1 Decentralized . Wastewater treatment : A Sensible Solution . Many communities are considering Decentralized Wastewater treatment and the economic and environmental advantages these types of systems can offer. Today, Decentralized treatment can provide the safety and reliability of conventional large-scale treatment , and can also offer many additional benefits to communities. WHAT IS Decentralized These systems can: Safe in protecting the environment, Wastewater Serve on a variety of scales including public health, and water quality Protecting the community's health treatment ? individual dwellings, businesses, or Reducing conventional pollutants, Decentralized Wastewater treatment small communities;. nutrients, and emerging contaminants consists of a variety of approaches for Treat Wastewater to levels protective of Mitigating contamination and health collection, treatment , and dispersal/reuse public health and water quality; risks associated with Wastewater of Wastewater for individual dwellings, Comply with municipal and state industrial or institutional facilities, clusters regulatory codes; and of homes or businesses, and entire Work well in rural, suburban and urban THE BOTTOM LINE.
2 Communities. An evaluation of site-specific settings. Decentralized Wastewater treatment can conditions is performed to determine the be a Sensible Solution for communities of appropriate type of treatment system any size and demographic. Like any other WHY Decentralized . for each location. These systems are a system, Decentralized systems must be Wastewater . part of permanent infrastructure and can properly designed, maintained, and operated treatment ? be managed as stand-alone facilities or to provide optimum benefits. Where they are Decentralized Wastewater treatment can be integrated with centralized sewage determined to be a good fit, Decentralized be a smart alternative for communities treatment systems. They provide a range systems help communities reach the triple considering new systems or modifying, of treatment options from simple, passive bottom line of sustainability: good for the replacing, or expanding existing Wastewater treatment with soil dispersal, commonly environment, good for the economy, and treatment systems.
3 For many communities, referred to as septic or onsite systems, to good for the people. Decentralized treatment can be: more complex and mechanized approaches Cost-effective and economical such as advanced treatment units that Avoiding large capital costs collect and treat waste from multiple Reducing operation and maintenance The EPA Decentralized Wastewater buildings and discharge to either surface costs waters or the soil. They are typically installed Memorandum of Understanding Promoting business and job at or near the point where the Wastewater opportunities (MOU) Partnership, created in is generated. Systems that discharge to 2005, has served as an ongoing Green and sustainable the surface (water or soil surfaces) require cooperative relationship between the Benefiting water quality and availability a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Using energy and land wisely EPA and Signatory Organizations to System (NPDES) permit.
4 Effectively and collaboratively address Responding to growth while preserving green space management and performance issues pertaining to Decentralized systems. WHERE IT'S WORKED. Loudoun County, VA Rutherford County, TN. Loudoun Water, in Loudoun County, Virginia (a Washington, , Consolidated Utility District (CUD) of Rutherford County, Tennessee, suburb), has adopted an integrated approach to Wastewater provides sewer services to many of its outlying customers through management that includes purchased capacity from a centralized an innovative system. The system being used is often referred to plant, a satellite water reclamation facility, and several small, as a septic tank effluent pumping (STEP) system which consists community cluster systems. The approach has allowed the county of approximately 50 subdivision Wastewater systems, all of which to maintain its rural character and created a system in which growth contain a STEP system, a recirculating sand filter, and a large pays for growth.
5 Developers design and construct cluster Wastewater effluent drip dispersal system. All of the systems are owned and facilities to Loudoun Water standards at their own cost and managed by the Rutherford County CUD. The system allows for transfer ownership of the system to Loudoun Water for continued high density development (subdivisions) in areas of the county maintenance. The program is financially self-sustaining via rates that where city sewer is not available or soil types are not conducive cover expenses. For more information: to conventional septic tank and drain field lines. The 1,500-gallon septic tank is equipped with a pump and control panel located at each residence for controlled discharge of Wastewater to a centralized Wastewater collection system. For more information: Package plant Drip irrigation field ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
6 Environmental Protection Agency Office of Wastewater Management Decentralized Program Water Environment Research Foundation Decentralized Systems For more information on the individual MOU Partners, click on the logos below or go to Contact Information: or 202-564-1162.