When a septic system fails, inadequately treated domestic waste can reach the groundwater. Bacteria and viruses from human waste can cause dysentery, hepatitis, and typhoid fever. Many serious outbreaks of these diseases have been caused by contaminated drinking water. Nitrates and phosphates, also found in domestic wastewater, can cause excessive algae growth in lakes and streams called algal blooms. These blooms cause aesthetic problems and impair other aquatic life. Nitrate is also the cause of methemoglobinemia, or blue baby syndrome, a condition that prevents the normal uptake of oxygen in the blood of young babies. In addition, a failing septic system can lead to unpleasant symptoms, such as pungent odours and soggy lawns.
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