© 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ADVANCED ONSITE WASTEWATER SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES © 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC A CRC title, part of the Taylor & Francis imprint, a member of the Taylor & Francis Group, the academic division of T&F Informa plc. Boca Raton London New York ADVANCED ONSITE WASTEWATER SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES Anish R. Jantrania Mark A. Gross Virginia Department of Health Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A. University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S.A. © 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC Published in 2006 by CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group No claim to original U.S. Government works Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 10987654321 International Standard Book Number-10: 0-8493-3029-7 (Hardcover) International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-8493-3029-2 (Hardcover) Library of Congress Card Number 2005050884 This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reprinted material is quoted with permission, and sources are indicated. A wide variety of references are listed. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and the publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use. No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jantrania, Anish (Anish R.) Advanced onsite wastewater systems technologies / Anish Jantrania and Mark Alan Gross. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8493-3029-7 1. Sewage disposal, Rural. I. Gross, Mark. II. Title. TD929.J36 2005 628.3 dc22 2005050884 Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at and the CRC Press Web site at Taylor & Francis Group is the Academic Division of Informa plc. For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright.com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC) 222 Rosewood Drive, http://www.taylorandfrancis.com http://www.crcpress.com © 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC Foreword Issues associated with management of human waste have plagued societies throughout history. Ancient texts refer to a variety of methods to mange human waste and in the generations since societies began to develop we have developed a better understanding of the public health, environmental quality and economic impacts of waste management programs and pro- cesses. As communities developed into cities, the need to treat and manage waste became critical and when water carrying plumbing developed, the need to find effective solutions to the issues associated with waste manage- ment was amplified tremendously. Professions developed to address these issues. Here in the United States, the Public Health Service evolved to address issues of waste management. With passage of the Clean Water Act in the late 1960’s, environmental health practice and wastewater engineering practice diverged. Since the Clean Water Act, tremendous federal resource has been allocated for proliferation of the large collection and treatment systems and there has been a perception that the onsite and decentralized efforts have waned. In truth, much of the support for the onsite and decentralized effort has come from state and local government. The research and technology devel- opment associated with the onsite and decentralized system demonstrates that these are viable options for all areas of the country. Applications of these appropriate technologies and associated management programs are evident in urban, sub-urban, and rural areas. The USEPA and state agencies recog- nize the value of appropriate wastewater solutions. This text addresses planning, design operations and maintenance issues associated with those technologies required as part of a comprehensive pre- application treatment. It discusses the variety of dispersal options available to distribute treated or reclaimed water into receiving environments and describes the opportunities available for recycling and reuse. Finally, this text discusses the importance of a comprehensive planning and management approach to dealing with wastewater management issues. Drs. Anish Jantrania and Mark Gross have many years of valuable experience and they have synthesized and assembled that experience to provide this tremendously valuable reference for all environmental health and wastewater engineering practitioners. This text provides a well devel- oped and comprehensive assessment of technology and management © 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC solutions available to address a variety of waste management challenges. This text is an indispensable reference for all professionals involved in the planning, design, installation, operation, maintenance and management of wastewater systems. Robert A. Rubin, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus