10/13/2026
Just entertaining myself over here, I know y’all aren’t gonna read this 🙈🤣
💩🌧️ WATER POLLUTION DEEP DIVE:
THE RAIN GARDEN PROJECT! 🌱
Before you ask me… IS THAT P**PY WATER?! 💩
Well, kind of 🤔🤣 What the heck do you think people mean when they talk about nutrients?!
Fertilizer. Manure. Compost. P**P! 💩 Tomato, tomahto! 🍅
Now, before the scientists come for me, those aren’t all the same thing. But they DO have something important in common: NUTRIENTS!
And there’s a whole lot of science happening in that crappy water! 👩🌾🔬
🌱 WHAT’S ACTUALLY IN P**P?
Both animal manure and human waste contain nutrients essential to plant growth.
💚 Nitrogen (N): Supports leafy growth, chlorophyll production, and photosynthesis.
🌸 Phosphorus (P): Essential for root development, flowering, fruiting, and energy transfer.
🌿 Potassium (K): Helps regulate water movement, enzyme activity, and plant resilience.
🪱 Organic Matter: Properly composted manure and other processed organic materials can improve soil structure, water retention, and microbial activity.
There are also smaller amounts of calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and other essential nutrients.
SO WHY ARE NUTRIENTS BAD FOR OUR WATERWAYS? 🐟
Because nutrients are wonderful in the right place and downright destructive in the wrong one!
When excess nitrogen and phosphorus enter our canals, rivers, estuaries, and the Indian River Lagoon, they can contribute to eutrophication.
That’s a fancy scientific word for nutrient enrichment that can encourage excessive algae growth, reduce dissolved oxygen, and contribute to fish kills.
And here in Florida, where our waterways are already under tremendous environmental pressure, nutrient pollution is a BIG deal.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT LOVES NUTRIENTS?!
A literal CRAP TON OF PLANTS! 🌱🌳🌾
Plants absorb nitrogen and phosphorus through their roots, incorporating those nutrients into their tissues. Soil microorganisms also help transform nutrients through processes like mineralization, nitrification, and denitrification.
In the right conditions, some nitrogen can even be converted into nitrogen gas and returned to the atmosphere!
Nature has some pretty impressive biological systems working beneath our feet.
And THAT brings me to our latest project…
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🌧️ BUILDING OUR RAIN GARDEN!
If you’ve been following along, you know we’ve already started excavating an area of our property to temporarily collect stormwater.
And here’s the exciting part…
OUR EXCAVATED AREA HAS BEEN DRAINING WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 24–48 HOURS! 🙌🌱
That’s encouraging because rain gardens are generally designed to hold stormwater temporarily rather than create permanent standing water.
But drainage time alone doesn’t tell us whether the location is suitable. There’s still more homework to do!
Our property slopes downhill away from our septic drainfield, and our rain garden excavation is approximately 20 feet beyond the drainfield.
Which brings us to the next chapter of this rabbit hole…
🚽 SEPTIC EFFLUENT MIGRATION!
When wastewater leaves a septic tank, it enters the drainfield, where soil and microorganisms help treat it.
But here’s the thing…
NOT EVERYTHING MAGICALLY DISAPPEARS! 💩
Dissolved nutrients and some contaminants can continue traveling through the soil and groundwater.
Here in South Florida, our sandy soils, seasonal high water tables, and intense rainfall can complicate wastewater treatment and groundwater movement.
And remember, groundwater doesn’t care where your property lines are!
But let’s make an important distinction.
Septic effluent migration is NOT the same thing as septic overflow.
Effluent migration describes wastewater constituents moving through the soil or groundwater after leaving the drainfield.
Septic overflow occurs when wastewater escapes where it shouldn’t, including surfacing from a failing system.
Our rain garden is NOT intended to collect septic wastewater.
Because our excavation is a safe distance from the drainfield, we are observing whether it could intercept septic-affected groundwater or interfere with wastewater treatment during heavy rains. This will require more time and experimentation.
A rain garden should never be used to compensate for a failing septic system. Period.
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🦠 AND WHAT ELSE COULD BE MOVING THROUGH THAT WATER?
Here’s where things get a little unsettling.
Human wastewater can contain much more than nutrients!
🦠 PATHOGENS: Potentially disease-causing bacteria, including pathogenic E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter; viruses such as norovirus and hepatitis A; and parasites such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium.
💊 PHARMACEUTICALS: Antibiotics, antidepressants, pain medications, hormones, and other medications can enter wastewater after passing through our bodies or through improper disposal.
🧴 HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS: Detergents, cleaning agents, personal care products, and other substances can enter septic systems.
Some contaminants are broken down, filtered, or retained by soil. Others can persist or migrate through groundwater.
