Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

1. The NE 1545 meeting began at 2:30 pm. Ten individuals, representing seven institutions, attended the meeting (see table below for list of attendees; member institutions indicated with an “*”, remote participants marked with an “¯”).  Each member institution delivered an update of NE 1545 related activities for the reporting year October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019.  Accomplishments from these research and outreach activities are noted in the Accomplishment section of this report.

2. Brief summary of the meeting presentations and discusison:

• Matt Ricker from NC State University discussed first steps accomplished since joining NE1545 in summer 2019. They’ve hired a non-thesis Master’s student to work on a project to understand spatial relationships among existing on-site systems, soil types, and coastal zone flooding. Other ongoing research at NCSU includes evaluating saprolite effectiveness in removing pathogens from wastewater. Matt reported some challenges to onsite program, including lack of funding and discontinuation of tenure-track faculty and extension positions to support onsite programs. NC state group is interested in exploring how systems are affected during/after flood events, how coastal plain systems are likely to be affected by sea level rise and saltwater intrusion. Additionally, the group is interested in understanding how current system types perform in the shallow soils of the NC mountain/piedmont region, and what alternative (and economical) systems might be developed for these areas.
• Younsuk Dong from Michigan State University gave an overview of a research project assessing land treatment of food processing wastewater. He also presented research from a project assessing a low-cost gravel filter wastewater treatment system for small wineries. The group at MSU is also using a HYDRUS constructed wetland 2D model to simulate land treatment of wastewater. The group has identified some challenges in Michigan’s design criteria for land-applied wastewater, that do not account for site or wastewater-specific variables. They are hoping that modeling can be offer a viable alternative to field experiments to inform and update criteria, though the limited available data and difficulty calibrating models makes this challenging.
• Mussie Habteselassie from the University of Georgia informed the group about research efforts, including the evaluation of nutrient and bacteria transport from shoreline OWTS to Lake Lanier in GA. The cooperative extension at UGA have also worked to improve their onsite field demonstration infrastructure, and created cross-section shadowboxes to illustrate how different drainfield technologies are designed to function for training purposes. UGA is interested in mapping septic systems in sensitive areas across GA, and monitor water quality and assessing impacts of OWTS in Pike County, GA.
• Jose Amador, Alissa Cox, Bianca Ross and Sara Wigginton presented accomplishments from the University of Rhode Island for the past year. Jennifer Cooper described a recent publication that describes the effect of water-filled pore space on greenhouse gas emissions in soils treating wastewater. Bianca described research that shows that a photometer is a cost-effective and practical method of assessing total N concentrations of effluent in the field. In addition, she informed the group about her research about the N removal treatment performance of proprietary technologies. Alissa discussed research on sea level rise and changes in groundwater tables in coastal communities, and how these are affecting septic system drainfields. She also discussed some modeling efforts aimed at predicting damage to systems after different magnitudes of storm events. Sara Wigginton described research efforts aimed at understanding the performance of a passive layered soil treatment area designed to remove nitrogen. Jose reported on using IRIS (indicator of redox in soils) rods painted with manganese oxide in septic systems for assessing reducing conditions similar to those required for denitrification to occur. Additionally, the cooperative extension outreach arm of URI described a new course developed to share recent research findings with professionals and stakeholders in the onsite wastewater community.
• Brad Lee from the University of Kentucky described some of the research efforts underway in KY, and mentioned that there is a lot of interest in developing the onsite infrastructure in Appalachia, which is characterized by soils generally considered “poorly suitable” for septic systems.
• Finally, the group discussed whether to submit a proposal for a NE 2045 Multi-state onsite wastewater system project, and what the focus should be. A few ideas were discussed, and plans were made to collect more feedback from the wider NE 1545 community before committing to next steps.

3. The meeting concluded at 5:45 pm.

Project Objective 1 - Improve our understanding of the interactions among wastewater, soils, and climate variables

Ohio State University (OSU)

Reuse of reclaimed wastewater through onsite spray irrigation. Research on winter reuse of reclaimed wastewater was conducted in Ohio. Issues evaluated were impact on plants, equipment protection, pathogen control, and pollutant runoff potential from cold soil. A new wastewater irrigation demonstration system was installed for a farm house on an Ohio Farm Bureau demonstration farm in the western Lake Erie watershed.  The onsite spray system replaces direct discharge of septic tank effluent from the century old farmhouse. 

