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Looking Glass River Watershed Management Plan - Greater ...

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Sewer and Septic System Service Areas<br />

Strengths and Weaknesses of<br />

Great Lakes Onsite Sewage<br />

System Regulatory Programs<br />

The following points<br />

summarize the report<br />

conducted by the Joyce<br />

Foundation:<br />

• The goal was to assess the<br />

degree to which regulatory<br />

agencies have the capacities<br />

recommended by the EPA.<br />

• Estimates indicate that 10 to<br />

20 percent of all systems are<br />

failing at any given time.<br />

• One challenge for regulators<br />

is ensuring that all systems<br />

are designed and<br />

maintained properly.<br />

• Another challenge is<br />

developing permitting<br />

procedures that deviate<br />

from the traditional model.<br />

• The main challenge is<br />

getting homeowners and<br />

officials to recognize that<br />

onsite sewage systems must<br />

be taken as seriously as<br />

centralized WWTPs.<br />

Source: Halvorsen, 2004.<br />

Sanitary sewer service is an important factor that has the potential to affect<br />

water quality in the watershed. Where this service does not exist, homes<br />

dispose of their waste through a private septic system. Collectively, private<br />

systems present a greater risk of pollutant discharge to waters as compared<br />

to a centralized treatment facility that is associated with a sanitary sewer<br />

system. Sanitary (and combined) sewer service coverage in the watershed is<br />

shown in Figure 2-11.<br />

Generally, the most populous areas of the watershed are those that have<br />

sanitary sewer service. The systems serving the watershed include:<br />

• East Lansing WWTP (serving the City of East Lansing, and Meridian<br />

Township)<br />

• Lansing (serving the City of Lansing and Lansing Township)<br />

• Southern Clinton County Municipal Utilities Authority (serving<br />

portions of Bath, Dewitt, and Watertown Townships, and the City of<br />

Dewitt)<br />

Some of the above systems serve very small portions of surrounding<br />

communities. The East Lansing WWTP and Lansing WWTP do not<br />

discharge their effluent in the watershed.<br />

As a whole, only 19% of the watershed land area has sanitary sewer service.<br />

On a subwatershed basis, those with the most service include Prairie and<br />

Gunderman Drain (71%), <strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> B (58%), Upper Remey Chandler<br />

Drain (57%). Those with little or no service include Clise Drain (0%), Graneer<br />

Drain (0%), Upper Vermilion Creek (0%), <strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> A (0%), Lower<br />

Vermilion Creek (0%), Turkey Creek (0%), Middle Vermilion Creek (0%),<br />

Mud Creek (1%), and Summer Drain (5%).<br />

Table 2-5 Sewer Service Areas<br />

Subwatershed Sanitary Sewer Private Systems<br />

Clise Drain 0% 100%<br />

Faiver Drain 24% 76%<br />

Graneer Drain 0% 100%<br />

Upper Vermilion 0% 100%<br />

<strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> A 0% 100%<br />

<strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> B 58% 42%<br />

Lower Remey Chandler 21% 79%<br />

Lower Vermilion Creek 0% 100%<br />

Mud Creek 1% 99%<br />

Prairie and Gunderman<br />

Drain 71% 29%<br />

Summer Drain 5% 95%<br />

Turkey Creek 0% 100%<br />

Upper Remey Chandler 57% 43%<br />

Middle Vermilion Creek 0% 100%<br />

Total 19% 81%<br />

Section 2: <strong>Watershed</strong> Characteristics 2-13

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