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Septic System Replacements Leading to Water Quality Improvements
in Horsepen Creek
* A/afprhnrlx/ Imnrm/pH Because of elevated fecal coliform levels, Horsepen Creek was
added to the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired
waters in 1998, In 2011, partners began collaborating to identify and remediate the key source
of impairment: failing septic systems. Phase 1 of the remediation project (2011-2013) included
installing an advanced treatment system in a public park as a demonstration site and educating
homeowners about septic systems and their maintenance. In Phase 2 (2017), failing septic systems
were replaced, supplemented by continued education and outreach efforts and water quality
monitoring. As a result of the outreach and repair/replacement campaign, water quality has been
improving in Horsepen Creek.
Problem
Horsepen Creek is within the St. Marys River Basin
in southeastern Georgia (Figure 1). Georgia added a
4-mile-long segment of Horsepen Creek to the CWA
section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998 because
of elevated fecal coliform levels. In its 2006 Total
Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Evaluation for Three
Stream Segments in the St. Marys River Basin for Fecal
Coliform, Georgia lists Horsepen Creek and two other
streams (Corn House and Spanish creeks) as water
quality limited due to fecal coliform. The TMDL notes
that fecal coliform loads in Horsepen Creek would
need to be reduced by 67 percent to achieve water
quality standards. The TMDL lists failing septic systems
as a major source of the impairment. There is limited
urban development, no commercial agricultural opera-
tions and no application of agricultural manure in the
Horsepen Creek watershed.
Camden County originally Identified 90 properties as
having a septic tank; however, an analysis conducted in
2011 (as part of Phase 1 of the remediation effort) indi-
cated the number is approximately 240, many of which
are located immediately adjacent to drainage ditches
that discharge directly to Horsepen Creek. Camden
County assumed that homes nearest the creek and
river are older and more at risk for septic failures. In
addition, those systems closest to the surface water
bodies were likely contributing the highest loads.
Horsepen Creek, Camden County, GA
Figure 1. Horsepen Creek is in southeastern Georgia.
Story Highlights
A coalition of community partners worked together
to reduce the impacts of failing septic systems on
the water quality in Horsepen Creek and the St.
Marys River. In Fiscal Year 2011, the University of
Georgia (UGA) and the St. Marys River Management
Committee were awarded a Nonpoint Source
Implementation Grant to target the septic contribu-
tions by assessing the relative impacts these sources
have on bacterial levels in Horsepen Creek and by
beginning to develop a strategy to reduce this load.

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Phase 1 (2011-2013) included educating homeowners
about the impacts of failing septic systems and the
proper procedure for maintaining septic systems
on their property. Materials were distributed to 90
households originally identified in the Horsepen Creek
watershed as having septic tanks. Phase 1 included a
septic system investigation that consisted of reviewing
county septic records, conducting interviews with
local residents, and inspecting 16 septic systems in
the Horsepen Creek Watershed. UGA also installed
a demonstration project (an advanced treatment
system) at Temple Landing Park.
During Phase 2 of the effort, starting in December
2017, Camden County replaced 18 failing residential
septic systems with technologies that meet or exceed
current minimum standards such as sand filter
systems, mounded drainfields and dosing pumps. The
Camden County Department of Environmental Health
evaluated all the systems identified for replacement
and then issued permits where replacements were
needed. Camden County also implemented a local
ordinance requiring scheduled inspections and pump-
outs of septic systems, which allowed the county's
Department of Public Health to create a data log for
all the county's septic systems. The inspection process
is triggered by a change in property ownership or
occupancy. The ordinance states that any real estate
transaction of developed property requires the septic
system be inspected. Phase 2 continued the education
and outreach efforts, and it expanded water quality
monitoring to determine the impact of these efforts.
Results
Once Phase 2 project activities began, water quality
monitoring sampling started showing improvement
when compared to the established baseline of bacteria
believed to be associated with septic failures. Pollutant
levels dropped after system pump-outs and system
replacements occurred. Over time, the 2018 monthly
mean bacterial counts dropped 92 percent (Figure 2).
This result proved the effectiveness of the program
and justified further maintenance and operations mea-
sures. Additionally, the water testing conducted by the
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Feb-18
Jan-18
Mar-18
Apr-18 May-18
Jun-18
Figure 2. Horsepen Creek 2018 monthly mean bacterial
counts (cfu = colony forming units).
St. Marys Riverkeeper in Phase 2 found that 30 percent
of the inspected systems were in good working order.
Replacing failing septic systems is only part of the
success; in addition, an educational campaign inform-
ing homeowners of the importance of and procedure
for maintaining septic systems on their property was
developed. Materials were distributed to the originally
identified 90 households in the Horsepen Creek
watershed and were made available for the Camden
County Health Department to distribute in other parts
of the county.
Partners and Funding
The CWA section 319 program provided $304,118
and project partners provided $254,186 in match
over both project phases. The St. Marys Riverkeeper
provided in-kind services worth $6,900 for outreach
and water quality testing. The Camden County Board
of Commissioners invested $150,000 in personnel and
material costs. The UGA Carl Vinson Institute designed
and conducted public education and outreach activi-
ties and provided technical support for the design
and implementation of Phase 1 of this project. Other
groups involved with the project included Camden
County Environmental Health, Camden County Public
Service Authority, Georgia Department of Community
Affairs, and the St. Marys River Management
Committee.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-20-001Z
October 2020
For additional information contact:
Veronica Craw
Georgia Environmental Protection Division
404-651-8532 • veronica.craw@dnr.ga.gov

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