Innovation In Soil Based Onsite Wastewater Treatment

April 06 - 08, 2014

In fecal source tracking determining which indicator to use can be challenging. There must be some guidelines based on constitutes associated with the particular fecal matter which is perceived to be the source.  Such constitutes would include but are not limited to: What type of animal was the waste made from, and what type of soil was the waste deposited upon? Standard methods of measuring fecal contamination in water by enumerating fecal indicator bacteria do not identify the sources of the contamination. Furthermore, guidelines should be established to alleviate uncertainties about which indicator should be used. This study will identify differences in the amounts of bacteria cultured from different soil types. Such soil types will differ in there ratios of clay, silt and sand content. Development of a standard for coagulase positive Staphylococci cultured from poultry litter present in the most diverse soil types took place in the beginging stages. The spatial variability associated with the presence of Staphylococcus was evident in this study. However, the microorganisms that were cultured were extremely sensitive to environmental factors. The findings are at the preliminary stages.  Further investigation from other indicators as well as animal wastes is necessary in order to improve standard methods of measuring fecal contamination in water.