USING SPATIAL ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES TO PREDICT SEPTIC SYSTEM FAILURE IN THE DAN RIVER REGION

Septic system functionality is necessary to maintain environmental health and safe water quality in rural areas. Concentrated wastewater from failing systems can enter streams and aquifers, impairing aquatic habitats and threatening sources of potable drinking water. Using ArcGIS Pro, areas with the highest potential for septic system failure were mapped out for the Dan River Region Watershed in North Carolina and Virginia. The environmental and land use factors evaluated include soil type and depth, lithology, drainage, precipitation, seasonal land cover and growth patterns, population density, utility service areas, septic system type and location, and water table depth. The main goal of this research is to identify and overlay specific environmental characteristics thought to influence natural treatment and retention time and to develop a tool to predict areas prone to septic system failure in the Dan River drainage area. This map could be used to field-verify non-point sources that contribute to water quality impairments in the Dan River by identifying high-risk areas and targeting them for funding assistance to find solutions that lower septic system failure rates, mitigate or repair systems, and prevent future problems in developing parts of the watershed.