Water quality from septic tanks and aerobic wastewater treatment systems

Aerobic wastewater treatment systems (aerobic systems) are the preferred choice in a region overlying a karstic aquifer used for drinking water supplies, as they are thought to provide better protection to groundwater and human health than standard septic systems. However, aerobic systems in operation do not always perform to design standard; while this is often blamed on lack of maintenance, few studies have investigated the link directly. This study investigated the performance of domestic on-site wastewater treatment systems in South Australia, and compared the effluent quality to maintenance records.