Septic System Makeover

In rural beauty spots along Puget Sound, an invisible threat degrades Puget Sound drip by drop through faulty septic systems. There are nearly half a million onsite sewage systems in the Puget Sound basin and many of them are failing or in disrepair. When properly designed, the systems discharge only small amounts of pollutants, but many of the older systems along the Sound are failing, and releasing pollutants and excess nitrogen into the Sound. Hood Canal has been especially hard hit by septic system pollution. Studies have shown that 60 percent of the nitrogen released into Hood Canal from human activities comes from onsite septic systems. Excess nitrogen fuels huge blooms of plankton and algae which die and then decompose. Bacteria break down the dead plankton and use up oxygen in the water which then causes marine creatures to die. These low oxygen zones are called dead zones and these zones have grown dramatically as the population and development along Hood Canal has increased. Governor Gregoire has made the cleanup of Hood Canal a priority and she has set aside funds to identify failing septic systems, fix failing systems, and implement sewage treatment facilities. The Admiralty Head Lighthouse at Fort Casey is currently getting a septic makeover with a new high tech drain field. Community activists are hoping that homeowners will follow this lead and repair or replace their failing septic systems to help the health of the Sound.