Dunes Creek Watershed
*Website under construction
During the development of the Dunes Creek Watershed Management Plan (DCWMP), the Dunes Creek Watershed Group identified malfunctioning septic systems as a source of Escherichia coli (E. coli) to Dunes Creek. As part of the implementation phase of the DCWMP, Save the Dunes Conservation Fund (SDCF) conducted a septic system survey in the Dunes Creek watershed to gather information on the extent of the septic system problem and facilitate steps toward resolution of the problem. In March and April of 2007, SDCF conducted a door-to-door campaign to gather information on septic systems and to educate property owners of the importance of septic system maintenance.
Phase I
During the first phase of the program, SDCF identified areas of concern within the Dunes Creek watershed. The priority area includes sections of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (INDU), the Town of Porter, unincorporated Porter County, and the Town of Chesterton. SDCF worked with the Town of Porter, INDU, the Porter County Health Department and the Indiana State Department of Health to determine which property owners within the target area did not have access to or had not hooked up to municipal sewer lines. The Town of Porter and the Porter County Health Department provided detailed maps and records of the area to assist in this process. SDCF then canvassed the entire area on foot to distribute educational material, determine which properties actually had septic systems, and notify property owners that Health Department officials would be in the area within the next month to inspect septic systems.
Phase II
During the second phase of the program. SDCF and the Porter County and State of Indiana Health Departments visited all 111 properties within the target area. The findings are as follows:
Total properties visited: 111
Total properties definitely on septic systems: 65
Total possibly septic: 4
Pump and haul or port-a-pots (illegal): 3
Definite malfunctions: 20
Possible malfunction: 1
Properties on S.T.E.P. system (tanks connected to small diameter sewer lines that require pumpage by municipality): 16 (probably more)
During the second round of property owner visits, the Health Department officials inspected the properties for signs of septic systems and malfunctions, and SDCF provided detailed educational material on septic maintenance. SDCF offered to assist property owners with routine maintenance of their systems funded through a grant obtained from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) for that purpose. Property owners were interviewed to obtain information on the age, location, and maintenance history of their septic systems. SDCF and the Health Departments recorded field observations, such as visual signs of septic system malfunction, odors, and distance to surface water. Coordinates of each location visited were recording using global positioning system (GPS). This spatial dataset was used to create maps of the septic system locations within the watershed.
Phase III
During the third phase of the project, SDCF continued to facilitate the process of resolving septic system issues. SDCF presented an overview of the program at the Town of Porter’s Town Council meeting. SDCF met with INDU and the State and County Health Departments to cooperatively implement measures for remediation of problem sites, such as annual pumping of septic systems at INDU properties scheduled for demolition by 2010. Future meetings are planned with the Town of Chesterton and the Health Departments to follow up on additional enforcement measures. The inventory of septic systems within the Dunes Creek watershed is a valuable tool for managing the watershed. Below are specific tasks and a detailed timeline agreed to by SDCF and the Health Departments.