and Senior Environmental Specialist North Carolina State University and McKim & Creed Raleigh, North Carolina, USA brubin@mckimcreed.com © 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC Preface Onsite treatment of wastewater and onsite dispersal of treated wastewater is not a new concept. Throughout the history of civilization in this country and other places in the world, onsite wastewater systems have been and will be an integral part of the overall wastewater management infrastruc- ture. Onsite wastewater systems are here to stay and the U.S. Environmen- tal Protection Agency (EPA) views adequately managed onsite systems as a cost-effective and long-term option for meeting public health and water quality goals, particularly in less densely populated areas. For one out of every four homes in the U.S. wastewater is treated onsite, typically using a septic tank and a drain field system. A septic system was, and with some modifications still is, the most common method for onsite wastewater treatment. However, just like any other field, significant advances have been achieved in onsite wastewater treatment and effluent dispersal tech- nologies. A septic tank is now viewed only as a level one treatment system, while a variety of technologies such as packed bed media filters and flow- through or sequencing batch reactor treatment system are now considered as level two, three, or even level four treatment systems. These advanced systems can treat wastewater onsite from a single home or a cluster of homes, to effluent standards similar to those achieved by large centralized treatment plants. Highly treated wastewater can now be dispersed onsite using a conventional drain field or any one of the advanced technologies such as drip, spray, filter bed, evapo-transpiration bed, and greenhouse system, on land that is typically rejected for use of septic systems, i.e., on land that doesn’t perc. This book has three goals: introducing readers to advanced onsite wastewater systems technologies, suggesting regulatory and management frameworks for effective use of such technologies, and proposing vocabu- lary to better understand the benefits of such technologies. The advanced systems can meet demands for onsite wastewater management on two main fronts—new growth that is occurring in areas not served by central- ized collection and treatment plants (sewer systems), and existing homes and businesses with failing or inadequate septic systems. The advanced systems’ operations can be managed using monitoring devices that send signals to a central location, allowing a trained operator to ensure treatment performance of multiple systems by offering scheduled and emergency © 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC services. Centralized management of onsite systems is now a reality and a necessity for all onsite systems. The five management models proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offer a good frame- work for initiating a global movement to bring all onsite wastewater sys- tems into some form of recognizable management program so that their impact on public health and water quality can be measured and improved. Advanced onsite wastewater systems put more emphasis on treatment before discharge compared to conventional septic systems, thus requiring a higher degree of operational monitoring and ensuring measurable per- formance on a long-term basis. The onsite stakeholders are home and business owners, land developers, builders, planners, regulators, educa- tors, trainers, consultants, designers, engineers, manufacturers, and service providers. They are intimately familiar with the use of septic systems and soil and site issues related to the perc test. To them, this book offers a new vocabulary of terms such as pollution scale, treatment scale, wastewater treatability, treatment levels, overall treatment levels, treatment before and after discharge, soil and site credits, performance standards, and perfor- mance matrix. The new vocabulary will improve communication among the onsite stakeholders for discussing advanced onsite wastewater systems technologies. Advanced onsite systems should be viewed not just as an alternative to septic systems or centralized systems, but as an integral part of any waste- water infrastructure. Information in this book will complement the educa- tional and training efforts undertaken by national organizations such as NOWRA, NEHA, NAWT, NSF, ASAE, WEF, NSFC, and regional/state asso- ciations, representing interests of onsite stakeholders. Improved knowledge and understanding of this subject matter will allow millions of home and business owners to have better access to the advanced onsite wastewater systems to meet their current and future wastewater needs. Education and training of wastewater professionals must parallel regulatory reform in order to adequately justify the newly developed