Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2004IN164B

Septic System Permit Database

Institute: Indiana
Year Established: 2004 Start Date: 2003-08-01 End Date: 2004-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $40,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $20,800

Principal Investigators: Brad Lee

Project Summary: Within the state of Indiana numerous counties are moving toward a countywide geographic information system (GIS) to assist with planning, however septic system locations are currently not being integrated into the GIS or planning process. Previous research has shown that the spatial distribution of septic system failures can be a benefit to plan commissions when selecting areas for new development. We propose to develop a septic system permit database that will utilize a GIS, global positioning systems (GPS), and field computers to improve the accuracy and efficiency of current septic system permit databases. The resulting septic system permit datalayer can be integrated into a larger multilayer spatial database for planning purposes by local decision makers. The Hendricks County Health Department will beta test the system with a sample population and provide feedback so that improvements can be integrated into the final product. The resulting database will be available for use by other county health departments throughout the state.