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Household Wastewater Discharges Into The Rural Alabama & Impact on Watershed Water Quality

Year 2019, , 22 - 43, 14.01.2019
https://doi.org/10.31807/tjwsm.420448

Abstract

In rural areas, untreated wastewater discharged from homes (commonly
called “straight pipes”) can cause harmful effects on the region’s rivers,
streams and lead to negative impacts on water quality and potentially
ecological and human health. Determining and addressing the water quality and
health of these aquatic ecosystems requires identification of the source of
contamination. Surface water quality in Hale County was evaluated at least once
a month at twenty sites in wet and dry seasons. Samples were analyzed for
physical (turbidity), chemical (pH, conductivity, chloride, sulfate, calcium,
iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, ammonium, ortho-phosphorus, nitrite,
nitrate, dissolved organic carbon, optical indices), and microbiological (E. coli) water quality parameters.
Excitation-emission matrixes (EEMs) Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) was used
to identify and classify fluorescence emitting organic substances based on
fluorescence peak location. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to
identify analyte signatures associated with sewage contamination. In order to
detect straight pipe wastewater impacts on water quality, three main sites were
sampled upstream, midstream and downstream of the town of Newbern, Alabama over
the three months of the drought period (i.e., from September to November 28th,
2016). Over 20 water quality parameters were analyzed and compared with the
WHO, EPA, and ADEM standards. The results showed that E. coli values highly exceed water quality standards, particularly
after the drought when peak E. coli
concentrations downstream exceeded 100,000 per 100 mL. This study is one of the
first to document the adverse impacts of straight pipe discharges on water
quality in the United States.

