9 minute read
Septic and Water Quality Workshop
On June 9-10, 2022, a workshop was held at the Flathe that engaged a diverse array of experts to discuss th economic perspectives of septic systems and their im
Septic & Water Quality Workshop Summary
In 2022, the Whitefish Lake Institute and the Flathead Lake Biological Station (University of Montana) were awarded a National Science Foundation Smart and Connected Communities Grant to further research and investigate the septic Sponsors leachate pollution problem. Resulting from this grant, FBC sponsored and assisted with the organization of a septic and water quality workshop to engage a diverse spectrum of participants, including state, tribal and federal agencies, professors, scientists, legislators, nonprofits, local health departments, contractors, consultants, and engineers. The following two-page summary was created to share the results of the workshop with interested parties and to act as a framework for moving forward with the septic leachate issue.
Septic & Who was involveSeptic & Water Quality Workshop SummaryWater Quality Workshop Summary Septic & Water Quality Workshop Summary On June 9-10, 2022, a workshop was held at the Flathead Lake Biological Station d? Diverse participan Septic & Water Quality Workshop Summary On June 9-10, 2022, a workshop was held at the Flathead Lake Biological Station that engaged a diverse array of experts to discuss the scientific, social, and economic perspectives of septic systems and their impact on water quality. Who was involved? Sponsors On June 9-10, 2022, a workshop was held at the Flathead Lake Biological Station that engaged a diverse array of experts to discuss the scientific, social, and economic perspectives of septic systems and their impact on water quality. Who was involved? State Agencies Diverse participants representing:Sponsors On June 9-10, 2022, a workshop was held at the Flathead Lake Biological Station that engaged a diverse array of experts to discuss the scientific, social, and economic perspectives of septic systems and their impact on water quality. Who was involved? State Agencies Diverse participants representing: Sponsors that engaged a diverse array of experts to discuss the scientific, social, and economic perspectives of septic systems and their impact on water quality. Who was involved? State Agencies Diverse participants representing: Tribal Agencies ts re SponsoSponsors rs Diverse participants repre State Agencies senting: Academia Tribal Agencies Loc Academia Tribal AgenciesAcademia al Health Departments L Loc Tribal AgenciesLocal Health Departmenal Health Departments Non-Profits ts Academia Non-Profits ContrNon-Profitsactors / Consultants
Key Discussion Topics
Natural Science • Collecting data that connects public health and/or
environmental degradation directly to septic systems is critical to gain public awareness.
• Monitoring Options:
• Optical remote sensing for nearshore algal expression • Tracers (DNA/Acesulfame) • Viruses and pathogens • Sensor networks • Citizen/community science • Monitoring option costs, scalability, equitability, and
accessibility.
• Long-term & near shore monitoring data is critical to establish baseline understanding. • Compiling & presenting data in a visual way is key for garnering public interest and support. 30 FlatheadBasinCommission.org C
Social Science • Public barriers to engaging in septic system best
management practices: • Lack of knowledge or understanding of how septic Key Discussion Topi Natural S systems work • High and rising costscience S • Fear of changes to community Collecting data t • ha • Poor regulatory oversight Options to address barriers (state, county, septic-shed, t connects public health and or parcel levels):/or environmental degradation direc • tly Increase public awareness & knowledge of septic system BMPsto septic systems is critical to • Regulation/rule making • Advocate for more fundinggain public awareness. • Incentivize upgrading, replacing old systems, or connecting to municipal sewer • Enhance communication & coordination between Monitoring Options: • state and local governments Support to digitize septic permit databases
Collecting data that connects public health and/or degradation directly en to vironm septic ental Public barr
systems is critical to gain public system bes awareness. practices: Monitoring Optical r Options: emote sensing for Lack of nearshore algal expression underst
Tracers Viruses (DNA/Acesulfam and pathogens e) systems
Sensor networks Citizen/community science High an Fear of Monitoring option costs, equitability, and access scalabil ibility. ity, Poor reg
degradation systems is cr awareness. directl itical to Public barriers to engaging system best management practices: y to septic gain public in septic M Lack of knowledge or understanding of how septic systems work High and rising costs Fear of changes to communit Poor regulatory oversight onitoring Options: Optical remote sensing for nearshore algal expression Tracers (DNA/Acesulfame) Viruses and pathogens Sensor networks y
Citizen/community sc Option ience s to address barriers (state, Monitoring o equitability, county, septic-shed, or parcel levels): Increase public awareness & knowledge of septic system BMPs ption costs, scalability, and accessibility. Long-t data is erm criti & n cal ear shore to establis Regulation/rule making Advocate for more fundi d monitoring h baseline ng l
Collecting data that connects Public barriers to engaging in septic public health and/or environmental system best management degradation directly to septic practices:
systems is critical to gain public Lack of knowledge or awareness. understanding of how septic systems work Monitoring Options: High and rising costs
Optical remote sensing for Fear of changes to community nearshore algal expression Poor regulatory oversight
Tracers (DNA/Acesulfame)
Citizen/community science Increase public awareness & knowledge of septic system BMPs Monitoring option costs, scalability, Regulation/rule making equitability, and accessibility. Advocate for more funding Incentivize upgrading, replacing Long-term & near shore monitoring old systems, or connecting to data is critical to establish baseline municipal sewer
Legislators
