| Of course, without maintenance, failures are more prevalent.
Failures not only reflect negatively on the system itself,
but also can have serious environmental repercussions, spread
disease and, contaminate sources of drinking water.
Nevertheless, many onsite systems stay buried beneath the
ground without much notice. Homeowners tend to flush and forget,
worrying about their system only when it fails. And numerous
states, counties, and districts have few or no regulations
requiring maintenance of onsite septic systems.
According to the US Census Bureau 2003 American Housing
Survey, more than 21 million households use septic tanks or
cesspools for sewage treatment. Also, according to the same
study, 339,000 of those onsite systems reported breakdowns
within the three months prior to the survey.
So what can be done to maintain these 21 million onsite
systems? And with housing construction booming, the number
of onsite systems being installed increases every day.
Inconsistent Regulations
"They are now building houses in places that God didn't
intend for goats to walk on," says David Reid, president
of KDR Septic Systems Inc. Over the past six years, Reid's
company has installed thousands of traditional onsite septic
systems in South Carolina. The infrastructure can't
keep up with the state's housing construction, Reid
says, and many homeowners are building houses in rural areas
where onsite systems are the only choice.
South Carolina code does not require management contracts
or districts to monitor or maintain onsite systems or individual
septic disposal systems.
"We have been trying to focus some attention on it,
because we believe that maintenance is the key issue to the
survival of the system regardless of the type," says
Reid. "To me, it is of the highest priority; I don't
think enough focus is placed on it in South Carolina."
The sanitary code is set at the state level in 48 states.
California and Michigan are the exceptions; they are regulated
at the county and local health department levels.
"Since there is no statewide sanitary code in Michigan,
O&M requirements vary from county to county," says
Mike Stephens, field technician for Stephens Consulting Services
(SCS) LLC, a company that performs maintenance on onsite systems
in a seven-county area in Michigan. This inconsistency across
jurisdictions is also one of the reasons SCS LLC was created
as a secondary company to SCS, P.C., a civil engineering firm
that designs wastewater systems for both single-family homes
and larger developments.
Lack of a continuing-education requirement for service providers
in Michigan is another problem, Stephens says. "So anybody
can put a sign on their truck and go out and perform maintenance."
And with the ever-changing technology in the wastewater industry,
this can certainly lead to problems.
Another problem in Michigan is the access to information
from local health departments. "If you get a service
call on Friday and you need to know what type of pump they
have and where the lines are, trying to get access to that
information can be difficult," Stephens explains. "Most
counties now require formal requests. So you have to submit
a request and they have up to five business days to respond
to it." In the meantime, while the paper trail is followed,
the homeowner is stuck with a failing system.
Maintenance Contracts
While some states are not mandating maintenance of onsite
septic systems, others are requiring maintenance contracts
for certain types of alternative systems. In Texas, for example,
ongoing maintenance contracts are required for systems that
use secondary treatment systems, nonstandard treatment systems,
drip irrigation, or surface application disposal. Georgia
code requires three-year maintenance contracts and an operation
and maintenance plan for aerobic treatment units (ATUs) designed
for 2,000 gallons per day or more, including a service visit
every six months during this period. Regulations require continued
monitoring and maintenance of ATUs after the initial three-year
period. The company must provide quarterly maintenance reports
to the Department and the county board of health.
For this reason among others, more and more manufacturers
of wastewater systems and products are offering maintenance
contracts with their products. Another reason is that in order
for residential wastewater treatment systems to obtain NSF/ANSI
Standard 40 approval, the price of the product must include
maintenance for the first two years. But perhaps the main
reason for the increase in companies offering maintenance
contracts is that failures reflect poorly on their products,
and it just makes good business sense.
Green Valley Environmental is a Canadian-based company that
offers maintenance on their products as well as other manufacturers'
onsite septic systems. The company installs aeration systems,
which have to be maintained under Canadian law. But this was
not always the case, explains Kaleb Lakew, Green Valley Environmental
design and project engineer: "Before maintenance was
mandatory, people had lost faith in aeration systems because
so many were failing. We had a hard time convincing inspectors
to accept this unit." Therefore, requiring maintenance
has helped improve the reputation of aeration systems.
 |
| Most maintenance is hands-on. |
Premier Tech Environment is another Canadian-based company.
