Septic tanks, or fertilizer?

<!-- SC_OFF --><div class="md"><p>Every time there is a water quality issue the idea of septic runoff is always the main cause. Now, I'm not a scientist, but doesn't it seem like there is more direct runoff from places with massive fertilizer applications?</p> <p>Look at the "hot spots" on a map. Some of them are pretty sparsely populated. Quogue, Sagaponack, etc. Quite often an area with large propertiea and massive estates with just a few people using a septic system per acre. But what else is there? Massive lawns, golf courses, sod farms... places that literally get fertilizer with nitrogen as a main component thrown directly on the surface several times a year.</p> <p>It seems like this is just a recurring excuse to push the county program to condemn septic systems and have everyone upgrade to incredibly expensive to install, power, and maintain I/A OWT systems.</p> <p>Does anyone with scientific authority on this matter have an explanation as to how a low population density/highly fertilized areas like quogue and sagaponack are having these problems from septic systems and not fertilizer runoff?</p> </div><!-- SC_ON --> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/PoopSmith87"> /u/PoopSmith87 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/longisland/comments/1sslm8c/septic_tanks_or_fertilizer/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/longisland/comments/1sslm8c/septic_tanks_or_fertilizer/">[comments]</a></span>