Algae blooms at the mouth of Smith Brook, a Lake George tributary, concerned residents in the Village of Lake George, New York. Nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, the oligotrophic (low biological activity) lake is a source of drinking water and one of the state’s top vacation destinations.Soil surveys conducted along the road paralleling the brook revealed a cesspool on each tiny residential lot. Fast-perking soils and seasonal homes never allowed biomats to develop and systems to backup.Kathy Bozony, head of the Septic Initiative Program run by the Lake George Consolidated Board of Health, contacted Eric Murdock, P.E., proprietor of
