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The Effects of Faulty Septic Systems on The Long Island Sound The Long Island Sound is located in the Northeastern United States bordered by New York State and Connecticut. The Sound is 110 miles long and 21 miles wide at its widest point. Between New York, Long Island and Connecticut it has 548 miles of shoreline. It receives freshwater from rivers such as the Connecticut and Norwalk which flow from as far north as New Hampshire and Vermont. The Sound has been the focus of a considerable amount of environmental concern. In the past, studies have identified many sources of pollution such as factories and dumps, and continue today in identifying non-point, domestic pollution sources such as gardening, fertilizer run off, and more recently septic tank waste disposal systems. Considering half of the homes and businesses on the Long Island Sound have such systems, the impact can be great if the systems are not properly maintained. A failing septic system can cause diseases such as hepatitis and typhoid fever to infect the groundwater and sometimes the source of drinking water for thousands. In addition nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus infiltrate the water from the faulty septic systems. This leads to algae blooms in the sound, which result in hypoxia when the algae decompose. This effects the entire ecosystem of the Sound. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the environmental consequences of the faulty septic system of the human population along the water sources to the Sound. We hope to discover the most environmentally and economically efficient way of decreasing the negative effects on the Long Island Sound. |