Water company flushing plan can damage septic systems, health department says

[alp227]

Source: Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia American Water's recommendation for flushing your home plumbing system of contamination doesn't take septic tanks into enough consideration, according to the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department.

Numerous water company customers in rural areas have septic systems.

"It has the potential to be a very large issue," said Anita Ray, director for the department's environmental health division.

The department has been in contact with the Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's office to address the potential impact that flushing could have, Ray said.

Read more: http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201401150048

[NutmegYankee]

1. The best approach in that case to to flush mostly through your external garden hose connection

Directing the water away from your septic field. And then do short flushes on each internal faucet or line.

[hedgehog]

5. That's probably what people will end up doing, but it means

spreading contaminated water over their yards. maybe gardens?

[ConcernedCanuk]

6. Yup - but one has to make a choice

.
.
.

Spread around above ground will do less harm than concentrated underground.

I read on cleaning up groundwater contaminated with gasoline where the water was pumped up from the water table and sprayed into the air where the contaminants dissipated to a safe level.

Then the purified water would drain back down to the water table.

Most dwellings on septic systems have fairly large yards/property, so dispersal is a reasonable solution.

Myself - I would use a sprinkler - spray the water into the air before it gets to the ground.

Also - to minimize the amount of contaminated water going into the septic, I would run a hose from the hot water heater (shut the power off to save a bit of hydro while doing so) outside a window - after all hot water heaters are usually 40-60 gallons or more

don't want to run that much through to the septic.

Adapters are also available to run a regular garden hose from kitchen sink and shower heads - even more of the faucets if one wants to spend the time and money to buy and install the hardware.

AND

I would definitely use the sprinkler idea to aerate the water and dissipate the pollutants.

But I'd be keeping myself, others and any pets/livestock upwind while doing so.

CC

[hedgehog]

9. Excellent advice! I was thinkin of a situation we had here in New York State -

homeowners along the Hudson were glad to get free fill dredged up from the river - except that the dredging had been done to get PCBs out! The homeowners found out too late they were spreading poison on their land.

[NutmegYankee]

7. It's really their only option.

I would hope they would direct it away from a garden.

[G_j]

2. It has the potential to be a very large issue

for certain!

[Lefta Dissenter]

3. What a nightmare. (n/t)

[SamKnause]

4. Flushing

I am so sick of these job creators.

They fuck up the environment.
They suck off the government teat.
They dodge taxes.
They crush unions.
They buy politicians.
They underpay their employees.
They practice hostile takeovers.
They declare bankruptcy, then start up new businesses.
They pay fines instead of serving time.

The best of the best.
The best and brightest.
We need their expertise.

The best and the brightest are destroying this country.

When is our corrupt gutless government going to stand up to these economic and environmental terrorists ?????????????????

[Theyletmeeatcake2]

8. Yes!! Right on all counts...