Septic Systems in the Coastal Environment: Multiple Water Quality Problems in Many Areas

4.1 Septic Systems and Their Prevalence in the United States....................................................... 82 4.2 Septic System Pollutants and Treatment Processes .................................................................. 82 4.3 Septic Systems and Fecal Microbial Pollution ............................................................................ 86 4.4 Examples of Coastal Microbial Pollution from Septic Systems ................................................ 86 4.4.1 Brunswick County, North Carolina..................................................................................... 86 4.4.2 Charlotte Harbor, Florida.................................................................................................... 87 4.4.3 The Florida Keys................................................................................................................... 87 4.5 Septic Systems and Nutrient Pollution ....................................................................................... 87 4.6 Examples of Coastal Nutrient Pollution from Septic Systems.................................................. 89 4.6.1 Florida Keys .......................................................................................................................... 89 4.6.2 Chesapeake Bay ................................................................................................................... 89 4.6.3 Maryland .............................................................................................................................. 90 4.7 North Carolina’s Outer Banks—Idyllic, but Not for Septic Systems......................................... 90 4.7.1 Background .......................................................................................................................... 90 4.7.2 Sampling and Analysis ........................................................................................................ 91 4.7.3 Findings ................................................................................................................................ 92 4.8 Minimizing Pollution from Septic Systems................................................................................. 98 4.9 Summary and Conclusions ........................................................................................................... 98 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................... 99 References............................................................................................................................................. 99