References

  • ADEM, 2016. http://www.adem.state.al.us/programs/water/wquality/2008AL303dFactSheet.pdf
  • Alabama Water Resources Research Institute Annual Technical Report FY 2016; https://water.usgs.gov/wrri/AnnualReports/2016/FY2016_AL_Annual_Report.pdf
  • Cao, Y., Griffith, J. F., & Weisberg, S. B. (2009). Evaluation of optical brightener photo decay characteristics for detection of human fecal contamination. Water research, 43(8), 2273-2279.
  • Chin, Y. P., Traina, S. J., Swank, C. R., & Backhus, D. (1998). Abundance and properties of dissolved organic matter in pore waters of a freshwater wetland. Limnology and Oceanography, 43(6), 1287-1296.
  • Clements, W. H., Brooks, M. L., Kashian, D. R., & Zuellig, R. E. (2008). Changes in dissolved organic material determine exposure of stream benthic communities to UV‐B radiation and heavy metals: implications for climate change. Global Change Biology, 14(9), 2201-2214.
  • Coble, P. G. (1996). Characterization of marine and terrestrial DOM in seawater using excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy. Marine chemistry, 51(4), 325-346.
  • Dahlén, J., Bertilsson, S., & Pettersson, C. (1996). Effects of UV-A irradiation on dissolved organic matter in humic surface waters. Environment International, 22(5), 501-506.
  • Dates, G. (1999). Monitoring optical brighteners detergent ingredient helps track bacteria sources. The Volunteer Monitor, the National Newsletter of Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring, 11(2), 63-69.
  • Findlay, S. (2003). Bacterial response to variation in dissolved organic matter (pp. 363-379). Academic Press: Oxford.
  • Hagedorn, C., & Weisberg, S. B. (2011). Chemical-based fecal source tracking methods. In Microbial source tracking: Methods, applications, and case studies (pp. 189-206). Springer New York.
  • He, J., Dougherty, M., Zellmer, R., & Martin, G. (2011). Assessing the status of onsite wastewater treatment systems in the Alabama Black Belt soil area. Environmental Engineering Science, 28(10), 693-699.
  • Helms, J. R., Stubbins, A., Ritchie, J. D., Minor, E. C., Kieber, D. J., & Mopper, K. (2008). Absorption spectral slopes and slope ratios as indicators of molecular weight, source, and photobleaching of chromophoric dissolved organic matter. Limnology and Oceanography, 53(3), 955-969.
  • Hu, Y. * , Y. H. Lu, J. W. Edmonds , C. Liu , S. Wang , O. Das , J. Liu , C. Zheng (2016) Hydrological and Land Use Control of Watershed Exports of DOM in a Large Arid River Basin in Northwestern China, Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences DOI: 10.1002/2015JG003082”
  • Jaffé, R., McKnight, D., Maie, N., Cory, R., McDowell, W. H., & Campbell, J. L. (2008). Spatial and temporal variations in DOM composition in ecosystems: The importance of long‐term monitoring of optical properties. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 113(G4).
  • Littlepage, T. M., Harper, M. J., Tinney, J. O., Van Wilson Jr, K., Clair II, M. G., Turnipseed, D. P., ... & Hamilton, P. A. (2009). Alabama Water Use, 2005. US Geological Survey. http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2009/3081/pdf/Alabama_2005_water_use_FS_508.pdf Accessed Nov 12, 2015.
  • Lu, Y. H., Bauer, J. E., Canuel, E. A., Chambers, R. M., Yamashita, Y., Jaffé, R., & Barrett, A. (2014). Effects of land use on sources and ages of inorganic and organic carbon in temperate headwater streams. Biogeochemistry, 119(1-3), 275-292.
  • Lu, Y., Bauer, J. E., Canuel, E. A., Yamashita, Y., Chambers, R. M., & Jaffé, R. (2013). Photochemical and microbial alteration of dissolved organic matter in temperate headwater streams associated with different land use. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 118(2), 566-580.
  • Lu, Y., Edmonds, J. W., Yamashita, Y., Zhou, B., Jaegge, A., & Baxley, M. (2015). Spatial variation in the origin and reactivity of dissolved organic matter in Oregon-Washington coastal waters. Ocean Dynamics, 65(1), 17-32.
  • “Lu, Y. H., X. Li*, R. Mesfioui, J.E. Bauer, R. M. Chambers, E. A. Canuel, P. G. Hatcher (2015) Use of ESI-FTICR-MS to Characterize Dissolved Organic Matter in Headwater Streams Draining Forest-dominated and Pasture-dominated Watersheds, PLOS ONE DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145639.
  • McKnight, D. M., Boyer, E. W., Westerhoff, P. K., Doran, P. T., Kulbe, T., & Andersen, D. T. (2001). Spectrofluorometric characterization of dissolved organic matter for indication of precursor organic material and aromaticity. Limnology and Oceanography, 46(1), 38-48.
  • Payment, P., & Locas, A. (2011). Pathogens in water: value and limits of correlation with microbial indicators. Groundwater, 49(1), 4-11.
  • Purves, W. K., Savada, D., Orians G.H., Heller, H.C. 2001. Life: The Science of Biology, 6thedition. W.H. Freeman and Company, Gordonsville, VA.
  • Robertson, L. J., Hermansen, L., & Gierde, B. K. (2006). Occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts in sewage in Norway. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 72(8), 5297-5303.
  • Shang, P., Lu, Y., Du, Y., Jaffé, R., Findlay, R. H., & Wynn, A. (2017). Climatic and watershed controls of dissolved organic matter variation in streams across a gradient of agricultural land use. The Science of the total environment, 612, 1442.
  • Stedmon, C. A., Markager, S., & Bro, R. (2003). Tracing dissolved organic matter in aquatic environments using a new approach to fluorescence spectroscopy. Marine Chemistry, 82(3), 239-254.
  • Stedmon, C. A., & Bro, R. (2008). Characterizing dissolved organic matter fluorescence with parallel factor analysis: a tutorial. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 6(11), 572-579.
  • Stedmon, C. A., & Markager, S. (2005). Resolving the variability in dissolved organic matter fluorescence in a temperate estuary and its catchment using PARAFAC analysis. Limnology and Oceanography, 50(2), 686-697.
  • Tavares, M. E., SPIVEY, M. I., MCIVER, M. R., & Mallin, M. A. (2008). Testing for optical brighteners and fecal bacteria to detect sewage leaks in tidal creeks. Journal of the North Carolina Academy of Science, 91-97.
  • U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1990. The lake and reservoir restoration guidance manual. EPA-440/4-90-006. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: USEPA, Office of Water.
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2006. Drinking Water Pathogens and Their Indicators: A Reference Resource. Information Collection Rule. [Online.] Available at http://epa.gov/enviro/html/icr/gloss path html#pathogens.
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2013.Septic (onsite/decentralized) systems. Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/septic/
  • Waye, D. (2003). Detecting sewage leaks with optical brightener monitoring. Volunteer Monitor, 15, 16-17.
  • Weishaar, J. L., Aiken, G. R., Bergamaschi, B. A., Fram, M. S., Fujii, R., & Mopper, K. (2003). Evaluation of specific ultraviolet absorbance as an indicator of the chemical composition and reactivity of dissolved organic carbon. Environmental science & technology, 37(20), 4702-4708.
  • White, K. and Jones, R. (2006) A Survey of Onsite Wastewater Systems in Bibb County, Alabama. Report for the Alabama Association of Conservation Districts. Montgomery, AL.
  • WHO (2010). International Standard for Drinking Water Guidelines for Water Quality, Geneva.
  • Williamson, C. E., Zagarese, H. E., Schulze, P. C., Hargreaves, B. R., & Seva, J. (1994). The impact of short-term exposure to UV-B radiation on zooplankton communities in north temperate lakes. Journal of Plankton Research, 16(3), 205-218.
Year 2019, , 22 - 43, 14.01.2019
https://doi.org/10.31807/tjwsm.420448

