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estimated at 12.3% (8.4% + 3.9%). <br />Even today, few Colorado site-specific studies related to individual sewage disposal <br />systems (ISDS) also referred to as onsite wastewater systems have been conducted. <br />Where those studies exist, they predominantly focus on the water quality impacts to <br />ground water. In February 2002, Recommendations of the Individual Sewage Disposal <br />System Steering Committee, established by the Executive Director of the Colorado <br />Department of Public Health and Environment were published. This committee identified <br />issues with ground-water quality impacts, operation, administration, and management of <br />ISDS systems and made 13 recommendations; but none of those dealt with consumptive <br />or non-consumptive use. In response to health department officials, planners, and County <br />Commissioners in Park County, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a series of site- <br />specific investigations of ISDS and their potential to effect ground-water quality in the <br />vicinity of Bailey, Fairplay and Alma, and Lake George and Guffey between 2000 and <br />2003. These studies focused on water quality and did not address the water budget. <br />To my knowledge, the only published studies that address Colorado site-specific water <br />budgets are associated with the Colorado School of Mines Turkey Creek Basin Project in <br />Jefferson County. Dr. Eileen Poeter, fellow CSM researchers/staff, and graduate students <br />have published a number of papers documenting their findings in characterizing the <br />ground-water system in the Turkey Creek Basin. Some of these studies include water <br />budgets associated with ISDS. Cited values for the consumptive use of water, in the <br />home, have ranged from 7-15%. For a properly functioning septic/leach field system the <br />estimated increase in evapotranspiration (ET) is small ~1%. In a recently completed <br />Masters thesis, Water Budget of Mountain Residence, by Bill Paul (CSM) he estimated <br />that 84% of the ground water pumped returns to the subsurface. The current research has <br />produced consumptive use values that are still in the range cited by the State Engineer’s <br />Office in the mid 1970’s. <br />