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The Lowdown on Poop
THE
LOWDOWN ON POOP
by Sandy Corkern & David Bankston
Louisiana
is a sportsmen’s paradise. Many people enjoy outdoor
activities here, and modern transportation provides access
to remote areas to enjoy nature, especially in the many bayous,
streams, and coastal areas of the state. Therein lies the
problem — lots of people equals lots of waste in Louisiana’s
waters.
Waste
disposal wasn’t a serious problem when only a few people
fished, hunted ducks, boated, swam, and enjoyed Louisiana’s
beautiful outdoors. Today, most people spend some time in
Louisiana’s waters, and visitors come from all over
the world to enjoy these places too. Nature can no longer
break down and assimilate such volumes of wastes efficiently.
Discharges
from human sources can cause problems such as:
- Eutrophication.
This is a natural process that can be aggravated by human
activity. This term describes a situation in which the organic
and mineral content of water reaches such high levels that
it causes a reduction in the amount of dissolved oxygen
in the water. When human waste, which contains nitrogen
and phosphorus, are introduced into water, they provide
nutrients for an initial growth spurt or “bloom”
of algae and other aquatic plants. When this bloom dies,
the decaying matter uses up much of the available dissolved
oxygen, creating a hypoxic or low oxygen situation. Eventually
the animals and plants that live in the water can no longer
survive the low oxygen condition and must either move to
areas of higher dissolved oxygen or die.
- Pathogens.
These are microorganisms that cause diseases in humans.
Although many occur naturally in some waters (ex. Vibrio
vulnificus), untreated discharges can add pathogens. Pathogens
include bacteria, protozoans, and viruses, and can be encountered
while swimming, through cuts and abrasions or by eating
contaminated foods. The Hepatitis A virus, Salmonella, Norwalk
virus and others can be introduced into the water by improperly
treated sewage. While contact with most of these may cause
only moderate symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting
and fever in most people, some individuals may become severely
ill or even die.
- Aesthetic
and economic damage.
Businesses that cater to swimming, tubing and canoeing enthusiasts
can be severely impacted by closures caused by contamination.
The oyster industry has been faced with significant economic
loss due to harvesting areas being closed by contamination.
Fishing guides, marinas and sporting goods stores also suffer
when degraded water quality affects fish populations. There
is also a definite, but difficult to quantify, loss of tourism
dollars in areas of poor water quality.
Because
of these and other sources of contamination to Louisiana’s
waters, sportsmen, business people, and tourists must now
comply with legal restrictions to waste disposal. Wastewater
management at land camps comes under the regulatory authority
of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH).
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has jurisdiction over wastewater
management on vessels.
People
have basically two choices — put human waste in a container
for proper disposal later (many marinas now have pump-out
facilities) or have a proper treatment system on site or aboard.
The correct system for a particular application depends not
only on the site but also on how the site is used. Waste disposal
to avoid contamination depends upon knowing details about
the site’s intended use and characteristics. Most parish
sanitarians are prepared to help determine the best system
to fit the situation. Personnel from the Louisiana Sea Grant
Extension, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries,
and the U.S. Coast Guard can provide information about disposal
of human wastes from boats.
Operation
and Maintenance of Most Waste Disposal Systems
With
the exception of composting or incineration to dispose of
human waste, most systems rely on physical separation, retention
and biological treatment. Because waste treatment systems
rely on the same basic processes, they have similar operation
and maintenance requirements. Every outdoorsman can optimize
operations of these systems by:
- Minimizing
the load on the system, particularly oil and grease.
Fats and oils are difficult for any system to break down.
Even cooking oil is detrimental to long-term, trouble free
operation. Put food scraps into the compost pile or the
trash, not down the drain. Avoid the use of garbage disposals.
Waste from the garbage disposal will not only fill your
treatment system faster and require more frequent pumping,
but it will also increase the scum blanket thickness. Do
not dispose of items such as disposable diapers or feminine
hygiene products in the system.
- Disposing
of petroleum products separately.
Motor oil, gasoline, diesel fuel or other petroleum products
will add to the oil and grease problem, and they can be
toxic to bacteria necessary in the treatment system to break
down human waste. Petroleum products may also present a
safety hazard.
-
Avoiding use and disposal of strong chemicals.
Pesticides, concentrated cleaners, drain cleaners and large
amounts of bleach can kill the bacteria that are work for
the waste treatment system. Bacteria will tolerate small
amounts or low concentrations of cleaning and sanitizing
products typical of normal household usage.
- Limiting
both the total volume of water and the rate of disposal
of water.
High rate of flow will reduce retention and treatment time,
and can resuspend previously separated material. Try to
spread out water using activities throughout the day rather
than doing them all at the same time. Use water saving appliances,
take shorter showers, don’t overfill the tub or flush
the toilet unnecessarily. Don’t do all the laundry
on the same day or let the water run while doing dishes,
brushing teeth or shaving. Don’t empty roof drains
into the sewage system and be sure the piping to the treatment
system does not leak.
- Covering
leach fields only with grass.
Do not drive or store heavy objects over the field. Nonporous
coatings such as concrete will hinder the proper exchange
of gasses and slow the biological processes. Plants with
large roots such as trees may disturb the flow pattern of
the wastewater in the field by causing stoppages or by providing
a direct path through the field that allows no treatment.
Heavy objects or traffic can compact the field and reduce
its ability to absorb waste water.
The
life and effectiveness of a waste treatment system can be
increased through regular maintenance. Camp owners should:
- Be
aware of signs of system failure and take prompt, corrective
action.
Signs include sinks or toilets backing up, foul smells,
water or mud around the septic tank and in drain fields
that can’t be explained by a recent rain. Mechanical
systems should be checked periodically to be sure that power
has not been cut off (by breaker or fuse) and that the system
motor works.
-
Check level of accumulated solids and periodically have
system pumped out.
Regular pumping can help prevent overloading the system
and system failure. Regular pumping helps prevent solids
from escaping into the drain field and clogging soil pores.
Frequency of pumping depends on the size of the tank and
the load. Small tanks and large loading require more frequent
pumping. For example, a 1,000-gallon tank serving 5 people
will typically need pumping at 2-year intervals, while the
same tank serving 1 person typically needs pumping only
every 12 years. In contrast, a 1,500-gallon tank serving
5 people typically needs pumping every 3.3 years. Because
mechanical systems are typically smaller, they will require
pumping more frequently, depending on use. Biological and
chemical tank additives have not been proven either necessary
for proper operation or capable of extending the interval
between pumpouts.
The
bottom line is this: Sewage ruins everyone’s paradise.
No one can have fun amid muck and bad smells. The Golden Rule
applies!
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lowdown_poop.pdf
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