SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
ANNUAL REPORT 2013
Decentralized Wastewater Program
Installation of a non-gravel system in North Carolina
Decentralized Wastewater
Management Program Highlights
"Adequately managed decentralized
wastewater treatment systems are a cost-
effective and long-term option for meeting
public health and water quality goals,
particularly in less densely populated
areas."
- EPA's 1997 Response to Congress on
Use of Decentralized Wastewater
Public Health Benefits:
Proper use of decentralized
systems mitigates the risk of
disease transmission and human
exposure to pathogens, which can
occur through drinking water,
surface water and shellfish bed
contamination.
Environmental Benefits:
Wastewater treatment removes
pollution from surface water,
recharges groundwaterand
replenishes aquifers.
Economic Benefits:
Decentralized wastewater
systems help communities reduce
large infrastructure and energy
costs involved in wastewater
collection and treatment.
More than one in five homes in the United
States is served by a decentralized
wastewater treatment system. These
systems collectively treat more than 4 billion
gallons of sewage every day.
EPA's Decentralized Program promotes the
proper management of septic systems and
other types of decentralized wastewater
treatment. Ongoing program features
include:
• A formal partnership with federal, state and
local government; academia; and industry
representatives to provide information for
local decision makers on the economic,
environmental and health benefits of using
onsite systems.
Tools to encourage appropriate design,
operation and maintenance of
decentralized systems for states, local
government, local service providers and
homeowners.
• EPA's Five Management Models
describe system management approaches.
These flexible models range widely in
scope from local regulatory agency support
for homeowner operation/maintenance
(e.g., through inventories and service
reminders) to programs that involve
maintenance contracts, operating permits,
and system operation by trained
professionals hired by a responsible
management entity.
The following pages elaborate on these
initiatives as well as the program's 2013
accomplishments.
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Annual Report 2013
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/septic/
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EPA has worked with communities in more than 25 states to demonstrate various
types of decentralized wastewater demonstration projects. Projects can demonstrate
decentralized technologies, management programs, or education and training.
Want to learn more?
Decentralized basics:
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/
septic/upload/MOU-lntro-Paper-
081712-pdf-Adobe-Acrobat-Pro.pdf
Economic benefits:
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/
septic/upload/MOU-Economics-
Paper-081712.pdf
Environmental benefits:
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/
septic/upload/MOU-Green-Paper-
081712-v2.pdf
Human health benefits:
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/
septic/upload/MOU-Public-Health-
Paper-081712.pdf
La Pine. Oregon - This project demon-
strates innovative nitrogen removal tech-
nologies in combination with understand-
ing ground water flow and nitrate fate and
transport assessment. The project also
offered assistance to the community in
developing local ordinances and a man-
agement program.
WAWTTAR: Cost-Estimating Program -
This tool, prepared by Humboldt State
University, assists with planning water
and wastewater treatment systems, in-
cluding those utilizing wastewater effluent
reuse. The cost-estimating program was
designed to be used at the pre-feasibility
step in facility planning or infrastructure
investment.
Ephesus. Virginia: Education and
Training This project develops and im-
plements an education and citizen training
model program for underserved communi-
ties. The goal is to improve septic system
knowledge among indigent people and
improve local health departments' aware-
ness of their wastewater needs.
Certified Installer of Onsite Wastewater
Treatment Systems - This credential pro-
gram is designed to test the knowledge,
skills and abilities needed for successful
installation of an onsite wastewater treat-
ment system. The National Environmental
Health Association has worked with vari-
ous partner groups to develop this nation-
al program to certify installers of onsite
wastewater treatment systems.
Collaborative
Partnerships
with the Public
and Private
Sectors
For more details, visit our Septic
Systems page at http://
water.epa.gov/infrastructure/
septic/.
Click on the "Partners" tab to see
a list of our partners.
