Evaluation of the Impact of On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems On Water Quality in Urbanizing Watersheds.

As widely as Onsite Wastewater Treatments Systems (OWTS) are used for wastewater treatment, their impact on water quality has not been elucidated to allow inclusion in land use planning projects. Currently, OWTS are blamed for poor water quality and considered consumptive water use. The overall project goal is determine the impact of OWTS on water quality in urbanizing watersheds of Ocmulgee and Oconee River basins in Georgia and promote behaviors and technologies that increase the effectiveness of OWTS. Our study area includes 24 well characterized watersheds with high and low density OWTS in the Metropolitan Atlanta area. The selected watersheds are common in the Southern Piedmont region. Part of the study design is to sample the watersheds three times a year during baseflow. In this meeting, we will be reporting results from the first (Fall 2011), second (Spring 2012) and third (Summer 2012) sampling events for basic water quality parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and hormones for watersheds that are impacted by low and high density OWTS. Contaminant loads for FIB and hormones will be reported.