Collecting data that connects public health and/or environmental degradation directly to Publicseptic barriers to engaging in septic
systems is critical to g systemain public best management awareness. practices: Lack of knowledge or Monitoring Options: understanding of how septic
Optical remote sensing syfor stems work nearshore algal expressi Higon h and rising costs
Tracers (DNA/Acesulfa Feme) ar of changes to community
Viruses and pathogens Poor regulatory oversight
Sensor networks
Citizen/community Optionscience s to address barriers (state, county, septic-shed, or parcel levels): Monitoring option costs, sc Increasealability, public awareness & equitability, and accessibiliknowty. ledge of septic system BMPs Regulation/rule making Long-term & near shore Advocatmonitoringe for more funding data is critical to establish Incentivbaseline ize upgrading, replacing understanding. old systems, or connecting to municipal sewer
High and rising costs
Fear of changes to community
Regulation/rule making
Advocate for more funding
FBC Biennial Report Recommendations for Future Work
• Host remote sensing workshop to explore technologies that MT can implement • Map groundwater flows to identify target locations for more extensive sampling
• Develop long-term, nearshore monitoring program
on which short-term, localized tracer data can be superimposed • Build lab capacity in Montana for more complex analyses • Create a publicly accessible database with digitized septic permit data that could be adopted statewide
• Support/advocate for Flathead County's Septage
Biosolids & Composting Facility
• Utilize existing tools to implement a community/citizen
science program and create accompanying guide for understanding/interpreting data
• Provide support for counties and water & sewer
districts
• Refine definition of a “failing” system at the state level
Key Takeaways
• This workshop was novel in that it gathered a diverse group of experts to discuss the complex scientific,
social, and economic perspectives of the septic issue. • Magnitude of the septic issue needs to be better
understood, quantified, and shared in order to mobilize the public to act with urgency.
Build lab capacity in Montana for more complex analysesBuild lab capacity in Montana for more complex analysesBuild lab capacity in Montana for more complex analyses Create a publicly-accessible database with digitized septic permit data thatCreate a publicly-accessible database with digitized septic permit data thatCreate a publicly-accessible database with digitized septic permit data that could be adopted statewidecould be adopted statewidecould be adopted statewide Support/advocate for Flathead County's Septage Biosolids & CompostingSupport/advocate for Flathead County's Septage Biosolids & CompostingSupport/advocate for Flathead County's Septage Biosolids & Composting
FacilityFacilityFacility
Utilize existing tools to implement a community/citizen science program andUtilize existing tools to implement a community/citizen science program andUtilize existing tools to implement a community/citizen science program and create accompanying guide for understanding/interpreting data.create accompanying guide for understanding/interpreting data.create accompanying guide for understanding/interpreting data. Provide support for counties and water & sewer districts.Provide support for counties and water & sewer districts.Provide support for counties and water & sewer districts. Refine definition of a “failing” system at the state level.Refine definition of a “failing” system at the state level.Refine definition of a “failing” system at the state level. KeyKeyKey TakeawaysTakeawaysTakeaways This workshop was novel in that it gathered a diverse group of experts toThis workshop was novel in that it gathered a diverse group of experts toThis workshop was novel in that it gathered a diverse group of experts to discuss the complex scientific, social, and economic perspectives of thediscuss the complex scientific, social, and economic perspectives of thediscuss the complex scientific, social, and economic perspectives of the septic issue.septic issue.septic issue.
Magnitude of the septic issue needs to be better understood, quantified,Magnitude of the septic issue needs to be better understood, quantified,Magnitude of the septic issue needs to be better understood, quantified,
• A multi-pronged solution that moves toward centralized and shared in order to mobilize the public to act with urgency.and shared in order to mobilize the public to act with urgency.and shared in order to mobilize the public to act with urgency. systems; replaces, upgrades, and maintains existing septic systems; and incorporates cutting-edge waste A multi-pronged solution that moves toward centralized systems; replaces,A multi-pronged solution that moves toward centralized systems; replaces,A multi-pronged solution that moves toward centralized systems; replaces, management technologies is required to solve the upgrades, and maintains existing septic systems; and incorporates cutting-upgrades, and maintains existing septic systems; and incorporates cutting-upgrades, and maintains existing septic systems; and incorporates cuttingwater quality issueedge waste management technologies is required to solve the water qualityedge waste management technologies is required to solve the water qualityedge waste management technologies is required to solve the water qualityissue.issue.issue.
Action Items
• Communicate data to the public through education and outreach programs Communicate dataCommunicate dataCommunicate data to the public throughto the public throughto the public through education &education &education & outreach programsoutreach programsoutreach programs
ActionActionAction ItemsItemsItems
• Identify and address data and research needs/gaps and explore policy options Identify & addressIdentify & addressIdentify & address data & researchdata & researchdata & research needs/gaps & exploreneeds/gaps & exploreneeds/gaps & explore policy optionspolicy optionspolicy options
• Engage more voices: commissioners, legislators, realtors, lenders, etc. Engage more voices:Engage more voices:Engage more voices: commissioners,commissioners,commissioners, FlatheadBasinCommission.org 31legislators, realtors,legislators, realtors,legislators, realtors, lenderslenderslenders etcetcetc
