Building Capacity to Investigate the Link between Wastewater, Groundwater Contam

Preliminary findings of year 1 of this collaborative study suggest that nitrogen (N) and microorganisms reach the surficial aquifer underneath onsite wastewater (OWW) systems ?also known as septic systems- and might be altering groundwater quality. Data also suggest that one of the OWW systems being studied adjacent to the Pamlico Estuary in Washington, NC is discharging contaminated groundwater to the estuary (O?Driscoll and Deal, 2009). Therefore, we propose a continuation of the study to (1) analyze the fate and transport of common groundwater contaminants (nutrients, microorganisms, and pharmaceuticals) from a residential OWW system adjacent to the Pamlico Estuary and (2) improve methods for detecting and characterizing OWW plumes in sandy coastal soils. This can be helpful in addressing current issues in environmental public health that many counties of coastal North Carolina face.

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