Abstract

References

  • ADEM, 2016. http://www.adem.state.al.us/programs/water/wquality/2008AL303dFactSheet.pdf
  • Alabama Water Resources Research Institute Annual Technical Report FY 2016; https://water.usgs.gov/wrri/AnnualReports/2016/FY2016_AL_Annual_Report.pdf
  • Cao, Y., Griffith, J. F., & Weisberg, S. B. (2009). Evaluation of optical brightener photo decay characteristics for detection of human fecal contamination. Water research, 43(8), 2273-2279.
  • Chin, Y. P., Traina, S. J., Swank, C. R., & Backhus, D. (1998). Abundance and properties of dissolved organic matter in pore waters of a freshwater wetland. Limnology and Oceanography, 43(6), 1287-1296.
  • Clements, W. H., Brooks, M. L., Kashian, D. R., & Zuellig, R. E. (2008). Changes in dissolved organic material determine exposure of stream benthic communities to UV‐B radiation and heavy metals: implications for climate change. Global Change Biology, 14(9), 2201-2214.
  • Coble, P. G. (1996). Characterization of marine and terrestrial DOM in seawater using excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy. Marine chemistry, 51(4), 325-346.
  • Dahlén, J., Bertilsson, S., & Pettersson, C. (1996). Effects of UV-A irradiation on dissolved organic matter in humic surface waters. Environment International, 22(5), 501-506.
  • Dates, G. (1999). Monitoring optical brighteners detergent ingredient helps track bacteria sources. The Volunteer Monitor, the National Newsletter of Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring, 11(2), 63-69.
  • Findlay, S. (2003). Bacterial response to variation in dissolved organic matter (pp. 363-379). Academic Press: Oxford.
  • Hagedorn, C., & Weisberg, S. B. (2011). Chemical-based fecal source tracking methods. In Microbial source tracking: Methods, applications, and case studies (pp. 189-206). Springer New York.
  • He, J., Dougherty, M., Zellmer, R., & Martin, G. (2011). Assessing the status of onsite wastewater treatment systems in the Alabama Black Belt soil area. Environmental Engineering Science, 28(10), 693-699.
  • Helms, J. R., Stubbins, A., Ritchie, J. D., Minor, E. C., Kieber, D. J., & Mopper, K. (2008). Absorption spectral slopes and slope ratios as indicators of molecular weight, source, and photobleaching of chromophoric dissolved organic matter. Limnology and Oceanography, 53(3), 955-969.
  • Hu, Y. * , Y. H. Lu, J. W. Edmonds , C. Liu , S. Wang , O. Das , J. Liu , C. Zheng (2016) Hydrological and Land Use Control of Watershed Exports of DOM in a Large Arid River Basin in Northwestern China, Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences DOI: 10.1002/2015JG003082”
  • Jaffé, R., McKnight, D., Maie, N., Cory, R., McDowell, W. H., & Campbell, J. L. (2008). Spatial and temporal variations in DOM composition in ecosystems: The importance of long‐term monitoring of optical properties. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 113(G4).
  • Littlepage, T. M., Harper, M. J., Tinney, J. O., Van Wilson Jr, K., Clair II, M. G., Turnipseed, D. P., ... & Hamilton, P. A. (2009). Alabama Water Use, 2005. US Geological Survey. http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2009/3081/pdf/Alabama_2005_water_use_FS_508.pdf Accessed Nov 12, 2015.
  • Lu, Y. H., Bauer, J. E., Canuel, E. A., Chambers, R. M., Yamashita, Y., Jaffé, R., & Barrett, A. (2014). Effects of land use on sources and ages of inorganic and organic carbon in temperate headwater streams. Biogeochemistry, 119(1-3), 275-292.
  • Lu, Y., Bauer, J. E., Canuel, E. A., Yamashita, Y., Chambers, R. M., & Jaffé, R. (2013). Photochemical and microbial alteration of dissolved organic matter in temperate headwater streams associated with different land use. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 118(2), 566-580.
  • Lu, Y., Edmonds, J. W., Yamashita, Y., Zhou, B., Jaegge, A., & Baxley, M. (2015). Spatial variation in the origin and reactivity of dissolved organic matter in Oregon-Washington coastal waters. Ocean Dynamics, 65(1), 17-32.
