Effect of septic-tank wastes on quality of water, Ipswich and Shawsheen River basins, Massachusetts
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Abstract
Many housing projects in the metropolitan area of Boston are beyond the reach of municipal sewer systems. Waste water disposed of through septic-tank or cesspool systems percolates to ground-water reservoirs and eventually reaches the streams. The dissolved-solids load in the streams receiving septic-tank effluent is increased by an amount that can be predicted from the housing density. In the study area, highway deicing salts are the only materials other than septic-tank discharge that contribute to water-quality degradation. The effect of these salts on the relationship with housing density is eliminated by subtracting the specific conductance due to sodium chloride from the measured specific conductance of a water sample. The difference is called residual conductance and is proportional to the dissolved-solids content minus the concentration of sodium chloride.
Suggested Citation
Toler, L., Morrill, G.B., 1973, Effect of septic-tank wastes on quality of water, Ipswich and Shawsheen River basins, Massachusetts: Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey, v. 1, no. 1, p. 117-120.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Effect of septic-tank wastes on quality of water, Ipswich and Shawsheen River basins, Massachusetts |
| Series title | Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey |
| Volume | 1 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Year Published | 1973 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Reston, VA |
| Description | 4 p. |
| First page | 117 |
| Last page | 120 |
| Country | United States of America |
| State | Massachusetts |
| Other Geospatial | Ipswich and Shawsheen River Basins |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |