Hamilton County General Health District SANITARY SURVEY OF KENWOOD HILLS City of Madeira Hamilton County, Ohio April 13, 2001 Written by: Rob Caudill, R.S., Director of Water Quality

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Field work and research by: Kyle Dexter, Water Quality Technician II

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Kenwood Hills Sanitary Survey BACKGROUND: Hamilton County General Health District (HCGHD) actively pursues efforts to prevent disease and remove pollution sources in Hamilton County watersheds and streams. Introduction of pollutants into a watershed can cause significant harm by reducing aquatic life, lowering aesthetic quality, and increasing the risk of human exposure to disease-causing pathogens. Improperly operating household sewage treatment systems can be a substantial contributing factor in the degradation of water quality. In December of 2000, the staff of the Water Quality Division began a sanitary survey of the Kenwood Hills subdivision. The survey area is located in the city of Madeira, Hamilton County, Ohio. Coachlite Way, Kenwood Hills Drive, Mapleridge Drive, Maplespur Lane, Margo Lane, Oakvista Drive, Vistaridge Lane, and three homes on Kenwood Road were included in the survey area. This survey was prompted by nuisance complaint investigations and visual inspections of the neighborhood drainage ways during routine inspections of household sewage treatment systems. The Kenwood Hills subdivision has been determined a priority area by the HCGHD, due to factors known to have a potential influence on public health. To prioritize the HCGHD factored data, such as water quality sample results, density, communicable disease and nuisance history. To survey, the Health District staff reviewed history of all household sewage treatment systems in the community, inspected areas of the subdivision, and collected water samples throughout the watershed. The result of the inspections and subsequent sample data indicate there is a potential public health risk, due to malfunctioning and/or inadequate household sewage treatment systems discharging improperly treated effluent into the neighborhood drainage ways.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this sanitary survey is to determine the impact of all household sewage treatment systems in the watershed and the degree to which they may have a detrimental effect on human health and water quality.

DESCRIPTION OF WATERSHED: The Kenwood Hills subdivision is in the Duck Creek drainage basin located in northeastern Hamilton County. All surface water in this watershed, including sewage system effluent discharge, runs into streams and other drainage ways that flow toward Duck Creek. The predominate soil series in the area is Rossmoyne, which is surrounded by a band of Eden silty clay loam. The land in the Kenwood Hills subdivision is used primarily for residential purposes. 2 Hamilton County Gen. Health District Division of Water Quality 4/13/01

There are one hundred sixty two homes, one commercial facility, a swimming pool, and four undeveloped lots located within the survey area. The average lot size is approximately three-fourths of an acre, and the total watershed area is approximately one hundred fifty four acres.

METHODOLOGY: In response to nuisance complaints and visual inspections of the drainage ways during routine inspections of home sewage disposal systems, the HCGHD initiated a detailed sanitary survey of this watershed. Described below are the steps taken to implement this survey. 1. Review previously conducted household sewage treatment system inspection reports for compliance history. 2. Review all nuisance complaints on record to develop a perspective on historical problems in the watershed area. A nuisance complaint inspection involves a Health District sanitarian investigating an alleged nuisance. Typically, a complaint is received by telephone from a concerned resident. 3. Conduct a survey inspection of household sewage treatment systems within the watershed area. A survey inspection is a systematic exercise involving a thorough "walk through" of the properties to identify all potential pollution sources. Any systems found to be malfunctioning, or in question, are further evaluated by dye testing and/or sampling discharge points and associated surface waters. Systems not in compliance with the operational criteria are issued orders requiring repairs/upgrades or the installation of a new sewage disposal system. 4. Collect water samples at selected sites throughout the watershed. Samples are tested for Fecal Coliform Bacteria, Biological Oxygen Demand, Ammonia, and Total Suspended Solids. Test results are compared to water quality standards set forth in Hamilton County Sewage Regulation 529.02 (I) (6). (See appendix 1) 5. HCGHD staff review communicable disease reports to determine if there are any reported waterborne diseases in the watershed area in which the sanitary survey is conducted.

