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ONSITE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT TO PROTECT SUWANNEE SOUND
Citation:
Impact/Purpose:
Research study of the impact of conventional onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems to groundwater resources in the karst geology of the Suwannee River Basin. The Florida Department of Health is interested in understanding the impact of conventional treatment on groundwater in order to determine how best to protect groundwater quality.
Description:
The Suwannee Sound area is the second most important oyster producing area in Florida. In 1989, the Florida Department of Natural Resources estimated the oyster fishery production at $6 million dollars. In 1997, a central sewage treatment facility was built for the town of Suwannee, eliminating 850 inadequately operating onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems closest to the shellfish harvesting areas. Shellfish harvesting for the area has been re-opened, however non-point source pollution has not been eliminated and is still considered a threat to this important shellfish harvesting area. The topography in the Suwannee area consist of karst deposits, which are fractured cavernous limestone deposits at or close to the land surface. The Florida Department of Health believes that alternative septic systems, i.e. drip irrigation systems and recirculating sand filters, may be more appropriate sewage treatment systems for regions with karst. The Florida Department of Health is interested in quantifying the ground water impacts from installing conventional on site treatment disposal systems in karst regions along the Suwannee River.