, Febru
Page 89 and 90: 82 GLOSSARY AST - above ground stor
Page 91 and 92: INTRODUCTION 84 Hazardous wastes ar
Page 93 and 94: The town of Kincardine, Ontario, ha
Page 95 and 96: 88 • The monitoring and surveilla
Page 97 and 98: However, the U.S. EPA has been relu
Page 99 and 100: 92 Johnson, B.L. & DeRosa, C.T. (19
Page 101 and 102: PAHs - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocar
Page 103 and 104: INTRODUCTION An abandoned well is d
Page 105 and 106: Figure 6: Leaking oil well Source:
Page 107 and 108: CONTAMINANT SOURCES 100 During any
Page 109 and 110: Nearly 16 million operational water
Page 111 and 112: • Development of a targeted progr
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106 Michigan Department of Environm
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APPENDIX H Threats to Groundwater Q
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far reaching. Road salt can inhibit
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112 Desalinization Potential water
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Gray, J. (2004, January). Brine Spr
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INTRODUCTION 116 In 2003 there were
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118 feed has increased to upwards o
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References and Bibliography 120 Arn
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APPENDIX J Threats to Groundwater Q
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for recreational purposes and destr
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126 errors (human or mechanical), p
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Apparent Losses Old meters are like
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Figure 6. Examples of Windsor, Onta
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REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY 132 Ada
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134 Levy, S. (2004, November 16). T
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APPENDIX K The Châteauguay Transbo
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138 the clay sediments of the St. L
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REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY Bureau
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INTRODUCTION 142 Groundwater law ac
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144 • Water withdrawn be returned
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146 found to be failing. Now, with
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Part 373: Third Stage Treatment Lag
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150 Chapter 1501:15 Soil and Water
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152 Title 29 - Water Resources Mana
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APPENDIX M List of Acronyms ADHD -
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Groundwater in the Great Lakes Basin

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