ABSTRACT:
Approximately 3 million upstate New York residents rely on groundwater to supply their drinking water, and approximately 1.5 million households have on-site wastewater treatment systems (septic systems). Individual homeowners are responsible for maintaining their private water supplies and septic systems. This study surveyed 244 homeowners in three counties regarding their water quality practices and perceptions. Their drinking water was tested, and water supplies and septic systems were inspected. Positive coliform results ranged from 18 to 60%, with an average of 32% for all three counties. Nitrate results varied widely across the counties, yet only two samples had concentrations greater than the current federal drinking water standard of 10 mg/L NO3-N. Nearly 82% of respondents are satisfied with their water supply, yet 31% of those satisfied have coliform in their drinking water. Nearly half the participants never tested their drinking water for contaminants, and more than one-third never pumped their septic tank. A general lack of homeowner knowledge suggests the need for increased educational programs targeted to the rural audience, as well as additional research to better understand what influences homeowner perceptions and management practices.
Footnotes
J. J. Schwartz is forest project manager and A.B. Waterman is watershed planner for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NY-CDEP), Valhalla, N. Y.; A. T. Lemley is professor and chair of Textiles and Apparel, in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University in Ithaca, N. Y.; L.P. Wagenet is senior extension associate in the Center for the Environment, and D.J. Allee is professor in the Department of Agricultural, Resource and Managerial Economics. P. Landre is extension educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Yates County, Penn Yan, N. Y.
- Copyright 1998 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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