This company manufactures, sells and maintains onsite wastewater
systems. One of its main products is the Ecoflo Biofilter,
a peat-based biofiltration system. The maintenance is offered
through a secondary company called PT aqua, or through another
authorized agent.
"When we decided to sell our product, we knew that
one of the problems that wastewater treatment systems faced
on the market was the lack of maintenance," says Michel
Lemieux, sales coordinator for North America Premier Tech
Environment. "So we decided to sell the product with
an eight-year maintenance contract included in the price."
When Ecoflo was in its design phase, researchers established
that the sphagnum peat moss filter would have an eight-year
active lifespan. When the filter is replaced, it comes with
another eight-year contract. To ensure the system is functioning
properly, annual maintenance includes a visual inspection
of all components and raking of the peat filter.
Lemieux reports that customers seem happy with the maintenance
contracts. "Some people felt it was a bit more expensive,
but most are happy because they have someone to take care
of their systems. We know that by offering the maintenance,
we have avoided a lot of problems, and it is better for the
homeowner because it is far more expensive if you have a system
that fails."
In Michigan, SCS LLC performs maintenance on 65 individual
home systems, 10 commercial systems, and five cluster systems.
In addition to maintenance contracts, the company offers remote
monitoring. With remote telemetry control panels connected
to a telephone line in the home, the company can monitor system
flow, pumps, switches, and alarms. Remote monitoring is typically
required with larger cluster systems.
Management Programs
With many companies now offering maintenance contracts with
their products and many states now requiring maintenance on
alternative systems, most traditional systems are left behind.
However, some communities are coming together to help manage
and maintain these systems. Often these communities have a
common interest such as protecting a coastal environment or
a body of water.
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| Even the "brains" needs attemtion. |
One example of this is the Block Island/Green Hill Pond
Watershed EPA Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Demonstration
Project, a four-year effort that began in 2000. This project
includes the Rhode Island towns of New Shoreham, Charlestown,
and South Kingstown. The main reason for this project is that
failing septic systems produced localized threats to Block
Island's aquifer. Outdated cesspools and failing septic
systems were the principal reasons for the presence of high
levels of bacteria in local wells and for shellfish closures
in the Green Hill Pond Watershed. In both locations, nitrogen
was an additional concern because of its health effects in
drinking water and overfertilization of coastal waters.
The project received a $3-million grant from the EPA to
repair, upgrade, or retrofit onsite wastewater systems; to
institute septic system standards, inspection and installation
procedures, and pump-out and repair requirements tailored
to each watershed; to develop monitoring procedures that measure
the impact of the upgraded systems on ground and surface water
quality; and to provide educational materials for local and
national audiences.
In Nags Head, NC, the town has implemented a Septic Health
Initiative Program to protect the water quality and educate
residents and tourists about the maintenance of septic systems.
The program also includes a septic tank inspection and pumping
program, which offers incentives for property owners to have
their tanks inspected and pumped. Property owners can have
their tanks inspected at no cost by a town-approved contractor.
Those who have their tanks pumped receive a $30 credit on
their water bills. Low-interest loans are available to homeowners
if the system has to be repaired or replaced. Although the
program is voluntary, most people have been receptive to the
incentives offered.
While these projects have been successful, that is not always
the case in other places, says Robert Lee, who was chief of
the municipal technology branch in the EPA's Office
of Wastewater Management for more than 30 years and now works
as the wastewater engineering and policy development manager
for the Loudoun County Health Department in Virginia. "What
I have found in places where onsite systems have been in existence
for a long time [is that] there is certainly a reluctance
of political will and the people's will to be forced
into something," Lee says. "Some may do it voluntary;
the politicians will say do it through education, do it through
gentle pushing, but we aren't going to cut a rule on
it."
Conclusion
In a perfect world, the solution for maintaining all onsite
wastewater systems could be summed up in this one paragraph.
First and foremost, there must be regulations and an entity
to enforce maintenance of all onsite systems in every state.
Education is also an important issue: Educating homeowners
about their system and educating those who maintain systems
to ensure that they are up-to-date on the latest technologies.
Of course, all of this is easier said than done, but it is
clear that proper maintenance is a key issue to consider when
it comes to the future of the onsite wastewater industry.
NIKKI STILES is a freelance writer
in Fairmont, WV.
OW - January/February 2006
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