3 Hamilton County Gen. Health District Division of Water Quality 4/13/01

FINDINGS: All mechanical type systems, within the survey area, had passed an operation permit inspection within the last five months. The non-mechanical type systems were showing no apparent sign of failure, and one sandfilter was installed in 1999. There have been seventeen nuisance complaints filed within the survey area since 1998. All but one complaint was found to be valid and was caused by malfunctioning aeration treatment units (ATU’s). The inventory of the household sewage treatment systems found there are one hundredfifty-nine ATU’s, two with additional treatment, two subsurface sandfilters, and two leaching systems. There are a total of one hundred-sixty household sewage treatment systems, which contribute to discharge within the survey area (see Table 1). The estimated volume of effluent being discharge into the environment is from 25,000 gallons per day (gpd) to 40,000 gpd. Table 1 System Type: ATU’s Cavitette Cavitette with sandfilter Cavitette with leach lines Jet (no upflow filter) Jet (with upflow filter) Coate Aer (with upflow filter) System Type: Non-mechanical Subsurface sandfilter Leach lines Total discharging systems

Discharge Y/N Y Y N Y Y Y Discharge Y/N Y N

Number 153 1 1 2 1 1 Number 2 2 160

There were one hundred-fifty-five Cavitette brand ATU’s in the survey area. The design of the Cavitette brand of ATU cannot consistently meet today’s water quality standards. Even when these systems are meeting operational criteria, they will not consistently meet current effluent quality standards, as do the modern types of ATU’s. Since the Cavitette Company went out of business in the 1970’s there is no manufacturer from which to order the proper repair parts to service the units. The effluent discharge of a Cavitette brand ATU may cause a health nuisance if not properly diluted or disinfected. There are thirteen storm sewers/collector lines within the survey area, which discharge home sewage treatment system effluent from ninety-eight homes as well as surface runoff. These collector lines discharge to drainage ways throughout the survey area. (See Table 2) 4 Hamilton County Gen. Health District Division of Water Quality 4/13/01

Table 2 Collector Line ID CL 1 CL 2 CL 3 CL 4 CL 5 CL 6 CL 7 CL 8 CL 9 CL 10 CL 11 CL 12 CL 13 Total Homes Connected

Connected Homes 10 9 12 23 10 9 3 5 2 2 5 6 2 98

Water samples were collected from the thirteen collector lines within the survey area. Collector line 11 and 13’s effluent were measured at a common discharge point. There were a total of twenty four samples collected and analyzed for fecal coliform bacteria, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), and Ammonia (see Table 3). Twenty-one of the twenty-four (87.5%) samples collected were above the HCGHD Regulation 529 standard level, and EPA secondary contact water standard of 5,000 fecal colonies per 100 ml for fecal coliform. Fecal coliform bacteria are bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. They are an indicator organism. The presence of fecal coliform bacteria in water environments indicates that the water has been contaminated with the fecal material of man or animal. At the time of contamination, the source may also have been contaminated with pathogens (disease producing bacteria and viruses). Fecal coliform is an indicator that a potential health risk exists for individuals exposed to this water. Seventeen of the twenty four (70.8%) samples collected were above the HCGHD Regulation 529 standard level, 20 mg/l, for BOD of household sewage treatment system effluent. The BOD test is a measure of the amount of oxygen that is consumed by the bacteria as they decompose the organic matter found in waste. The aerobic bacteria can consume much of the dissolved oxygen, robbing other aquatic organisms of the oxygen they need to survive. Nine of the twenty-four (37.5%) of the samples collected were above the HCGHD Regulation 529 standard level, 40 mg/l, for TSS of household sewage treatment system effluent. The TSS test measures the amount of solids physically suspended in a water sample. 5 Hamilton County Gen. Health District Division of Water Quality 4/13/01

Ammonia, a nitrogen compound, samples analyzed ranged from