Coastal water quality concerns — coastal communities scramble to eliminate septic systems

A septic system is an on-site wastewater treatment system used by individual property owners to process the wastewater that exits their home. It is estimated that 25% of all the homes in the United States use septic systems. Properly installed and maintained septic systems are highly functional and are a suitable way to process wastewater in many communities. Septic systems must be a minimum of three feet above the water table, which is getting increasingly challenging in our coastal communities due to rising sea levels. Properties that lie far from natural waterways are more suitable for septic systems, but in our part of Florida we have the luxury of being surrounded by water! 

A septic system has several parts. When water drains from a home, it enters the septic tank. The septic tank separates liquids, solids, and floating scum. Ideally, only the water leaves the tank and flows into a drain field. The drain field covers a larger area; it is filled with gravel and has several drain pipes with many dispersing holes that deliver the wastewater over an area where natural processes filter out the contaminants. Both inside the septic tank and in the drain field, biological processes mitigate and neutralize pathogens such as bacteria and viruses, so the water that eventually leaves the drain field is clean and ready to enter the groundwater. 

Proper maintenance of a septic system involves pumping it every 3-5 years. In addition, what goes down the sink matters. Because the system relies on biological processes, chemicals like bleach or paint washed down the drain can destroy those processes (kills the good bacteria) needed to clean the water. Also, pouring grease down the sink or even food waste through a garbage disposal can clog the system, impairing function and shortening the life of the septic system. 

For coastal communities that lie just above sea level, it is becoming increasingly apparent that using septic systems to treat wastewater may not work. Drain fields can flood, and eventually the system will stop working, backing up into the home and polluting the groundwater and adjacent waterways. When septic tanks leak, nitrogen and phosphorus are introduced into the groundwater and feed algal blooms that suffocate waterways and threaten aquifers, as well as lakes and salt marshes. If your drinking water comes from a shallow well pumped from the sand and gravel aquifer on your property, you may end up contaminating your own water source. 

Under Florida state legislation (such as HB 1379), property owners in sensitive areas like the Indian River Lagoon basin must transition from traditional septic systems to central sewer networks or upgrade to Enhanced Nutrient-Reducing (ENR) septic systems by July 1, 2030.

Many cities and counties on the East Coast are currently eliminating septic systems, including Miami-Dade, Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach, and the Indian River Lagoon basin in Brevard County, Florida. Coastal communities in Georgia, South Carolina, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and Delaware are paving the way, securing state and federal funding, and finding suitable solutions for this daunting dilemma. Atlantic Beach has gone from 400 septic systems to just over 40 in recent years. 

Should residents and the community on Amelia Island be concerned? As stated in a previous article, we are having water quality issues, especially in Egans Creek, where E. coli test results are especially high. With hundreds of aging septic systems surrounding Egans Creek, one can only wonder if they are the source of these high readings. Ultimately, phasing out septic systems on properties at or near the water table is prudent.

Many communities are no longer allowing permits for new septic tanks in coastal areas because even though they may meet the minimum height requirement now, they will not in the near future. The water table in coastal communities sits right above sea level; we cannot in good conscience allow a septic system to be installed three feet above a rising water table.

Another major concern in many coastal communities is that many of the homes were built over 30 years ago, which means their septic tank systems have reached or exceeded their predicted life span. Replacing septic systems can be very expensive, and access to a municipal wastewater treatment facility may not be available; when it is, tying into them also has a high price tag! —

In this series of articles, we will explore concerns specific to Amelia Island and investigate some possible solutions.