Water

Problem of failing septic system

Are failing septic systems really a problem?

More and more water quality studies and DNA source-tracking are pointing to septic system runoff as stream and lake polluters. Spring and fall rainy seasons are particularly a problem because the restrictive clay get saturated and can't accept more wastewater from the increasing number of rural homes.

Bob Schultheis
Natural Resource Engineering Specialist

Bad water and health

Can washing dishes and laundry in bad water cause sickness?

The key here is determining what is meant by bad water. Water that doesn't smell, taste or appear good may not have anything in it that causes illness. On the other hand, sometimes contaminants, organisms or bacteria can be found in water that looks and smells perfectly fine.

In many cases, water may have high levels of bacteria or some other organism can only survive when damp. If you wash dishes or laundry and then dry them, the organism dies off -- so there is generally little chance of sickness. But there are some types of bacteria, organism, pesticides, etc. that if not properly handled could result in illness or skin rashes. If pesticides are what makes the water bad, be sure to follow the pesticide label instructions on proper cleaning of clothes that have been contaminated.

If you have a private well, it should be tested for bacteria. You can go to your county health department and get the instructions and bottles for sending in your well water for bacteria testing. Many private laboratories can check water for a variety of contaminants, but unless you have an idea of what you want to check for, the cost can be extremely high. I would suggest that you review these MU Extension publications.

These guides will give you some basic information about private well water. For well head protection, you may also want to check the Farm-A-Syst and Home-A-Syst guidesheet series to identify possible sources of contamination that may be getting into your well.

Bob Broz
Water Quality Specialist/Coordinator

Plant growth in lagoon

I have a lot of plant growth in my septic tank lagoon. Someone told me to pour a chemical in it to control the growth. It removes the oxygen. Is this a good idea?

If the plant growth on the lagoon is algae, you don't want to kill it because it is a necessary part of a functioning lagoon. See the Missouri Conservation Department's publication Common Nuisance Water Plants in Missouri Ponds and Lakes to confirm whether it is algae. Choice of chemical for control of other plants will depend on the plant.

Chemical control itself does not remove oxygen, but as the treated plants die and decompose, they will deplete the oxygen level in the lagoon. Raking off any dead plant matter, and keeping the grass mowed on the lagoon banks, will allow airflow across the water surface that adds oxygen to the water and make the lagoon perform better. See WQ402, Residential Sewage Lagoon Systems: A Homeowner's Guide to Installation and Maintenance for more lagoon operational tips.

Bob Schultheis
Natural Resource Engineering Specialist

Testing water hardness

Do you test water for hardness so I'll know how to adjust my water softener?

We do test water for domestic suitability. This test would provide you the value for hardness. With the hardness value of the water, you should be able to set the water softener accordingly. The cost for this water test is $35. If you are mailing the sample direct to the lab for analysis, make sure to send along a filled-out sample information form and a check written to MU Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory for the amount due to:

MU Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory
23 Mumford Hall
University of Columbia
MO 65211

Additional information on submitting samples to the lab can be obtained by visiting the lab's Web site.

Manjula V. Nathan
Director
MU Soil Testing and Plant Diagnostic Services

Restoring lagoon

I read WQ402, Residential Sewage Lagoon Systems: A Homeowner's Guide to Installation and Maintenance and have some a questions. I am buying a home in south cetral Missouri that I believe has a lagoon. I not sure but don't think there is a septic tank in combination with the lagoon. The home has not been occupied for a period of time. The lagoon is dry and has not been used for three to six months. What concerns should I have about this? Can a regular home or septic inspector check this to make sure it is functional and does not need major repairs? There is no fence around the lagoon. Is this an issue?

There is no state requirement that the lagoon be preceded by a septic tank, although we do recommend it to help reduce the nutrient loading on the lagoon and possibility of odors during spring warm-up. Contact your county health department to see if they have stricter requirements.

Historically, annual rainfall and annual evaporation for your part of the state is about equal, so a dry lagoon suggests it might have a leak. The easiest way to check this is to add water to the lagoon and monitor with a measuring stick to see how rapidly the water level drops. During hot summer weather with no rainfall, normal evaporation would be about 0.25 inch per day. If it's more than that, suspect a leak.

Fixing a lagoon leak in Ozark's soils usually requires removing any vegetation and organic matter, tilling the top six inches of soil in the lagoon bottom while the soil is quite moist and sticky,recompacting the soil with heavy rubber-tired equipment, and adding enough water back into the lagoon to keep the seal wet until rainfall and wastewater refills the lagoon to the three-foot operating level. If the soil is gravelly, adding bentonite clay can help improve the seal. See G1555, Reducing Pond Seepage for proper use of bentonite.

The home or septic inspector can flush toilets to make sure the water is getting to the lagoon, but an additional contractor may be required to do the soil work to seal a leaky lagoon.

The four-foot high or taller fence around the lagoon is a safety feature to keep out livestock and children and should be installed. The fence can be made of welded, woven or chain-link 14-gauge wire. Hog or cattle panels may also be used. Secure the fence wire to pressure-treated wood or galvanized and/or painted steel posts that are spaced not more than 10 feet apart and anchored 24 inches or deeper in the ground. Install a gate large enough (36 to 48 inches wide) to allow access for maintenance and mowing equipment. Post warning signs to designate the nature of the facility.

Bob Schultheis
Natural Resource Engineering Specialist