My research paper focuses on the pollution from failing on-site wastewater treatment plants in Northeast Ohio due to lack of maintenance, homeowner negligence, and lack of government oversight. My hypotheses are that 1) Lack of public awareness of septic system failure rates and education lead to premature failure and pollution of groundwater 2) Inadequate enforcement of current septic laws pertaining to septic maintenance contribute to high rates of failure 3) A high average cost and ever-changing laws of septic systems in Northeast Ohio contribute to homeowner avoidance of most quality repairs and/or replacements.  I chose to write about septic systems and the pollution caused by failing systems due to the local anger about the high costs of new installations and the possible discharging of bacteria, viruses, and parasites into our local waterways. My goal for this research paper is to find accurate information and possible solutions to the problems in my hypotheses. The media I have chosen is a diagram from a Ohio Department of Health survey numbering the rate of septic failures in five statistical regions.

~KD