201 '-2020Accomplishments
of the EPA Decentralized
Wastewater MOU Partnership

Prepared by the MOU Partnership for the
2020 Decentralized MOU Renewal Meeting

SEPTEMBER 2020

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Introduction and Background

In 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Program Strategy for the Decentralized Wastewater
Program to improve the performance of decentralized wastewater treatment systems. One of the components of the
Program Strategy is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between EPA and organizations involved in managing
decentralized wastewater systems. The MOU is intended to facilitate collaboration between EPA Headquarters, EPA
Regions, state and local governments, and national organizations representing wastewater management practitioners to
improve system performance.

The original MOU was signed on January 12, 2005, with eight partner organizations. It has since been renewed
four times: 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2017. The 2020 MOU renewal convenes 20 partners with EPA and is focused
on continuing to expand the ongoing collaborative relationships in the decentralized wastewater industry. It aims to
encourage proper decentralized system management and protect the nation's public health and water resources with an
emphasis on small, rural, and suburban communities.

This document highlights key accomplishments for the renewal period 2017-2020. The information has been provided by
members of the EPA Decentralized Wastewater MOU Partnership (the MOU Partnership). The document focuses on the
MOU Partnership's priorities to: (1) work with state and local government entities on outreach to homeowners with septic
systems, such as the annual homeowner awareness campaign, SepticSmart Week; (2) obtain accurate decentralized
system data nationally; (3) emphasize the growing decentralized system technologies; (4) leverage financial mechanisms
for homeowners with septic systems; and (5) promote education and training for the decentralized workforce.

2


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EPA Decentralized Program Accomplishments

Developed a Decentralized
Wastewater Program Strategic
Communications Guide, a multi-use tool

that outlines the partnership's communication goals,
targeted audiences, sample communication messages
and channels, engagement strategies, and materials
for effective outreach and evaluation, in August 2020.

Participated and presented the
Program at various state events

including Iowa and Virginia Qnsite Wastewater
conferences.

EPA HO
Decentralized Program



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State
Governments

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MOU Partner
Organization
Affiliates



Builders and
Engineers

Government
Associations,
Elected
Officials

Non-
Governmental
Oiganizations

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General Public and Homeowners

Attended events hosted by MOU

partners including National Environmental
Health Association (NEHA), Rural Community
Assistance Partnership (RCAP), Water Environment
Federation (WEF) Small Communities Committee,
and State Onsite Regulators Association (SORA)
Annual Meetings.

Awarded first place to Qingzhi Zhu,

Ph.D. , for winning the EPA Office of Research and
Development Advanced Nitrogen Sensor Challenge in
May 2020. (Photo courtesy of EPA)


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MOU Partnership Accomplishments

The MOU Partnership has sponsored nine webinars on industry lessons learned and current topics of
interest to the decentralized community. The presentations focused on advanced technologies, natural
disaster preparedness, effluent surface discharges, state regulatory frameworks, and more. The presenters
included wastewater experts, engineers, policy makers, university professors, and regulators. On average,
the webinars attracted more than 150 participants on each webinar.

The MOU Partnership's quarterly newsletter,
Tank Talk, was published 25 times in 2017-2020.
Tank Talk shares Partnership news, resources,
and events.

DECENTRALIZED WASTEWATER MOV PARTNERSHIP
BIMONTHLY VP DATE FOR PARTNERS
DECEMBER 2019

Tank Talk

SEPTICSMART WEEK

Summary Z019

The EPA Decunti alized Wastewater
Piugxain (ksigmtd a two-payu
Saptiefimart Wwfk M19 highlight flypr
The flypr it currently available on EPA'a
The team also produced
a PowerPoint presentation detailing all
of the 2013 SepUcSmai t Wwk activities.

This presentation is available upon
request

Save the Date Flyer and Seal Available

The dales for SepticSmait Weuk 2020
liave been set. The annual went will
be held September 11 18,2020. The
Decentralized Wastewater Program
released a Save the Date flyer and
updated SepticSmart seal. Both materials
are available on EFft's	here.

Distributed Systems Fact Sheet

The Water Environment Federation

(WEF) and the Water Research
Foundation (WJRF), in collaboration
with MOU par tner s. published a recent
fact slieel titled Distributed Systems
Overview The fact sheet explores the use
of distributed or decentralized systems

in rural and urban communities, and
explains economic, environmental, and
technical benefits. More information is
available here.