professionalism and responsibil- ities undertaken by the certified and licensed professionals. Regulatory pro- grams that were designed and developed for using conventional septic sys- tems are no longer valid as the technology, management, and overall understanding of advanced onsite systems develop. Thus, there is a need for thorough evaluation and restructuring of state and local regulatory pro- grams for onsite systems. This book offers suggestions on management and regulatory frameworks necessary for allowing the new generation of profes- sionals to offer their services using advanced onsite wastewater systems that are currently available in the market. Onsite systems must not be used as the tool for controlling growth in areas that are not served by centralized collection and treatment systems. Advanced onsite wastewater systems, just like technologies such as satellite television or wireless phone, neither require centralized networks of hard- ware nor special type of soil or site conditions for adequate onsite wastewater treatment and effluent dispersal. With the right regulatory attitude towards © 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC public health and water quality protection goals, and with the right attitude from the products and service providers, it is now possible for adequately trained and appropriately licensed onsite wastewater professionals to offer onsite wastewater services to home and business owners on a permanent basis. We would like to thank our friends, colleagues, and mentors in the wastewater technologies field who have contributed to moving away from status quo. We are thankful to our editor and publisher for the help and support they have provided. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our families for their patience, encouragement, love, and support during the entire process of getting this book ready for publication. Views expressed in this book are our own and they do not reflect views of our past, current, and future employers. Anish R. Jantrainia, Ph.D., P.E. Technical Services Engineer Virginia Department of Health Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A. Mark A. Gross, Ph.D., P.E. Professor University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S.A. anish@advancedonsitesystems.com mark@advancedonsitesystems.com © 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC Dedication We dedicate this book to our family members, friends, and peers who constantly provided much needed support and the push for starting this project and getting it to completion. © 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC About the Authors Anish R. Jantrania Anish R. Jantrania is a Technical Services Engineer at the Virginia Depart- ment of Health in the Onsite Sewage and Water Program. Prior to joining the state health department in 1996, he worked for two years as an Engi- neering Consultant for the city of Gloucester, Massachusetts on the first national onsite demonstration projects funded by the U.S. EPA. Before that he worked as a Technical Program Coordinator at the National Small Flows Clearinghouse for four years. He received his B.E. in Agricultural Engi- neering from the College of Technology and Agricultural Engineering, Udaipur, India in 1982, M.S. in Agricultural Engineering from the Ohio State University in 1985 and Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering with spe- cialization in Environmental Systems Engineering from Clemson Univer- sity in 1989. He has also received M.B.A. from West Virginia University in 1994 and is a registered professional engineer in Virginia, Massachusetts, and West Virginia. He has served on the board of directors for the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) and has served on the technical review committee for revising the U.S. EPA Onsite Design Manual and is currently serving on the NOWRA Model Performance Code primary committee and evaluation committee. Mark A. Gross Mark Gross is a professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He has a B.S. in Civil Engineering, M.S. in Civil Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Engineering. Dr. Gross has 20 years of experience in the decentralized wastewater field both as a teacher and as a designer. He has authored or co-authored over 75 articles in the field. His research is in the area of decentralized wastewater, currently working on phosphorus removal in soil-based systems. He maintains an active consulting practice in addition to his university duties, and is a registered professional engineer in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, and Virginia. [...]... 76,455, 211 24,670,877 1, 137,590 10 2,263,678 910 ,782 728,690 30,907 1, 670,379 14 4,905 59,886 27, 817 232,608 1, 348,836 282,897 27,697 1, 659,430 6 01, 188 382,467 17 , 012 1, 000,667 10 ,022,843 1, 092 ,17 4 67,865 11 ,18 2,882 1, 283 ,18 6 18 3, 817 10 ,346 1, 477,349 935,5 41 378,382 6,927 1, 320,850 212 ,793 74,5 41 2,585 289, 919 276,4 81 575 1, 433 278,489 4,499,793 1, 559 ,11 3 41, 356 6 ,10 0,262 1, 638,979 312 , 812 264, 618 3,885,689... 