Treatment of high salt content wastewater. Salt levels in wastewater become an issue from food processors that use salt for curing or pickling.  With fresh water scarcity, the use of high salt-content water for toilet flushing is also an option. Research is looking at the impact of salt on wastewater treatment using sand bioreactors.

Research on using reverse osmosis to remove salt and nutrients from treated food processing wastewater was conducted.  The overall objective was to analyze the effectiveness of nutrient removal from wastewater effluent by membranes. The focus was on analyzing the relationship comparing wastewater strength with membrane fouling rates and pollutant removal efficiencies. A lab-scale reverse osmosis system was set up with pressure capabilities of up to 1000 psi. Four flat-sheet membranes were run for varying effluent quality conditions to observe effective removal of salt, inorganic nutrients, and turbidity. Two membranes were run at 400psi and two were run at 800psi. Sand bioreactor effluents and activated sludge effluents were tested with and without the addition of salt with DI water used as a control. Membranes tested at 800 psi had greater and more consistent removal rates. The most efficient membrane shows removals in all categories of at least 85%.

North Carolina State University (NCSU)

Understanding spatial relationships among existing on-site systems, soil types, and coastal zone flooding. Millions of people live in coastal regions of the eastern United States, and many of them rely on on-site wastewater treatment systems to effectively treat wastewater and protect water quality. The functionality of on-site systems can be adversely affected by predicted coastal climate change via increased flooding, salinization of soils, and rising ground water tables. Our research will quantify the location of existing on-site systems in North Carolina and allow for prediction of climate change impacts to these systems.

We have begun to identify potential research sites by county in coastal North Carolina. We have identified 17 possible counties to work with that have available GIS data for our research analyses. These counties have a combined total estimated 2017 population of 901,843. We have gathered necessary GIS data for advanced geospatial analyses (including available ground water table heights, salinity data, soil survey units, county parcels, LiDAR, etc.). We have hired a non-thesis master of soil science (MR) student to begin the GIS analyses to correlate risk of flooding, salinization, and ground water rise to existing on-site systems in a subset of these identified counties. The GIS analyses will be completed by the summer of 2020.

University of Rhode Island

Assessment of Non-proprietary Passive Nitrogen Removal Septic Systems.  In collaboration with partners in Massachusetts (MASSTC), we are conducting experiments to test the nitrogen removal potential of layered soil treatment areas (STA). These leaching systems increase sequential nitrification (in a sand layer) and denitrification (in a sand layer mixed with sawdust) as septic tank effluent percolates through to groundwater. We are monitoring three residential layered systems for (1) N removal (2) microorganisms involved in N transformations, and (3) greenhouse gas emissions. All STA were constructed with a control (conventional) STA beside them filled only with sand and receiving the same wastewater; this design allowed us to make comparisons with a STA like those currently installed in Massachusetts. We collected monthly subsurface greenhouse gas concentrations from this site from May 2018-July 2019. During the reporting period we collected greenhouse gas emission data from each site during the spring and summer of 2019; during these sampling events we also collected four soil cores (2 control and 2 layered STA) at each site.

Analysis of the final effluent nitrogen removing performance data indicates that the layered STA meet state N regulations in 80% of samples collected, compared to 20% of control samples. We observed no significant differences between greenhouse gas emissions from the layered and control STAs. The microbial community DNA extracts for initial media material, native soil, and all sampling events have been performed. During the reporting period, we completed all the lab analyses necessary for this part of the project and are currently performing data analysis.

Groundwater tables in near-shore areas compromising separation distance for majority of coastal septic systems. We concluded research efforts investigating how groundwater tables along the southern RI coast are impacting drainfield separation distance (the distance from the drainfield’s infiltrative surface to the groundwater table) in near-shore areas. Using long-term groundwater monitoring wells, coupled with ground-penetrating radar surveys of 10 different drainfields, we determined that 20% had adequate separation distance throughout the year, while 50% had inadequate separation distance at least some of the time, and 30% never had adequate separation distance. At one site, during a small coastal storm event, the water table reached the infiltrative surface of the drainfield. These findings corroborate research performed by URI on historic near-shore groundwater tables, which indicated that over time, groundwater tables appear to be rising. Next steps are to share this information with regulatory agencies to inform a discussion on improving the regulation-specified method of groundwater table elevation determination, as current methods are not accurate in near-shore areas. The methods we used for our analyses could be applied to many coastal communities in the US and abroad, and present an important consideration for the sustainability of coastal communities and their adaptation to climate change.

