Looking Glass River Watershed Management Plan - Greater ...
Looking Glass River Watershed Management Plan - Greater ...
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