  • “Lu, Y. H., X. Li*, R. Mesfioui, J.E. Bauer, R. M. Chambers, E. A. Canuel, P. G. Hatcher (2015) Use of ESI-FTICR-MS to Characterize Dissolved Organic Matter in Headwater Streams Draining Forest-dominated and Pasture-dominated Watersheds, PLOS ONE DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145639.
  • McKnight, D. M., Boyer, E. W., Westerhoff, P. K., Doran, P. T., Kulbe, T., & Andersen, D. T. (2001). Spectrofluorometric characterization of dissolved organic matter for indication of precursor organic material and aromaticity. Limnology and Oceanography, 46(1), 38-48.
  • Payment, P., & Locas, A. (2011). Pathogens in water: value and limits of correlation with microbial indicators. Groundwater, 49(1), 4-11.
  • Purves, W. K., Savada, D., Orians G.H., Heller, H.C. 2001. Life: The Science of Biology, 6thedition. W.H. Freeman and Company, Gordonsville, VA.
  • Robertson, L. J., Hermansen, L., & Gierde, B. K. (2006). Occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts in sewage in Norway. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 72(8), 5297-5303.
  • Shang, P., Lu, Y., Du, Y., Jaffé, R., Findlay, R. H., & Wynn, A. (2017). Climatic and watershed controls of dissolved organic matter variation in streams across a gradient of agricultural land use. The Science of the total environment, 612, 1442.
  • Stedmon, C. A., Markager, S., & Bro, R. (2003). Tracing dissolved organic matter in aquatic environments using a new approach to fluorescence spectroscopy. Marine Chemistry, 82(3), 239-254.
  • Stedmon, C. A., & Bro, R. (2008). Characterizing dissolved organic matter fluorescence with parallel factor analysis: a tutorial. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 6(11), 572-579.
  • Stedmon, C. A., & Markager, S. (2005). Resolving the variability in dissolved organic matter fluorescence in a temperate estuary and its catchment using PARAFAC analysis. Limnology and Oceanography, 50(2), 686-697.
  • Tavares, M. E., SPIVEY, M. I., MCIVER, M. R., & Mallin, M. A. (2008). Testing for optical brighteners and fecal bacteria to detect sewage leaks in tidal creeks. Journal of the North Carolina Academy of Science, 91-97.
  • U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1990. The lake and reservoir restoration guidance manual. EPA-440/4-90-006. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: USEPA, Office of Water.
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2006. Drinking Water Pathogens and Their Indicators: A Reference Resource. Information Collection Rule. [Online.] Available at http://epa.gov/enviro/html/icr/gloss path html#pathogens.
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2013.Septic (onsite/decentralized) systems. Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/septic/
  • Waye, D. (2003). Detecting sewage leaks with optical brightener monitoring. Volunteer Monitor, 15, 16-17.
  • Weishaar, J. L., Aiken, G. R., Bergamaschi, B. A., Fram, M. S., Fujii, R., & Mopper, K. (2003). Evaluation of specific ultraviolet absorbance as an indicator of the chemical composition and reactivity of dissolved organic carbon. Environmental science & technology, 37(20), 4702-4708.
  • White, K. and Jones, R. (2006) A Survey of Onsite Wastewater Systems in Bibb County, Alabama. Report for the Alabama Association of Conservation Districts. Montgomery, AL.
  • WHO (2010). International Standard for Drinking Water Guidelines for Water Quality, Geneva.
  • Williamson, C. E., Zagarese, H. E., Schulze, P. C., Hargreaves, B. R., & Seva, J. (1994). The impact of short-term exposure to UV-B radiation on zooplankton communities in north temperate lakes. Journal of Plankton Research, 16(3), 205-218.
There are 36 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section TURKISH JOURNAL OF WATER SCIENCES AND MANAGEMENT
Authors

Erdoğan Aytekin

Mark Ellıott This is me

Publication Date January 14, 2019
Published in Issue Year 2019

Cite

APA Aytekin, E., & Ellıott, M. (2019). Household Wastewater Discharges Into The Rural Alabama & Impact on Watershed Water Quality. Turkish Journal of Water Science and Management, 3(1), 22-43. https://doi.org/10.31807/tjwsm.420448