# Septic Lagoons and drought



## Possumfam (Apr 19, 2011)

My mom in KS is beginning to have a problem. She has a septic lagoon and well water. With the current drought, the lagoon is getting low (and smelly - ick). Normally, she'd fill it up, but she doesn't know the status of her well. It's been there over 20 years. She doesn't want to fill the lagoon, then find out her well dried up due to the drought. Are any of y'all out there suffering the same situation? Is there anything else she could do? Still praying for rain for our country.


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

Does her system have a septic tank too? If so, it may need to be pumped out to reduce the sludge.
http://extension.missouri.edu/p/WQ402

The smell makes me think the system isn't operating correctly. From the article above, "If odors become offensive, they may be controlled by broadcasting agricultural sodium nitrate or ammonium nitrate at a rate of two pounds per day over the surface of the lagoon until the lagoon turns green and the odor goes away." It also mentions not letting the clay liner dry out.
Hope this helps.


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## Possumfam (Apr 19, 2011)

No, no septic tank, just an open pond looking thing. They have to keep the water levels up enough for it to work properly, but with the drought... the water is so low. Dad just had it dredged (I don't know what you call it) last year, so it's in good shape, it's just the lack of rain water. Normally, she'd just add water, but she doesn't want to do that at the expense of her well water (in case the well's low too, cuz of the drought). It's a catch 22.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

How do you deal with bugs and smell?


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

Is the water well down to the Ogallala Aquifer?
















If so, I'd suggest she's probably in good shape to refill the lagoon.
If not, I'd suggest she pump some extra water into totes or barrels and see if it affects her well. I'd do it over a week or two and get at least a thousand gallons stored for personal use. If her well remains unaffected, start dumping the water into the lagoon and re-filling the containers from the well.
It all depends on the flow rate of her water well.


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## Possumfam (Apr 19, 2011)

Magus said:


> How do you deal with bugs and smell?


Seems like it takes care of itself. It's truly like a little pond - DH says it's probably almost 100 ft. There are turtles in there and there used to be some grass carp. No smell unless something's wrong (or the water gets too low).


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## Possumfam (Apr 19, 2011)

Marcus said:


> If not, I'd suggest she pump some extra water into totes or barrels and see if it affects her well. I'd do it over a week or two and get at least a thousand gallons stored for personal use. If her well remains unaffected, start dumping the water into the lagoon and re-filling the containers from the well.
> It all depends on the flow rate of her water well.


Those maps are pretty cool. Mom lives in SE KS, so I don't think she's got access to that aquifer. But - I didn't think about her holding water in barrels. Good idea. Thanks for all your input.


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## Well_Driller (Jun 3, 2012)

Unless the well is subject to surface water a few rain storms are not going to affect it. The aquifers are protected by the upper layers of the ground and the surface water never gets through those natural barriers. Droughts cause more strain on them because people end up pumping more water from them for irrigation, which causes them to draw down. I know in my area hydrogeologists claim that the winter precipitation is what determines the amount of water our aquifers hold. It takes the water that long to get down there. That means our water tables are highest by spring, and at their low by fall, and fall is when I really get busy with work on old wells.


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