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Water Quality Changes in a Septic Tank Effluent Discharged to the Chalk |
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| Authors: | H A C MONTGOMERY PhD CChem FRSC P J SHAW BSc DUC MPhil MIGeol R V CHEESEMAN BSc CChem FRSC |
| Affiliation: | Dr Montgomery was formerly with the Directorate of Resource Planning. Southern Water;he is now a Consulting Water Scientists. Mr Shaw was formerly with the Directorate and later the Kent Division of Southern Water: he is now with the Isle of Wight Division. The late Mr Cheeseman was with Southern Water. |
| Abstract: | B ucket-type samplers were installed in the unsaturated zone to intercept septic tank effluent descending through the Chalf at Snowdown, Kent. Better than 90 per cent removal of BOD and COD, and of the order of 99 per cent removal of coiform bacteria, were observed after downward percolation through 2.1 m of Chalk. Nitrification of ammonia had begun at that depth, but not at intermediate depth. The results, though limited, suggest that septic tank effluent is purified in the Chalk in a similar way to settled sewage. |
| Keywords: | septic tank effluent groundwater quality viruses in groundwater |