Septic Systems Demonstration Projects
EPA invested over $35 million in more than 25 states for wastewater demonstration projects that highlight decentralized technologies, management programs, and education and training programs. These projects received funds through congressional appropriations and targeted a diverse array of communities to demonstrate decentralized technologies and management.
Community work supported by the program spans a full range from environmental assessments, establishment of treatment system performance requirements, and system design. It also includes installation, operation, maintenance, and monitoring. Links to the final report for some community projects are listed in the state-specific section.
EPA compiled a document with summaries of all of the demonstration grant projects:
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Compendium of Decentralized Wastewater Demonstration Grant Projects (pdf)
This compendium summarizes 18 community decentralized project grantee final reports, funded by congressional appropriations. Each summary includes project objectives, funding, technology, lessons learned and current statuses. The projects range in topics from installation of new advanced wastewater treatment systems, community-wide assessments, to green infrastructure and stormwater improvements.
State-specific Projects
Alabama
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Integration of Decentralized Wastewater Management Concepts Into an Urban “Centralized” Infrastructure in Mobile, Alabama (pdf)
In Mobile, Alabama, untreated wastewater is removed from overloaded municipal sewers (known as "sewer mining") for decentralized wastewater treatment and then reused to irrigate a city park. This project uses four different cluster decentralized technologies to determine performance and operational requirements. It demonstrates how decentralized alternatives can allow for the extension of overloaded municipal sewers. The Mobile Area Water and Sewer System’s management of these low-cost sewer and cluster treatment facilities has enabled planned growth in areas east of the city.
California
- Onsite Sewage Treatment in California and the Progression Toward Statewide Standards
This project promotes the adoption and implementation of a statewide decentralized wastewater management program in California through the development of a model Memorandum of Understanding between local and state agencies, guidelines and funding options for local sanitary surveys, and establishing a California onsite or decentralized systems website.
Florida
- Florida Department of Environmental Protection Onsite Sewage Programs Research Projects
This research program has many current and upcoming projects that look at how sewage treatment and disposal systems impact public health and the environment. -
Implementation of EPA Voluntary National Guidelines in Florida (pdf)
This project evaluated the potential to implement EPA's Voluntary Guidelines in three Florida counties, serving as a model for the rest of the state. - The Florida Keys Onsite Wastewater Nutrient Reduction System Demonstration Project
The water quality protection program identified nutrient loading from wastewater sources as one of the major water quality concerns in the Keys. This project evaluated the nutrient removal efficiency, reliability, consistency, operation and maintenance requirements and costs associated with onsite systems.
Georgia
- Decentralized Wastewater Management Project – Hall County, Georgia
This project demonstrates a decentralized approach in Lake Lanier, including management and technologies, in southeastern states, especially in Appalachia.
Kentucky
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Kentucky Straight Pipes Report: Harlan, Martin, and Bath Counties (pdf)
This project was initiated to select a community for a pilot project and identified Preston, KY for the wastewater demonstration project.
Massachusetts
- Waquoit Bay Watershed Ecological Risk Assessment
A watershed ecological risk assessment of Waquoit Bay, on the south coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, was performed for watershed managers to better understand the environmental effects of human activities. A nitrogen loading model was used to estimate the amount and sources of nitrogen entering the watershed. An estuarine loading model was used to estimate the nitrogen available for nuisance algae growth in shallow estuaries.
Michigan
- Alternative Waste Treatment Systems for Rural Lake Projects: Crystal Lake
Part of phase I of the National Onsite Demonstration Project. Benzie County, Michigan installed seven alternative and decentralized systems.
Missouri
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Table Rock Lake Water Quality Decentralized Wastewater Demonstration Project Final Technical Report (pdf)
This project in Table Rock Lake developed the legal framework for long-term operation and management of all advanced systems installed under this project and throughout the region. The project proposed modifications to the current Stone County ordinance to develop an onsite management district.
New Mexico
- Decentralized Wastewater Management Pena Blanca Case Study
Peña Blanca, New Mexico (pdf)
This project develops a legal framework, model regulations, and an implementation plan that can be used throughout New Mexico for decentralized wastewater projects. It includes model regulations for management districts, education and public involvement components, and ways to implement the management program in a community in New Mexico.
New York
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Skaneateles Lake, New York Demonstration Project Study Report (pdf)
This project demonstrates a watershed approach to onsite system management by coordinating the five townships and three counties comprising the Skaneateles Lake Watershed.
Oregon
- La Pine Nitrogen Removal Project Report
This project demonstrates innovative nitrogen removal technologies in La Pine, Oregon. By understanding ground water flow, nitrate fate and transport assessment it determines the appropriate development density through lot size optimization modeling.
Rhode Island
- Chepachet Village Decentralized Wastewater Demonstration Project Report
Five alternative technologies were installed as part of the Chepachet Village demonstration project. The demonstration systems range from 600 to 2,700 gallon per day (gpd) systems and serve various buildings including retail space, apartments, a private cottage, a restaurant, and a small commercial block with mixed retail and office building use. -
Final Summary Report: Block Island and Green Hill Pond Watershed Demonstration Project (pdf)
This project was a joint effort by three Rhode Island communities—New Shoreham, South Kingstown and Charlestown—in partnership with the University of Rhode Island’s Cooperative Extension Water Quality Program. The project established comprehensive local wastewater management programs in each community using a watershed approach with selective use of advanced treatment systems in high-risk areas to protect critical ground water supplies and sensitive coastal waters.
Vermont
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Warren, Vermont: A Different Approach For Managing Wastewater in Rural Villages Report (pdf)
This project created a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) to integrate field assessment data in Warren, VT. The decentralized wastewater needs assessment focused on maintaining existing suitable systems, identifying replacement system solutions as close to the wastewater generating property as possible, and establishing a community wastewater management program.
Virginia
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The National Model for Minority Education and Training Demonstration (NMMETD) Case Study (pdf)
This project consisted of developing and implementing an onsite wastewater treatment education and citizen training model program for minority and indigent people. The project improved decentralized (septic) system knowledge within the community and made local health departments aware of their wastewater needs.
Washington
- Nitrogen Removing Technologies for Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems
This project installed and monitored 14 new onsite systems that range from basic to advanced technology that were selected through a risk assessment process.
West Virginia
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Mud River Alternative Wastewater Demonstration Project Final Report (pdf)
Through extensive volunteer participation in sampling, this project identified contamination hot spots using fecal-source typing to distinguish onsite septic system inputs from wildlife and other sources. It developed an onsite wastewater treatment and management program to address contamination of the Mud River to preclude the need for a formal TMDL or provide a model for how onsite systems can be managed in the context of a TMDL.