Nobody really knows for sure, but an environmental group and some people living around Lake George in New York State think failed septic systems are contributing to burgeoning algae growth in the lake. Some residents and the Fund for Lake George’s Waterkeeper division are seeking a township law to require periodic system inspection and certification to prevent nutrients leaking into the water.
Kathy Bozony, a natural resources specialist with the environmental group, says she would like to see all systems re-certified every three to five years, or at least when a property is sold. She has been working with one homeowner association in hopes it will pressure its members to make septic system improvements. She has also worked with the town to review a 1991 survey of all residents that asked for information about their septic systems.
Bozony told the Post-Star newspaper that nothing was done with the survey information. She says she has talked with property owners who don’t know what type of septic system they have or even where it is located on their property.
Her coliform testing has come back negative, but she says that doesn’t mean nitrates and phosphates aren’t getting into the water from septic systems. The Lake George Town Board is already looking for grant sources that could help homeowners repair or replace their septic systems. “Let’s do something about this before we don’t have that choice,” Bozony told the newspaper. “Compared to other lakes, it’s relatively clean. But the lake is changing rapidly.”
