October 7 2010 Strategic Wastewater Infrastructure Practices for Rural Areas Planning for Wastewater Needs 2 Will significantly affect regions character and growth Density and location of development ID: 642722
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Melissa KramerU.S. EPA Office of Sustainable Communities October 7, 2010
Strategic Wastewater Infrastructure Practices for Rural AreasSlide2
Planning for Wastewater Needs2
Will significantly affect region’s character and growth
Density and location of developmentAvailability of uninterrupted natural and agricultural areas
Health of the watershed Rural communities are best served by a menu of options No one solution will be appropriate for allUnderstanding the relationship between wastewater infrastructure and the shape of community growth will help communities to make better choices.Slide3
Conventional Onsite (Septic) Systems
3Siting
needs usually lead to low-density developmentMany older systems responsible for nutrient and microbial contamination of ground and surface water, including drinking water supplies. Cluster systems (shared or community systems) tend to lead to more compactly spaced buildings but can also enable tiny pockets of residential housing
The Clean Watersheds Needs Survey 2004 Report to Congress estimated that $3 billion is needed to address failing onsite/decentralized wastewater treatment systems.Slide4
Advanced Treatment Systems4
Enable more compact land uses
Can achieve wastewater treatment levels comparable to centralized sewerage, including removal of nutrientsHowever, for better or for worse, can open up areas to development that were previously considered unbuildable using conventional treatment. Slide5
Centralized Sewerage5
Enables the densest land uses
Has also enabled and even encouraged development in rural areas regardless of whether it is located in an area that is appropriate for additional growth Need additional ratepayers to support the cost of the system
Many communities driven to rezone the areaDevelopers attracted to areas with wastewater infrastructureMay improve water quality by replacing failing septic systems, but improvements may be offset by new pollution problems due to sprawlSlide6
What to do?6
Carefully consider community development and water quality goals
for the entire watershed. Lot-by-lot or neighborhood-by-neighborhood decisions Ignore incremental and cumulative effects
Give developers more control over community growth than the municipality itselfCan change the character of the community, increase costs for wastewater management, and degrade the watershed. Rural communities can protect water quality without sacrificing other worthy goals, such as maintaining rural character or promoting thriving town centers. Slide7
Plan for Wastewater Infrastructure Needs
7
Carefully consider ramifications of using wastewater treatment regulations as a planning toolOften restricts options that would be compatible with overall development goals. Maximum flexibility generally needed for difficult sites
Undesirable development patterns can occur with all technologyAddress needs on a regional basis in connection with comprehensive land use planningIdentify where existing infrastructure has excess capacity
Delineate areas where public infrastructure will be provided and areas where it will not
Consider
cumulative
impacts on water quality and water rechargeSlide8
Maintain Existing Decentralized Systems
8A program to actively manage decentralized wastewater treatment systems allows communities to maintain them as a viable choice
Components of successful models Inventory of existing systemsPublic education
Inspection and maintenance requirementMunicipal responsibility and controlFunded by service fees from users of decentralized systemsIf the costs of proper maintenance are not fully accounted for
Decentralized systems encouraged in areas that would be better served by centralized sewerage.
The municipality ultimately bears the cost of system upgradesSlide9
Install New Decentralized Systems
9Advantages of decentralized systems
with advanced technology More compatible with compact land use patternsCan service single lots, multi-lots, or even villages
Treatment can be comparable to a centralized system with lower capital and operations costsEnable additional development in areas without sewerage or the ability to support the nutrient loads from conventional onsite systemsRecharge groundwater and maintain stream flows
Regular maintenance required: communities should have a management program for all decentralized wastewater treatment systems
A performance standard can preserve water quality
Consider desired land use patterns, current water quality impairments, and projected population growth
A performance standard that effectively prohibits new conventional onsite systems may be warrantedSlide10
Expand or Install Centralized Wastewater Treatment Systems
10
Centralized systems will be the best wastewater treatment solution for some rural communitiesBut consider the long-term implications Is the area planned for higher-density development?
Will the new ratepayers be able to pay for installation and maintenance, including eventual replacement? Will the new ratepayers come from outside the region or from the central core?
Target such infrastructure to existing communities and planned growth areas established regionally based on investments in transit, housing, and jobsSlide11
Modest Adjustments11
Align water infrastructure investments with other public investments
Establish a decentralized wastewater treatment system management program (responsible management entity)Develop a comprehensive land use plan that can guide decisions about appropriate wastewater treatment options
Deny applications for new conventional onsite systems that are inconsistent with local water quality goals and/or land use plansE
stablish a process to approve new treatment technologies without lengthy variance procedures.
Require developers to finance all system construction costs.
Es
tablish criteria for determining when centralized sewerage expansion is appropriateSlide12
Major Modifications12
If necessary, support state enabling legislation to grant municipalities authority to adopt local wastewater management programs
Right to establish wastewater management districts and zoning regulationsRight to enter private property for inspections
Ability to order the maintenance of a systemAbility to levy fines and assess feesRequire long-term financial maintenance plans for any new decentralized systems
Establish a performance bond or escrow account for future operation and maintenance costs
Authorize the use of Clean Water State Revolving Fund dollars for decentralized wastewater treatment. Require that a municipal management program cover decentralized systems funded through the CWSRF. Slide13
Wholesale Adjustments13
Establish a mechanism for regional planning of wastewater infrastructure that can overcome fragmentation of system ownership, operation, and regulation across political boundaries
Delineate specific growth areas where compact development may be located; associate with the transfer of development rightsSlide14
Practice Pointers14
Base implementation decisions on overall water quality, public health, and land use goals irrespective of whether the municipality or a private developer is funding the project infrastructure
Ensure that sufficient capacity reserved in treatment plants to accommodate and direct normal growth to built-up areas
Price services to reflect the full cost of building, operating, and maintaining the system regardless of the type of system usedSlide15
Additional Information15
National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association.
Model Code Framework for the Decentralized Wastewater Infrastructure. http://www.modelcode.org/publications.html. 2007.
U.S. EPA Voluntary National Guidelines for Management of Onsite and Clustered (Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems. http://www.epa.gov/owm/septic/pubs/septic_guidelines.pdf
. 2003.
U.S. EPA.
Protecting Water Resources with Smart Growth
.
http://www.epa.gov/dced/pdf/waterresources_with_sg.pdf
. 2004.
U.S. EPA
Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems: A Program Strategy
.
http://www.epa.gov/owm/septic/pubs/septic_program_strategy.pdf
. 2005.
kramer.melissa@epa.gov
202-564-8497