!"#$%$&'() +","--$%. &( /%(&",& 0%(1)23$&"% 41$5'&.

6
0%".3$&"% 7-8 !"#&', 9$): ;<<51")&
Ait Luuwig, uieywatei Reseaichei anu Euucatoi
}an 11
th
, 2u1u

Expeiience with giounuwatei contamination fiom septics uoes not tianslate to gieywatei.
In ovei 2u yeais of woiking in the gieywatei fielu, I have nevei heaiu of giounuwatei
contamination fiom any of the 8 million gieywatei systems in the 0S.
It is not likely that this has evei, oi will evei occui. Because, multiplieu togethei, these
factois make a gieywatei system seveial oiueis of magnituue giounuwatei-safei than a
septic:

1) =%".3$&"% >$- () &>" (%2"% (< ?@?AAA&> $- B$). #$&>(=")- $- ,(BC')"2 -"3$="D
$)2 $ <%$,&'() (< &>" )1&%'")&-8
1) E)5':" $ -'B#5" B",>$)',$5 <'5&"%D &>" &%"$&B")& ,$#$,'&. #"% '),> (< -('5 '),%"$-"-
5(=$%'&>B',$55. 3'&> #%(F'B'&. &( &>" -1%<$,"8 The fiist foot of soil, has on the oiuei of
1uu times moie tieatment capacity than the fouith foot of soil. The fiist inch has thousanus
to hunuieus of thousanus of times moie capacity than the S7
th
inch. (See ieveise anu
below).

S) =%".3$&"% $##5',$&'() '- &.#',$55. 2'<<1-" $- ,(B#$%"2 &( -"#&', $##5',$&'()8
Insteau of all the septic effluent being auueu at one point in the leachfielu, gieywatei
systems typically have 4 to Su oi moie outlets, anu thus much less intense point loauing.
1uuu x 1uu x 4 = appioximately 4uu,uuu times less bacteiia ieaching giounuwatei fiom a
gieywatei system than a septic at the same aveiage loauing iate anu sepaiation.
This is a veiy iough calculation, howevei theie is plenty of extia maigin heie to uefenu the
uecision to allow gieywatei to be applieu with SS
th
oi 6u% of the sepaiation.
!" $%&$' ()*+ +),+ ,%-."/($*&%0 *+& -1*)-" 2-% 3-4$3 5.%)'/)4*)-"' *- $33-( /)6&%')-" -2
,%&7($*&% *- *%&$*8&"* +),+&% )" *+& '-)3 1%-2)3& )' $" )81-%*$"* *--3 *- '$2&,.$%/
,%-."/($*&% 9.$3)*7:
42

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