Septic systems are non-point sources of contaminants, both emerging and traditional. These systems account for twenty-two percent of New York household wastewater treatment systems with higher ratios in remote regions, often characterized by season usage, such as the Adirondacks and the Finger Lakes. Septic leachate can contain both nutrient contaminants from organic wastes as well as emerging contaminants ranging from personal care products and pharmaceuticals to cleaning products and household material degradation. This work aims to outfit a Finger Lakes septic system on Skaneateles Lake with shallow groundwater wells to understand contaminant transport and microbial impact of septic systems in the region, with direct comparison to a similar system already outfitted in the Adirondacks.
