Seasonal correlation of well contamination and septic tank distance
Abstract
Abstract Approximately 40,000 residents in Palm Bay, Florida, rely on septic tanks as a means of sewage disposal and on wells as a drinking water source. High levels of precipitation (>63 cm) during the months of July to September and the presence of porous sandy soils result in high water tables and septic tank overflows. The inability of septic tank leachate to percolate through the soil during the wet season results in ground water contamination, thus posing a health risk to those who drink from local wells. Sixty residential wells in Palm Bay were tested for fecal coliforms, nitrates, and phosphates to determine if season has a significant effect on the correlation between these parameters and the proximity of wells to septic tanks. Ground water samples collected at all distances from septic tanks during the wet season contained twice as many fecal coliforms and higher concentrations of nitrates and phosphates compared with samples collected during the dry season. Results showed a statistically significant correlation between increasing fecal coliform, nitrate, and phosphate concentrations and decreasing distance between wells and septic tanks.
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Coliform bacteria counts and nitrate and phosphate concentrations were higher in domestic wells closer to septic tanks in Florida.
“Coliform bacteria counts and nitrate and phosphate concentrations were higher in domestic wells closer to septic tanks in Florida (Arnade, 1999)”
From Septic systems as sources of organic wastewater compounds in domestic drinking water wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer (2016) · cites this paper as Arnade, 1999
Cites
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Schaider, L. A., Ackerman, J. M., & Rudel, R. A. (2016) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.081 · Cited by 182 · see citing works
- Authors
- Arnade, L. J.
- Corresponding author
- Arnade, Linda Jeanette
- Venue
- Groundwater
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1999-11
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 920-923
- ISSN
- 0017-467X (ISSN-L)
- 1745-6584
- OpenAlex
- W1987237574
- Cited by
- 112
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 3.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Ground Water (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Fecal contamination and water quality
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Water Quality and Pollution Assessment
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Water Quality and Resources Studies
- Keywords
- groundwater contamination, well water quality, fecal coliforms, nitrate, phosphate, seasonal variation, rainy season
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