Project Summary

1. Project ID
Name	Septic Tank Maintenance Project
Region	Gulf of Mexico Region
State	AL
Location	Magnolia Springs
Date of this update	8/3/00

Habitat Restoration/Protection
Wetlands
River systems
Beaches/Dunes
Offshore areas
Mangroves
Assisting Species at Risk
Pollution Mitigation
Non-Point Source Pollution
Other (describe)

3. Project description (100 words or less)

The community of Magnolia Springs is located along the Magnolia River, which discharges to the Weeks Bay Estuary, Mobile Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico. It has a population of 916 people and approximately 400 homes and septic tank systems within one mile of the stream. The stream is listed as impaired in the State 303(d) Report to Congress, the affected segment being 6.3 miles long, between County Road 24 and County Road 49. The stream impairment is attributed to onsite wastewater and land use sources of pollution.

The project would involve contracting with a licensed pumper to pumpout upto 400 septic tanks and install an effluent filter in each. A septic tank inspection form would be completed to supplement a homeowner questionnaire to be completed by each project homeowner. Voluntee citizen monitors, through the Alabama Water Watch Program, would monitor upstream and downstream of the project location before and after the septic tank pumpouts and filter drop, to measure levels of E. coli bacteria, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, hardness, pH, turbidity, and temperature.

Two public meetings would be held for the project at the Weeks Bay Center. The first would be held at the beginning to announce the project to the residents of Magnolia Springs and to sign- up project participants. The second public meeting would complete the project, and would be held after all the stream and septic tank survey data were compiled and analysed by the University of South Alabama Civil Engineering Department. The focus of the second meeting would be a panel of local community and county leaders to whom the data would be presented, and from whom a discussion would ensue on how to manage onsite wastewater systems in Baldwin County.

The success of this project and the decisions of the community leaders for action would be promoted elsewhere in Alabama, in other Gulf Coast States, and beyond.

4. Goals/Benefits (quantify where possible using measures of success list) Was a cost-benefit study conducted for this project? yes/no If yes, provide a summary of findings.

The goal of the project is to demonstrate the importance of good septic tank maintenance for the protection of public health and the environment; to highlight the problems caused by failing septic tank systems; and then to encourage local, county-wide action to deal with Baldwin County's onsite sewage management needs.

5. Partners (include each participant's responsibilities - funding, permitting, etc.)

6. Funding/Contributions (organization and amount)

	  Cash	Federal	
			Non Federal 	State government 
					Local government
					Private industry
					Public interest groups
			Total	


	  In-Kind Services (hours, equipment, or other forms of assistance and estimated dollar value)
	
	  Volunteers (number of people and hours, and estimated dollar value)

7. Legislative authorities used by each participant

8. Value added by Coastal America Partnership including Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals achieved through this collaboration (500 words or less)

9. Project Status

• Initiation date:
• Completion date:
• Current stage (Initiated - I, Underway - U or Completed - C)

10.Contacts

11. Any additional information/comments