Within Indiana there has not been a comprehensive approach to tracking septic system permits.  We are developing a comprehensive and integrated permit system utilizing GPS and handheld computers to efficiently and accurately upload permit information into a central database associated with a GIS.   (Collaborators: Larry Theller and Don Jones, Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department - Purdue University)  Project funded by the Indiana Water Resources Research Center.

In the St. Joseph River watershed of northern Indiana mineral weathering processes have been associated with premature septic system failure resulting in $3000 to $5,000 repairs for each individual household.  We are investigating these weathering processes in an effort to identify the cause and suggest a prevention or remediation strategy to homeowners. Project partially funded by Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Locating Septic Systems with Electromagnetic Induction (EMI)

The EPA estimates that 25% of septic systems in the United States are failing.  Many of these systems are difficult to locate.  Current methods of locating septic systems can be time consuming, costly, and invasive.  We are exploring the application of electromagnetic induction sensors to locate septic systems components and contaminant plumes associated with failures in differing soils of the Midwest.  (Collaborators: Jim Doolittle and Wes Tuttle, USDA-NRCS-NSSC; Byron Jenkinson, Indiana Registered Professional Soil Scientist; Rick Taylor, Dualem Inc.) Project partially funded by the Ft. Wayne - Allen County Health Department

A series of concentric moraines in northeastern Indiana were formed during the retreat of a glacier from Lake Erie and Ontario approximately 15,000 years ago.  Anecdotes concerning septic system performance in these moraines has led the Indiana State Department of Health to make stringent recommendations concerning the suitability these soils for development in rural areas.  We are investigating the soil processes on moraines and associated till plains to develop a better understanding of septic system performance in this region. (Collaborators: Phil Schoeneberger, USDA-NRCS-NSSC; Travis Neely and Shane McBurnett USDA-NRCS; Don Franzmeier, Purdue University)  Project partially funded by the Ft. Wayne - Allen County Health Department,  Indiana Water Resources Research Center, and the Indiana State Department of Health.

Mounded soil landscapes occur in various geographic regions of the United States, including the Pacific Northwest, South-central, and Midwest.  We are conducting a comparative investigation into the genesis of these mounds in eastern Washington and eastern Oklahoma. (Collaborators: Brian Carter, Oklahoma State University; Jonathan Wald, Fairchild Air Force Base)