Impact of soil water-filled pore space on greenhouse gas emissions.  Microbial removal of C and N in soil-based wastewater treatment involves emission of CO2, CH4, N2O, and N2 to the atmosphere. Water-filled pore space (WFPS) can exert an important control on microbial production and consumption of these gases. We examined the impact of WFPS on emissions of CO2, CH4, N2O, and N2 in soil microcosms receiving septic tank effluent (STE) or effluent from a single-pass sand filter (SFE), with deionized-distilled (DW) water as a control.

Incubation of B and C horizon soil for 1 h (the residence time of wastewater in 1 cm of soil) with DW produced the lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which varied little with WFPS. In B and C horizon soil amended with SFE emissions of N2O increased linearly with increasing WFPS. Emissions of CO2 from soil amended with STE peaked at WFPS of 0.5–0.8, depending on the soil horizon, whereas in soil amended with SFE, the CO2 flux was detectable only in B horizon soil, where it increased with increasing WFPS. Methane emissions were detectable only for STE, with flux increasing linearly with WFPS in C horizon soil, but no clear pattern was observed with WFPS for B horizon soil. Emissions of GHG from soil were not constrained by the lack of organic C availability in SFE, or by the absence of NO3 availability in STE, and addition of acetate or NO3 resulted in lower emissions in a number of instances. Emission of 15N2 and 15N2O from 15NH4 took place within an hour of contact with soil, and production of 15N2 was much higher than 15N2O. 15N2 emissions were greatest at the lowest WFPS value and diminished markedly as WFPS increased, regardless of water type and soil texture. Our results suggest that the fluxes of CO2, CH4, N2O, and N2 respond differently to WFPS, depending on water type and soil texture.

Project Objective 2 – Identify the biogeochemical and physical processes that control contaminant removal from wastewater and how these are impacted by climate variability and climate change

University of Georgia (UGA)

Evaluation of nutrient and bacteria transport from shoreline OWTS to Lake Lanier in GA. We are starting a study to determine if shoreline OWTS on Lake Lanier, the drinking water source for much of Metro Atlanta, are contributing N, P, or E. coli to the lake. The project is funded by the Gwinnett County Water Resources Department which uses Lake Lanier as the source for all its drinking water. We have installed groundwater wells along the shoreline at 7 home sites that vary in age of system, distance from the drainfield to the lake, and annual water use. The wells have been sampled monthly. In addition, we have installed 5 check-dams and weirs with automated samplers in convergent flow areas to sample stormwater runoff. We will also install wells and a runoff station at a control site with no development. We have developed a HYDRUS hillslope model that accurately predicts the Cl and N concentrations at one of the home sites. Georgia Tech is a partner in the study and will be doing lake sampling in the coves with OWTS and in the control cove. The project will run for 1 year starting in November 2019. Preliminary results from 6 of the home sites indicate nitrate may be in the 4 to 6 mg/L range at homes with distances less than about 70 m. Concentrations of total P are below 0.1 mg/L and we have found no evidence of E. coli.

Michigan State University (MSU)

Land treatment of food processing wastewater can irrigate a crop, provide nutrients, recharge aquifers, reduce energy use, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and save resources. However, when excessive carbon is land applied, the soil becomes anaerobic and several metals become mobile when reduced. Although aerobic conditions prevent metal mobilization, denitrification is inhibited under this condition. Critical for land application is pretreatment and strategic organic and hydraulic loadings to maximize efficient waste management and minimize environmental impacts. A long-term field study continues and includes direct soil oxygen and moisture monitoring using remote sensors to ensure aerobic conditions. Finite element modeling using Hydrus Constructed Wetland 2D is being conducted and is demonstrating the potential to simulate land application of wastewater under numerous scenarios.  Calibration and verification studies are ongoing. The outcome is a change in action and condition in that careful operations and design allow food processors to continue using land application.

