Contribution of Septic Systems to Nutrient Contamination of Surface Waters

Septic systems are an onsite method of treating wastewater typically used in rural areas and places that do not have a treatment plant. When septic systems fail or are tampered with, the contaminated wastewater can be released into the environment resulting in the pollution of surface water. This is becoming an increasing issue across Canada which can cause algal blooms and water hypoxia. The project aims to better understand the pathways of septic wastewater and establish relationships between various factors and septic contamination