The waste cesspool is vulnerable to overloading or flooding by heavy rains or snow melt because it is not enclosed and sealed like conventional septic tank systems.
As the land around the springs developed, fertilizer and septic tank runoff carrying nitrate pollution has caused brown algae to cloud the springs, reducing visibility and fish populations.
However, very large amounts of oil from food production in kitchens and restaurants can overwhelm the septic tank or treatment facility, causing a release of untreated sewage into the environment.
Waste oil is also collected in an aboveground 400-gallon tank, contained inside the lower half of a cement septic tank, for recycling at no cost to the marina.