Many Michigan wineries use land application for wastewater management, but new regulatory recommendations require more land so a compact alternative is desirable to prevent the loss of vineyard space to wastewater treatment area. To reduce treatment area, gravel bed vertical flow constructed wetlands (GBVFCWs) were studied to remove high concentrations of BOD and nitrogen from winery wastewater. The GBVFCWs consist of three subsurface gravel cells connected in series that utilize aerobic and anoxic conditions to promote biological degradation. A bench-scale GBVFCW was constructed and operated. At 68°F and at various loading frequencies, the GBVFCW removed an average of 99% COD, 62% nitrate, 94% total nitrogen, and ammonia to levels below detection limits. Nearly all treatment occurred within the first cell, indicating that aerobic and anoxic environments were present within the cell. A HYDRUS Constructed Wetland 2D model is being evaluated for its potential use in this application. Based on this research, GBVFCWs are a compact and effective option for winery wastewater treatment.

Additionally, onsite application of wastewater, as compared to treatment in a traditional activated sludge processes, reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Reductions are achieved by not using energy for wastewater aeration, carbon dioxide uptake by the plants grown when using the wastewater, and reduced production of industrial nutrients for the crops.

University of Minnesota (UMN)

Working with MnDOT, OSTP is evaluating water tables and groundwater mounding at 25 existing systems with automated water level recorders between early April through mid-November.   This data is being used to evaluating what level of vertical separation to a periodically saturated condition is maintained at each of these sites; and does the groundwater below these systems mound up either during high wastewater discharge times or wet climatic periods.

Chemicals of emerging concern (CEC) sampling is occurring at four highway safety rest areas and a land application site to determine design parameters affecting treatment.  Samples were collected prior to soil treatment, in the soil itself beneath the systems and in monitoring wells and evaluated for CECs.   The water samples were also analyzed for general wastewater contaminants.  A year one report was prepared.  The work will continue for 3 more years.

The soil treatment areas (STA) from one highway rest area was sampled and analyzed to determine the soil microbial populations (metagenomics) using next generation (DNA) sequencing.  The goal is to compare STA microbiology, natural soil microbiology after the system has been in operation for one year, and then at year two after pretreatment is added.

High chloride levels in surface waters and groundwater are an emerging concern in Minnesota, as they can negatively impact aquatic and plant life. Work continues to evaluate at the watershed scale the chloride sources and potential reduction from different sources.

University of Rhode Island (URI)

Assessment of advanced nitrogen-removal onsite wastewater treatment systems in Charlestown, RI Advanced N-removal OWTS are designed to facilitate nitrification and denitrification of wastewater before final effluent is applied to the soil treatment area and percolates to the groundwater.  In this study, we selected 48 advanced N-removal OWTS in the town of Charlestown, Rhode Island to determine the capacity of 6 different N-removal OWTS technologies (Orenco Advantex AX20, Orenco Advantex RX30, BioMicrobics MicroFAST, and Norweco Singulair Models TNT, 960, and DN) to meet the RI Dept. of Environmental Management’s standard for final effluent total N (TN) concentration of 19 if seasonal systems require any microbial “ramp-up” time before they are capable of N removal.  The year-round systems are sampled quarterly and the seasonal systems are sampled four times (monthly) over the summer (June through September) occupancy period.

Thus far, we have found that home occupancy pattern does not influence TN concentrations in the final effluent.  Contrary to our initial beliefs, there does not appear to be any sort of microbial ramp-up time mg/L or less.  Twenty-one of the systems serve houses occupied year-round, while 27 serve seasonally-occupied houses.  Investigating the impact of home occupancy pattern on effluent TN will allow us to assess associated with seasonally-used systems.  However, technology type does significantly influence effluent ammonium and TN concentration; it does not influence nitrate concentrations.  Specifically, Norweco systems reported higher NH₄⁺ and TN concentrations than all other technologies.  This, in combination with the significantly higher alkalinity and BOD₅ values reported by Norweco systems, suggests that Norweco systems are not nitrifying sufficiently.  Sixty-four percent of AX20 systems, 44% of RX30s, 100% of FASTs, and 0% of Norweco systems have final effluent median TN values less than RIDEM’s standard of 19 mg/L. 

Using IRIS tubes as an indicator of denitrification.  Advanced onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) and soil treatment areas are used to remove nitrogen from wastewater. These systems rely on sequential nitrification and denitrification to remove nitrogen in gaseous forms: N2 and N2O. Determining the extent to which denitrification takes place in these systems is a complex, time-consuming task. Manganese oxide reduction takes place at a redox value close to that for denitrification. We gathered preliminary data on the use of IRIS (indicator of reduction in soil) tubes coated with manganese oxide to assess the redox conditions in an advanced N-removal OWTS.

