With no statewide sanitary code and more than 10,000 inland lakes, how do we protect local waterways from leaking or failing septic systems? Michigan State University studies suggest that at least a third of septic systems are not working properly. The water monitoring team at the Watershed Council will share results of a 2022 septic study conducted on Lake Charlevoix, and share lessons learned about monitoring surface water and groundwater for leaky septic systems.