Posted on 08/04/2015 1:26:09 PM PDT by dware
In the largest watershed study of its kind, Michigan State University researchers have sampled 64 river systems in the state for E. coli and the human fecal bacteria B-theta and found that, in a nutshell, septic tanks aren't working.
At least not as well as experts thought. The researchers say that "sample after sample" shows bacterial concentrations are "highest where there were higher numbers of septic systems in the watershed area," water expert Joan Rose tells Phys.org.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Shouldn't rinse latex paint down lines going to septic tanks anyway, the latex can plug the drain pipes in the leach field.
> A properly functioning septic tank and drainfield system does not discharge ANY water (directly to streams and rivers.
There’s the rub. There are lots of poorly functioning septic systems out there in the sticks. I know the majority where I used to live were not up to snuff.
I didn’t know that. Thanks!
All you septic tanks are belong to us!................
Some communities on the east side of Houston have red worms in their water and I read about something really bad that would infect you if it went up your nose. Don’t remember any details.
All you septic tanks are belong to us!................
So soil quits filtering when it detects groundwater?
No, shiite, Sherlock! It's not like there's some magical poo force that keeps it all nice and tidy inside the hole. It's going to leach out into the soil and rains encourage more spreading.
This article is nonsense.
Bacteria are what a septic tank uses to break down sewage.
Of course there are bacteria!
That proves that they are working.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/killer-amoeba-found-in-louisiana-water-system/
Inadequate disinfection of the municipal water supply is the problem there.
Also a problem if you swim in rivers, ponds and other surface water in warm winter areas.
.
>> “Well there’s a shocker.” <<
.
To the enviroNazi, life is a shocker.
If the tank is adequately sized, where it discharges is irrelevant.
It's common sense though that so much land can only handle so many septic tanks in a given area. Developers are building large subdivisions in areas where a utility sewage system has not been put in place. Perhaps Mr Grant or Franklin helps assist in the perk test most states require?
Most septic tanks will work if properly maintained including using Yeast treatments sold for septic systems to keep the talk functioning properly by destroying it's own waste.
Like this ? From the next town over.
In Chesapeake, homeowners have six months to connect to new city services a costly project
By Mary Beth Gahan
The Virginian-Pilot
© July 13, 2015
CHESAPEAKE
Brennen Waters and his wife, Kimberly, bought their first home in May 2014 on Butts Station Road. Like many new homeowners, they had plans for improvements: Adding space for the in-laws. A covered patio to host the kids' birthday parties. Maybe a pool.
The water well and septic system weren't ideal, but the couple didn't see them as immediate concerns.
Less than a year later, construction started on an 18-home subdivision across the street. Contractors working on Hailey's Cove notified neighbors about the upcoming installation of water and sewer lines, saying they would do their best to "minimize any impact to surrounding residents."
While talking with neighbors, the Waterses found out that because the new pipes will run by their house, they have to connect to the city services - at a cost of more than $14,000.
They must pay $5,960 to the city within six months of the construction's completion. And installing the required infrastructure in and around their house will cost an additional $8,500, contractors have estimated. Refusing to participate is not an option.
Residents who fail to pay the connection fees within six months of notification will face fines of between $5 and $500 each day until payment is made, City Attorney Jan Proctor said.
"My biggest issue is that they're forcing it," Brennen Waters said.
"Six months is not sufficient notification for an average household to pay for the work and fees to connect," Waters said. "If we had not heard from others about the requirement to connect, we would still be oblivious to it."
Chesapeake officials say it's in the best interest of public health for all the homeowners to switch to the city water and sewage system.
Waters and the other seven residents affected by Hailey's Cove have yet to receive official notices from the city, but once the pipes are tested and flushed, a letter will be sent. That's when the clock starts.
The connection-fee mandate, which has been in the city code since 1969, dictates rates as high as $7,855, but the Hampton Roads Sanitation District does not charge so much to homeowners switching from a septic system, as the Waterses will do.
Connection fees in other cities range from $350 to $9,000.
After Brennen Waters approached city leaders about the issue last month, he received a letter from Deputy City Manager Amar Dwarkanath, who has since retired.
The six-month timeline is in place to "protect the health, safety and welfare of both the public and the environment," Dwarkanath wrote.
Of South Hampton Roads cities, Chesapeake gives homeowners the least time to connect. Virginia Beach allows one year and Norfolk five. Suffolk requires only that new buildings be connected to city utilities.
As development moves into the traditionally rural part of Chesapeake, city services are gradually spreading south. More than 250 acres have been rezoned for residential use this year by the City Council. Most of the nearly 800 homes approved will be built on land formerly zoned for agriculture. That means new pipes and customers for the city.
The new connections help fund the Public Utilities Department, which draws its operating budget from rates and fees, not general tax revenue.
Ed West, a utilities engineer for the city, said the expansion of services is an effect of growth and is not meant to punish current residents.
"It's just incidental that it goes past these other homes," West said.
Financing is not available, Dwarkanath said, but residents can make small payments during the six-month period if that helps.
"We can't be in the banking business," he said.
Michael Balf, who has lived on Butts Station Road for 20 years, knew the costs associated with connecting to city services, but he was unaware of the requirement to do so.
"I'm looking forward to tying into the system," Balf said. "But it's just like any other thing: Do I have the money?"
Under city code, a resident who can prove financial difficulties, or that the cost is "unreasonable," can obtain a two-year deferral. Balf, who is self-employed, thinks he qualifies.
"If they expect me to write a check for $6,000, I don't know what I'll do," he said. "You can't get blood from a turnip."
Mary Beth Gahan, 757-222-5208, marybeth.gahan@pilotonline.com
Yes that is the one that goes up your nose and infects your brain. The other was red worms coming out of your faucet but they never said what it would do to you. The red worms were in several small communities east of Houston. I have not heard another word about it.
Water seeps into and through the soil. If the water is constantly contaminated eventually the contaminates will build up throughout the soil. It becomes a vicious cycle.
Don’t think of groundwater in terms of a body of water in a cavity below ground. Shallow groundwater is usually in saturated soils. When you dig a hole, surrounding pressure in the walls of the hole forces the water to collect into the void. Even in wells the water is coursing its way through sands and gravels and your well casing has perforations on it that allow that water to flow in and keep the sand and gravel out.
That’s probably related to decaying infrastructure. Municipal piping that’s been compromised but not repaired.
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