DO TOUR PART.
BE SEPTIC SMARTI

Next roll Partnership C all:

Dec. 4,2019, l:00ptn - 3:00pm EST

Save the Dale: Bab. S, 2020
Decentralised, MOU Webinar on EPA"*
Nitrogen Senior Challenge Winner

Call fox Abstracts (due Dee. fi)

flirt Annual Nrnipn'lnt Sftiura Bfilhitiwi
Conference

RCAP Sludge Handling and Disposal
Techniques Upcoming Webinax

The Rural Community Assitanee
Partnership (RCAP) is hosting a webinaT
Deo 13 at 1 00 - &30 pm ETon sludge
handling and disposal techniques
fat operator s. technical assistance
providers, and regulatory personnel. The
presenters, which include decentralized
wastewater experts, will explain various
technoloqies and processes employed in
the handling and disposal of wastewater
treatment sludge. More information is
available Ireta.

PARTNER EVENTS

National Rural Water Association
RwalWalei Rally
Feb. 3 8,2020, Washington, D.C

The Partnership accomplished actions
according to five priorities. Highlights of the
Accomplishments include:

Priority 1: Ensure septic systems are maintained
and functioning properly to protect water
quality and public health. The MOU Partnership led
three successful SepticSmart Weeks, an annual campaign
focused on educating homeowners and communities
on the proper care and maintenance of their septic
systems. With support from a steering group of partner
organizations, federal agencies, and state and local health
departments, each year, partners shared SepticSmart
Week messages and outreach materials on their websites,
newsletters and listservs, and social media platforms.
In addition, partners, state governors, and local health
departments issued SepticSmart Week proclamations to
declare their support. A total of 18 unique states issued
proclamations, with Idaho, Oregon, and Washington doing
so each year.

Do Your Part,
Be SepticSmart

To protect this home's
plumbing, please
keep grease, fats, and
harmful chemicals out
of the drain.

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Have a septic system?

Call your service provider to have
your septic system serviced today


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SUFFOLK COUNTY

PRESENTS

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TURN IN

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Steve BeUone

Dr. Christ optm J. CobUr

Endowed CJv*r of Coastal Ecology
and Cometvjfuon
Stony Brook University

KEYNOTE SPEAKER







Tuesday. September 17 1500 Stony Brook Road
8:00AM - 2:00PM Stony Brook, NY 11790
Stony Brook University

¦3 Keep It Clean!

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DON'T FLUSH:

W'aW

Medications' dhemicals

Online media and local events reached thousands of
homeowners. Utilizing the MOU Partners' SepticSmart
Week Social Media Guide, the program garnered, on
average, over 500 unique posts, generating an estimated
two million impressions on social media platforms such as,
Facebook, Twitter, Linkedln, and Instagram. There have
been dozens of training and education events, including
events sponsored or hosted by MOU partners. In 2020,
Suffolk County, New York, held "Turning the Tide" Water
Quality Summit at Stony Brook University to discuss
local water quality challenges. In addition, the Fairfax
County, Virginia, "Conversation" podcast dedicated an
episode to environmental health from properly maintained
septic systems.

In July 2020, the MOU Partnership published five videos
on SepticSmart Quick Tips. The videos cover topics of
water efficiency, drainfield protection, well testing, and
safeguarding home pipes and fixtures.

Priority 2: Obtain accurate, updated statistics
on decentralized system usage in the U.S. Led
by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
(ASTHO), with support from the National Environmental
Services Center (NESC), the MOU Partnership advanced,
obtained, and collected critical local-level data on
decentralized wastewater systems in the U.S.

Throughout 2020, ASTHO has analyzed data from their
Environmental Health Programs and Services Survey.

Results from the survey are guiding the creation of an
updated MOU Partnership fact sheet. In 2018, NESC
finalized the report "Onsite Wastewater Installation
Assessment," which examined state regulatory
authorities and tracked types of permits and repairs for
septic systems. A second report will be available later
this year.

EPA formally requested the U.S. Census to add a question
on septic system use to the American Community Survey
(ACS). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
also submitted a request for the question to be added.
Cognitive testing is scheduled to begin in 2020, and the
question could be added to the ACS in 2024.

	 5


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Priority 3: Expand opportunities to emphasize
decentralized wastewater system technologies.

Led by The Water Research Foundation (WRF) and the
Water Environment Federation (WEF), the organizations
published a fact sheet titled "Distributed Systems
Overview.'' The fact sheet covers rural and urban settings
for decentralized technologies, the potential benefits to
homeowners and the environment, and two case studies.
WRF and WEF are in the process of drafting follow up fact
sheets on decentralized wastewater technologies related
to water reuse, nutrient recovery, and water efficiency.

Priority 4: Leverage existing funding
mechanisms for decentralized systems, with

the support from the National Onsite Wastewater
Recycling Association (NOWRA), the MOU Partnership
has been examining existing funding mechanisms such
as the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and
community development financial institutions (CDFIs)
as options to finance septic systems. EPA and MOU
partners have been finalizing a guide titled "Financing
Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems: Pathways
to Success with the CWSRF," for states, municipalities,
and homeowners for financing systems through state
CWSRF program funds. The document provides a
path to guide local communities, organizations, and
states to successfully utilize CWSRF program funds for
decentralized wastewater projects in their state. Interviews
with state officials and CDFIs were conducted to prepare
the report, which will be released by early 2021.