1, 090,4 81 467,936 387,406 532,844 13 5,3 71 117 ,460 60,508 246,692 15 ,595 10 , 415 33,037 23,989 37,832 48,289 7, 412 8,469 2,243 7 ,15 2 1, 8 91, 917 2,472, 711 3,847,926 1, 848,445 1, 010 ,423 2 ,19 9 ,12 9 3 61, 155 660,6 21 518 ,858 503,904 2,703,489 452,934 5, 716 , 917 1, 403,033 204,328 3,392,785 1, 028,594 835,545 3,670,338 293,9 01 357,890 16 1,068 1, 460,873 1, 365,632 66,479 940,943 367 ,19 7 349 ,12 2 1, 210 ,054 11 8, 410 13 ,9 31 18,056... 18 ,056 49 ,10 1 49,528 5,533 38, 217 10 ,708 8,900 57,748 2,2 61 3,075, 310 632,058 7,226,8 91 2, 818 ,19 3 276,340 4,3 71, 945 1, 406,499 1, 193,567 4,938 ,14 0 414 ,572 825,754 207,996 1, 213 ,934 5,690,550 528,864 11 5,2 01 1,740,787 1, 387,396 427,930 1, 440,024 15 1,004 578 ,12 9 78,435 7 81, 616 1, 266, 713 65,403 14 9 ,12 5 707,409 630,646 318 ,697 580,836 49,055 20,272 6,005 30, 517 51, 736 4 ,12 1 6,888 48 ,13 8 14 ,336 34,668 34, 914 3,352... Florida 4,447 ,10 0 626,932 5 ,13 0,632 2,673,400 33,8 71, 648 4,3 01, 2 61 3,405,565 783,600 572,059 15 ,982,378 1, 963, 711 260,978 2 ,18 9 ,18 9 1, 173,043 12 , 214 ,549 1, 808,037 1, 385,975 343,072 274,845 7,302,947 52, 419 .02 663,267.26 11 3,998.30 53 ,17 8.62 16 3,695.57 10 4,093.57 5,543.33 2,489.27 68.34 65,754.59 1, 675. 01 91, 316 .00 363.73 1, 110 .45 7,736.23 376.04 698.53 535. 71 6.94 11 ,827.77 50,744.00 5 71, 9 51. 26 11 3,634.57... 3,885,689 1, 525, 810 869,056 847,767 849,4 91 1,246,678 266,344 970,686 72,940 14 2,879 598 ,12 5 703,032 264,889 18 7,398 600 ,18 2 442,758 3 01, 373 28,753 4,058 5,830 22,4 61 17,204 9,724 8,947 57 ,17 2 26,805 19 ,328 2,638, 418 389, 810 413 ,327 4,506,275 2,246,046 1, 143,669 1, 044 ,11 2 1, 506,845 1, 716 ,2 41 587,045 1, 533,799 1, 803 ,17 6 2,724,408 1, 356,520 585 ,18 5 1, 617 ,996 218 ,372 534,692 456 ,10 7 250,060 342,523 659 ,12 0 1, 090,4 81. .. Island 8, 414 ,350 1, 819 ,046 18 ,976,457 8,049, 313 642,200 11 ,353 ,14 0 3,450,654 3,4 21, 399 12 ,2 81, 054 1, 048, 319 3, 310 ,275 780,579 7,679,307 3,523,944 289,677 4,783,0 51 1, 514 ,400 1, 452,709 5,249,750 439,837 8,7 21. 30 12 1,589.48 54,556.00 53, 818 . 51 70,699.79 44,824.90 69,898 .19 98,380.64 46,055.24 1, 545.05 1, 303.96 233.96 7,342.22 5 ,10 7.63 1, 723.86 3,876.53 1, 2 31. 13 2,383.85 1, 238.63 500 .12 7, 417 .34 12 1,355.53... 11 3,634.57 52,068 .17 15 5,959.34 10 3, 717 .53 4,844.80 1, 953.56 61. 40 53,926.82 Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine 8 ,18 6,453 1, 211 ,537 1, 293,953 12 , 419 ,293 6,080,485 2,926,324 2,688, 418 4,0 41, 769 4,468,976 1, 274,923 3,2 81, 737 460,542 527,824 4,885, 615 2,532, 319 1, 232, 511 1, 1 31, 200 1, 750,927 1, 847 ,18 1 6 51, 9 01 59,424.77 10 ,930.98 83,570.08 57, 914 .38 36, 417 .73 56,2 71. 55 82,276.84... 1, 235,786 2 ,14 5,283 2,6 21, 989 4,234,279 2,065,946 1, 1 61, 953 2,442, 017 412 ,633 722,668 827,457 547,024 12 ,406.68 10 ,554.57 96, 716 .11 86,938.87 48,430 .19 69,704. 31 147,042.40 77,353.73 11 0,560. 71 9,349.94 2,632.86 2, 714 .55 39, 912 .28 7,328.79 1, 523.24 818 .39 1, 489.96 4 81. 31 734. 71 3 81. 84 9,773.82 7,840.02 56,803.82 79, 610 .08 46,906.96 68,885.93 14 5,552.43 76,872. 41 109,825.99 8,968 .10 New Jersey New Mexico... 308 484 78 12 3 13 2 617 11 0 388 1, 604 1, 649 14 19, 14 8 10 8 220 1, 466 296 685 739 839 1, 102 573 306 540 602 608 2 ,17 0 425 1, 028 14 2 435 413 11 2 454 882 1, 044 11 0 4 41 803 748 2 81 375 970 2,005 808 1, 5 31 595 2,350 Figure 1. 1 Number of onsite systems (in thousands, approx) projections for 2 015 based on EPRI data way similar to the services offered by centralized collection and treatment systems To the regulators,... 2,904 ,19 2 2,4 51, 075 844,623 2,3 21, 144 223,854 32,020.20 77 ,11 6.49 42 ,14 3.27 268,580.82 84,898.83 9, 614 .26 42,774.20 71, 299.64 24,229.76 65,497.82 97, 813 .56 1, 910 .73 1, 2 31. 85 926 .15 6,783.70 2,755 .18 364.70 3 ,18 0 .13 4,755.58 15 2.03 11 ,18 7.72 713 .16 30 ,10 9.47 75,884.64 41, 217 .12 2 61, 797 .12 82 ,14 3.65 9,249.56 39,594.07 66,544.06 24,077.73 54, 310 .10 97 ,10 0.40 United States Population Source: U.S Census Bureau, . Data 4 41 110 375 230 803 14 2 435 413 11 2 454 1, 028 2,005 1, 466 1, 649 1, 102 1, 044 1, 5 31 2,350 2 ,17 0 1, 604 1, 050 425 808 970 882 839 14 19, 748 617 296 739 602 595 540 220 14 8 11 0 78308 12 3 388 306573 10 8 13 2 2 81 484 13 2 608 685 water. 232,608 A rizona 1, 348,836 282,897 27,697 1, 659,430 A rkansas 6 01, 188 382,467 17 , 012 1, 000,667 C alifornia 10 ,022,843 1, 092 ,17 4 67,865 11 ,18 2,882 C olorado 1, 283 ,18 6 18 3, 817 10 ,346 1, 477,349 C onnecticut. 3 01 , 373 19 , 328 587 , 045 Maryland 1 , 533 , 799 342 , 523 15 , 595 1 , 8 91 , 917 Massachusetts 1 , 803 , 17 6 659 , 12 0 10 , 415 2 , 472 , 711 Michigan 2 , 724 , 408 1 , 090 , 4 81 33 , 037