Sewage waste and septic tank leaching do not alter the nitrogen cycle.?

Question

Is this true or false?

Answer 1

Well now the nitrogen cycle is a very broad term!

Septic tanks when suituated in unsuitable locations eg. next to river or stream or in unsuitable soils eg stoney sandy gravely soils can lead to pollution problems.

And if you add with that the fact that most people dont maintain their tanks properly eg. emptying them every year, it is estimated that up to 50% of septic tanks are not functioning properly!

Back to your question yes large amounts of nitrogen will be contained in the effluent which  is released from the septic tank into the percolation pipes where it should filter down through the soil  and denitrification takes place before the effluent reaches the water table,

However various studuies show that nitrogen from septic tanks can travel for up to 150meters in the underground water!

Hope this helps

Answer 2

true