EPA also began offering technical assistance to state
onsite wastewater programs in 2019, starting with
Alaska's onsite wastewater program to help them
brainstorm financing mechanisms that could best be
paired with the CWSRF. The second round of technical
assistance went to North Carolina, in 2020. Those
projects are currently ongoing.

In 2018, the MOU Partnership and the EPA Water
Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center worked
together to deliver the "Decentralized Wastewater
System Financing for Homeowners" learning module.
MOU partners played a pivotal role in providing input to
the design and content of the course.

Priority 5; Emphasize decentralized wastewater
treatment education. Led by EPA and MOU partner
NOWRA, the decentralized workforce steering group
engaged multidisciplinary experts within the industry to
better understand decentralized workforce needs.

EPA held two listening sessions as part of the 2018 Onsite
Mega Conference to kick start these discussions, and
to hear from industry experts, on the range of workforce
challenges for the decentralized industry. Following these
listening sessions, EPA formed a steering group to plan
a national meeting focused on identifying solutions to
increase workforce training and advance decentralized
education in community colleges and universities. The
steering group, comprised of academic and industry
experts, and MOU partners, was instrumental in developing
the meeting approach, scoping the discussion topics, and
refining research materials on the range of decentralized
wastewater systems, job types, and competencies.

The steering group met in February, April, and June 2019,
and in person at the National Decentralized Wastewater
Workforce Meeting held July 9, 2019, in Nashville,

Tennessee, preceding the National Environmental Health
Association's Annual Education Conference. The meeting
identified priority areas and helped develop an action
strategy based on meeting discussions. The steering group
continued to work on this priority in the development of two
reports noted as first steps in the action strategy: (1) A report
defining the career pathways in the decentralized wastewater
field, including occupational profiles for each career and
job growth patterns or projections, and (2) a decentralized
workforce landscape assessment on education and training,
which aims to provide an analysis on the credentialing,
certification, and licensing aspect of decentralized careers,
and offers case studies on a few states that have successful
frameworks for education and training. Both reports are
anticipated to be released by early 2021.


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Individual MOU Partner Accomplishments

National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) Onsite Mega Conference - nowra
organized and hosted three annual Onsite Wastewater Mega-Conferences with over 1,400 attendees and 155 hours of
continuing education offered. These conferences were co-sponsored with the local state affiliate chapter of NOWRA,
the State Onsite Regulators Association (SORA) and the National Association of Wastewater Technicians (NAWT).
The conferences gather thought leaders from around the nation to offer a national perspective on onsite wastewater
issues, provide a forum for disseminating important research and other critical industry information, strengthen
relationships with state onsite associations, and provide an opportunity for the three primary associations, which
focus exclusively on onsite wastewater issues, to collaborate on topics of common concern.

National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) and Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) Private Drinking Well Efforts - The CDC National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)
works to address sources of contamination that affect private drinking water, including onsite wastewater systems.
As part of this work, NCEH partnered with NEHA and others to establish a Private Water Network and encouraged
members of the network to address and raise concerns with decentralized wastewater systems.

Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) Technical Assistance, Webinars, and
Workshops - RCAP, through its network of six regional partner organizations, has provided technical assistance
through 23 decentralized or onsite system projects and 34 training events throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the
U.S. Virgin Islands. Several webinars have been conducted on wastewater system topics reaching a large audience.
The three webinars specifically focused on decentralized system operations and maintenance, septic systems 101,
and decentralized system case-studies were attended by hundreds of individuals and follow-up questions were
addressed by regional technical assistance providers, University of Illinois Water Operator staff, and National
RCAP staff.

Lowndes County, Alabama, Collaboration - The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical
Officials (IAPM0) joined with plumbing industry stakeholders to install decentralized wastewater systems in
disadvantaged communities on the Navajo Nation and in Lowndes County, Alabama, bringing life-changing access to
sanitation to a number of households in need. Additionally, IAPM0 published a new, international standard for non-
sewered sanitation systems as an American National Standard and a National Standard of Canada paving the way for
new, innovative technology to be utilized in the decentralized wastewater sector.

National Association of Wastewater Technicians (NAWT) Trainings - nawt developed a virtual training
platform to continue to provide training for wastewater technicians during the pandemic in light of the restrictions
regarding public gatherings. This included the development of online training course exams, which resulted in
continued training solutions and streamlined program operations.

Workplan Priorities for 2020-2023

The MOU Partnership will continue to work collaboratively to improve the
overall performance and management of decentralized systems in line with
the five priorities featured in this handout. The partnership welcomes new
members: DigDeep, Indian Health Service, and US Water Alliance.


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