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Laboratory
Federal
Guidelines
The USEPA has provided
clear and concise direction for the onsite wastewater treatment
industry and regulatory community. How to treat wastewater
from areas not served by centralized municipal plants has received an
increasing level of attention in recent years. These areas
use plants called Onsite or Decentralized
treatment systems, because the waste is not transported to a
central treatment facility. Treatment often takes place on
the site where the waste is generated. The USEPA has
reported that onsite systems can and
should be permanent solutions to wastewater treatment.
Perhaps the most prominent example of this is the USEPA Response
To Congress On Use Of Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems
published in 1997. This document was produced in response to
a formal request by the Congressional House Appropriations
Committee.
Highlights of the
USEPA summary are as follows:
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"Adequately
managed decentralized wastewater systems are a cost-effective
and long-term option for meeting public health and water
quality goals, particularly in less densely populated
areas."
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An area of concern
is "failing or obsolete wastewater systems in less
densely populated areas."
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There are many benefits of
decentralized systems, with cost-effectiveness being "a
primary consideration."
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There are several current
barriers to the expanded use of decentralized systems, these
barriers include: financial barriers, lack of knowledge,
public misperception, legislative and regulatory constraints,
lack of management programs, liability and engineering fees.
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The USEPA has ongoing and
planned activities to devote funding, education, technology,
demonstrations and program development efforts to help small
communities meet their wastewater needs by implementing
alternatives such as decentralized treatment systems.
As a follow up to the
Response to Congress, the USEPA published GUIDELINES FOR MANAGEMENT OF ONSITE/DECENTRALIZED
WASTEWATER SYSTEMS. This
document was finalized in March 2003 and establishes a framework for the use of onsite wastewater
treatment systems.
To download the
Response, Executive Summary or Guidelines, click on the appropriate
title in the right-hand column. To access these files on
the USEPA website, use the hyperlink
cfpub2.epa.gov/owm/septic/home.cfm. Then click on the
"Publications" section in the right-hand column. From there click
on the "Policy and Guidance Documents" section.
The USEPA has
published an update of their ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS
MANUAL. This publication, otherwise known as the
"Purple Manual," is a widely used reference for the
design and application of wastewater treatment technology.
Norweco is cited in the acknowledgements as making a significant
contribution to the development of this document. This
document can be found on the American Decentralized
Wastewater Association website, using the hyperlink
www.adwwa.org/news.htm
or directly on the USEPA website by using the hyperlink
www.epa.gov/nrmrl/pubs/625r00008/html/625R00008.htm.
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