Ground Water
1"^U -11'
•MTV
Protection Council
ATSDR
EPA and 16 organizations partner via a Memorandum of Understanding to improve
management and performance of decentralized systems. The MOU confirms the
commitment of EPA and its partner organizations to encourage proper management
of decentralized systems and increase collaboration among EPA, state and local
governments, and decentralized system practitioners and providers. Partnership
activities include:
• Use of EPA's Model Program for Onsite Management in the Chesapeake Bay
Watershed
• Webcasts about the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community
Development Block Grant for septic upgrade or replacement, and on the MOU
papers highlighting decentralized wastewater treatment system benefits
• SepticSmart Week, during which partners sent out materials to memberships via
social media, and published print and online articles
• Collaborating to support data sharing around technology verification for advanced
treatment systems
• Attendance at and contribution to partners' conferences
4»EPA
Decentralized Wastewater Program Annual Report 2013
EPA-832-R-140006
August 2014
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Annual Report 2013
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/septic/
Engaging in
Effective
Public
Outreach
In 2013, EPA launched SepticSmart Week to offer
simple tips to help homeowners maintain their septic
systems. These tips enable homeowners to extend
the life of their systems and avoid common causes of
failure.
Malfunctioning systems are currently the second
, greatest threat to groundwater quality in the United
States and can cost homeowners tens of thousands
of dollars to replace if not properly maintained.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
You can find the toolkit of outreach materials for
homeowners, local governments and other
stakeholders at www.epa.gov/septicsmart. A Tribal
guide is also available in PDF form.
SepticSmart Week 2014 is Sept. 22-26.
Septic Sam is the official
mascot of EPA's SepticSmart
program
Model Program to
Assist State
Septic Programs
in Managing
Water Quality
Impacts in the
Chesapeake Bay
Watershed
On June 28, 2013, EPA released a model program for onsite wastewater
treatment systems in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This program seeks
to improve water quality by helping states more effectively prevent nutrients
from entering the Bay from onsite or septic systems.
This is part of EPA's effort to collaborate with state and local partners to re-
duce nitrogen pollution from onsite systems. It also helps implement an ex-
ecutive order that President Obama signed in 2009 that recognized the
Chesapeake Bay as a national treasure. The order called on the federal
government to lead a renewed effort to restore and protect the nation's larg-
est estuary and its watershed.
Learn more about the executive order at http://
executiveorder. chesapeakebay. net/.
4»EPA
Decentralized Wastewater Program Annual Report 2013
EPA-832-R-140006
August 2014
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Annual Report 2013
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/septic/
Case Study: The Water Purification Center
In the spring of 1997, EPA responded to a request from Congress to assess the benefits, costs and
applicability of decentralized wastewater treatment technology and management as a means of ad-
dressing water quality problems. In a landmark report, "Response to Congress on Use of Decentral-
ized Wastewater Treatment Systems," EPA wrote that "[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."
The EPA report set the stage for a number of initiatives at the federal level to support advancements
in the field and provide guidance to state and local officials and experts. For example, in 1999, Con-
gress began funding a series of National Community Decentralized Wastewater Demonstration Pro-
jects, with 21 sites designated at funding levels ranging from $700,000 to $5.5 million. These
demonstration projects were intended to "jump start" technology transfer of improved treatment
methods and management approaches. They were selected to provide a diversity of climate, soils
and ecosystems while focusing on various aspects of innovative technology and management.
The Rodale Institute was selected as a site to demonstrate the effective use and treatment of water
resources, including rainwater collection for toilet and urinal flushing, and constructed-wetland treat-
ment of wastewater. EPA views this particular project, completed in 2013 and now referred to as the
Water Purification Eco-Center, as an important opportunity to educate diverse audiences, including
municipal officials, watershed management groups, interested individuals affiliated with the Rodale
Institute, and the general public about the benefits of decentralized wastewater treatment.
Diagram of the system. Photo courtesy of The Rodale Institute accessed from http://rodaleinstitute.org/our-work/water-purification-eco-center/.
For more information, please visit:
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/septic/
4»EPA
Decentralized Wastewater Program Annual Report 2013
EPA-832-R-140006
August 2014
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