(Lawrenceville, Ga., June 14, 2011) - Water quality in local streams could get better now that old paper records showing the location of septic tanks and drain fields in Gwinnett County have gone electronic. Most homes without sewer service use a septic system.

Gwinnett's Water Resources and the East Metro Health District, which also serves Rockdale and Newton counties, worked together to digitize hundreds of thousands of records and add them to Gwinnett's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) database. Free public access to the records is available at www.gwinnettcounty.com by clicking on GIS.

The new system helps homeowners locate septic systems on their property so they can maintain them as required by law. It will also help the Stormwater Management division track down possible pollution sources when they find fecal coliform bacteria in local waterways. Failing septic tanks are often a source of contamination that causes some local waterways to fail state water-quality standards.

Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash said, "I'm so pleased that our staff has found a way to build greater efficiency despite tight budgets and scarce resources. This cooperation between agencies shows how we work together and benefit the public we all serve."

"We're celebrating the end of an arduous process that now allows us to work more efficiently," said Lynn Smarr, acting Water Resources director.