Page 58 - Green Builder Sept-Oct 2016

prevents adequate treatment. Nitrogen is hardly removed at all.
Over time, the soil’s treatment capacity diminishes as organic matter
builds up.
Sewers are one solution, albeit an expensive one. But many
suburban regions push back against sewer expansions, and not only
because of the cost. Some view them as a Trojan horse that will invite
growth and development. Other observers see similar dynamics at
play in suburban growth.
A second solution is to install better septic technology. Numerous
options are available, from units that serve a single household to
community systems. They are available, but not common. Florida,
for example, has three million septic systems—but only 17,000 with
advanced pollution-removal technology.
Cost, again, is an obstacle. Residents will pay more for these
systems, up to five times the cost of a basic septic tank. They are
also more complicated and expensive to maintain. States could help
with subsidies. Maryland, for example, collects fees from sewer
and septic users and earmarks a portion for installing nitrogen-
removing equipment on septic systems. The Bay Restoration Fund
Alternative
Septic System
Technologies
-¦¦ Nitrogen Reducers: Enhanced filters to remove nitrogen, such as
the Nitrex system (below), which remove 90 percent of nitrogen.
¦¦ Aerobic: These systems require no drain field, and waste is treated
with oxygen.
¦¦ Media Filters: Waste is treated by filtration followed by a
biochemical process. Media can be natural or synthetic.
¦¦ Mound: A “mound” of fill is installed as a soil-absorption system.
¦¦ Alternating Bed: Waste is treated in two or three alternating
drainage areas.
Groundwater Flow
Algae
No Algae NitrexTM PRB Below Ground
Algae (Installed August 2005)
Waquoit Evaluated by the Woods Hole Marine
Bay Biological Laboratory (MBL)
Fighting nitrogen. Nitrex groundwater nitrogen technology
was installed by Lombardo Associates, Inc. at two locations
in the Waquoit Bay watershed.
56 GREEN BUILDER September/October 2016
How to Protect Your
Septic System
It’s obvious when a home is experiencing issues
with its septic system, according to Leo Labuda,
manager of the septic rehabilitation replacement
program for the Catskill Watershed Corporation.
Common signs of septic problems include:
¦¦ sewage backup in the house,
¦¦ blackwater on the ground,
¦¦ algae growth,
¦¦ unpleasant odors.
But there are a number of ways for homeowners to avoid septic
problems and extend the life of their system.
Pump out the tank regularly. Labuda recommends every three to five
years, depending on the load.
Conserve water. Hydraulic failure is the most common reason for
system failure, and it’s caused simply by pumping too much water.
Check plumbing fixtures. If a toilet runs for a 24-hour period, it can
equal the household’s total daily water flow.
Redirect surface water from septic tanks. Make sure gutters don’t
lead to the septic field.
Don’t drive or use heavy machinery on the system. Most septic pipes
are only 1 to 2 feet underground.
had provided funds for 6,550 upgrades as of January.
The third option is decentralized, or clustered, systems. These are
an intermediate step in scale between household units and a central
wastewater treatment facility.
LAI, CHRIS WEIDMAN, JULY 2008 Clustered systems for neighborhoods are a “no-brainer,” according
to Valerie Nelson, director of Water Alliance, a nonprofit working
on alternative wastewater models. Some allow water to be recycled
for lawns and flower gardens. Others recover the waste for biogas
production or fertilizer, at a lower energy cost.
“More leading-edge people are trying to figure out how to respond
to other challenges — nutrients, energy, resource recovery,” Nelson
explained.
This type of thinking is often branded as One Water—uniting
drinking water, sewage and storm drains into a circular system.
These ideas are being embraced by the nation’s water utilities,
which are pursuing water reuse and waste-to-energy projects with
increasing frequency. The nation’s septic systems may be next
in line. GB
Brett Walton is a reporter at Circle of Blue, the news and science center
that reports on the competition between water, food and energy
globally. “America’s Septic System Failures Can Be Fixed” is the fifth
piece in a five-part series on septic infrastructure in the U.S.
Visit www.circleofblue.org for more information.
www.greenbuildermedia.com