And saturated soils can reduce the effectiveness of wastewater treatment.
Now here’s where my research really started spiraling…
DID YOU KNOW RAINWATER CAN CONTAIN POLLUTANTS TOO?! 🌧️😵💫
Yep!
Rain can collect airborne particles and chemicals before it even reaches the ground.
Research has documented substances such as PFAS, pesticides, nitrogen compounds, and microplastics in atmospheric deposition.
Some studies have also investigated microorganisms and pharmaceutical residues in precipitation, although their presence and concentrations vary.
And once rain hits the ground?
It can pick up animal manure, pet waste, fertilizers, pesticides, oils, sediment, and bacteria.
Then that water can travel into drainage ditches, canals, groundwater, and eventually our rivers and estuaries.
AND MUNICIPAL WATER ISN’T COMPLETELY FREE FROM THESE CONCERNS EITHER! 🚰
Trace contaminants can occur in some drinking-water sources and treated water supplies.
However, municipal drinking water undergoes regulated treatment and monitoring, and detecting a substance does NOT automatically mean the water is unsafe.
The concentration, exposure, and type of contaminant matter.
So no, I’m not suggesting everyone panic about drinking water! 🤣
I’m suggesting we understand where our water comes from, where it goes, and what it encounters along the way.
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🌿 SO WHAT CAN A RAIN GARDEN ACTUALLY DO?
A properly located and designed rain garden can:
🌧️ Temporarily collect stormwater and reduce runoff.
🌱 Support plant uptake of some nitrogen and phosphorus.
🪱 Encourage beneficial soil microorganisms.
💧 Promote infiltration where soil and groundwater conditions allow.
🌾 Reduce erosion and trap sediment.
🐝 Provide habitat for pollinators and other wildlife.
🐟 Help reduce certain pollutants reaching nearby waterways.
BUT THERE ARE LIMITATIONS!
Rain gardens do not reliably remove every pathogen, pharmaceutical, PFAS compound, or other persistent contaminant.
And they should NEVER be used to collect sewage or untreated septic effluent.
In fact, if a rain garden is too close to a drainfield or excavated into a shallow groundwater zone, it could create additional problems.
So location matters just as much as the plants!
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🚫 WHY NO EDIBLE PLANTS IN OUR RAIN GARDEN?
Because we’re not trying to grow dinner in p**p water, folks! 🤣💩🍅
Our project is focused on stormwater management and nutrient reduction, NOT food production.
Given the possibility of septic-related contamination, we will not be planting vegetables, culinary herbs, or other crops intended for consumption in this area.
Instead, we’re interested in nonedible, Florida-friendly plants that tolerate temporary flooding and support soil stability and wildlife.
But even nonedible plants don’t make potentially contaminated water safe to touch, and avoiding food crops doesn’t eliminate risks to people or animals.
If the area is receiving inadequately treated wastewater, that problem needs to be corrected rather than planted around.
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🪨 WHAT’S NEXT FOR OUR PROJECT?
We’ve excavated the area and observed that stormwater generally drains within 24–48 hours.
Our next steps are to evaluate the separation from the septic system and seasonal groundwater level before completing the garden.
If the location is suitable, we’ll be considering:
🪨 ROCKS: Strategically placed stone to reduce erosion and stabilize areas where water enters and exits. Rocks alone don’t remove dissolved pollutants.
🍂 ORGANIC MATERIAL: Appropriate soil amendments and mulch to help support soil structure, microbial activity, and moisture management without creating nutrient-rich runoff.
🌱 PLANTS: Nonedible, Florida-friendly species selected for temporary wet conditions, root structure, and ecological value.
💧 WATER MOVEMENT: Monitoring where stormwater enters, how long it remains, and whether the basin affects nearby drainage.
One important lesson: A rain garden isn’t just a hole in the ground with pretty plants.
Its depth, soil composition, location, overflow route, and relationship to groundwater all matter.
And on a property with a septic system, those details matter even more!
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🌎 WHY DOES ALL THIS MATTER?
Because everything is connected.
Our livestock, septic systems, gardens, rainwater, soil, groundwater, and waterways are all part of the same environmental picture.
Plants are incredible biological tools, but they’re not magical sewage treatment machines! 🤣🌱
I spend half my life shoveling p**p around this farm anyway, so I’m certainly not afraid of it. 💩🐄
I just care where those nutrients end up.
A little horticulture, hydrology, and common sense can go a long way toward protecting our waterways.
Now THAT’S what I call giving a crap! 💩🌱💚
📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING
This educational discussion draws on resources from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with published research on pharmaceuticals, PFAS, and atmospheric microplastics.
Full references and research links in the comments!
Groundwork Farmstead
Environmental Education • Sustainable Agriculture • Stewardship