We found that loss of color – indicative of Mn reduction – from the IRIS tubes took place in the anoxic and hypoxic compartments after in situ incubation for 7 days, whereas no loss of color was observed in oxic compartments. Laboratory experiments shows that loss of color from IRIS tubes submerged in anoxic wastewater was evident after 30 min. Our results suggest that IRIS tubes coated with manganese oxide paint may be a quick, inexpensive indicator of redox conditions that support denitrification.

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Optimum Placement of Drip Irrigation Laterals for Effluent Treatment and Dispersal. A subsurface drip dispersal system is comprised drip emitters that are incorporated into polyethylene tubing.  The emitter spacing along the tubing and the placement of the tubing in parallel rows (laterals) provides a grid of discrete emission points across a soil treatment area.  This grid is often quantified by the area serviced by an individual emitter.  In other words, if the laterals are spaced 24 inches on center and the emitters are spaced every 24 inches along the lateral, then each emitter is said to add water to a land area of four square feet. 

In Tennessee, the appropriate spacing of this grid is a hotly debated topic.  Having more emitters per unit area would seem to be appropriate to maximize the contact between the effluent and the soil.  However, soil-moisture tension can redistribute moisture between emitters, lessening the need for a tight emitter spacing.  Further, if the effluent is pretreated before land application, a fair question is whether the role of the soil is more of a dispersal activity rather than a treatment activity.  An additional factor is the hydraulics of having additional laterals across the soil treatment area.  At the startup and termination of a drip dispersal cycle, the tubing must fill with effluent and subsequently drain out – resulting in nonsteady state effluent application. Additional laterals means additional nonsteady state volume will be applied, increasing the non-uniformity of the application.  Finally, the additional tubing required for a tight grid spacing increases the cost of the system.

Tennessee has greater than 200 decentralized wastewater treatment and dispersal systems that utilize drip systems with emitters that are spaced 24 inches along the lateral and the laterals are spaced 60 inches on center – resulting in a 10 square feet per emitter arrangement.  Recently, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Division of Water Resources proposed a rule that will mandate a grid arrangement of four square feet per emitter.  This required grid spacing will be more expensive to install and many members of the regulated community assert that no additional environmental benefit will be gained with the increased installation cost.

In order to gain knowledge about the implication of the proposed rule, Buchanan applied for and was awarded $20,000 from the Tennessee Water Resources Research Center to study how soil-water moves between emitters and laterals.  A field plot has been established at the East Tennessee Research and Education Center near Knoxville, Tennessee.  This plot contains four treatments based on the distance between laterals:  2-foot, 3-foot, 4-foot and 5-foot spacing.  The drip tubing has emitters spaced at 24 inches and the emitters are rated for 0.6 gallon per hour.  Soil moisture sensors have been placed at the mid-point between laterals to determine if moisture from adjacent laterals is moving horizontally to fill in the area between laterals.  The soil moisture sensors are positioned 8 and 18 inches below the soil surface.  This plot is located in a Waynesboro clay loam soil that would typically have a design hydraulic loading rate of 0.10 gallon per day per square foot.  For this study, the hydraulic loading rate is 0.20 gallon per day per square foot and is dosed eight times per day.  This study will monitor the soil moisture status between the laterals for at least a year to gain information during wet and dry seasons.

Project Objective 3 - Develop models that describe and predict how wastewater renovation processes are affected by climate variables at different spatial and temporal scales.

University of Rhode Island (URI)

Modeling the effects of storm damage to near-shore septic systems along southern RI coast. We have created a model using existing flood maps for different storm recurrence interval probabilities and mean parcel elevation to predict which septic systems would be affected/damaged to varying extents along the southern Rhode Island (RI) coast should a storm affect the area. Septic systems were predicted to face serious impacts (extensive repairs / complete replacement required in the aftermath of a storm event), moderate impacts (minor repairs required to restore full system functionality) or ephemeral impacts (no lasting impacts once storm waters recede), based on proximity to the Atlantic ocean and mean parcel elevation. Repairs could cost anywhere between $1 to over $30K per system, depending on the nature of the damage. The model was validated using damage descriptions of system damage sustained during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 in Charlestown and Westerly, RI. Currently, the model predicts damage to systems with ~70% accuracy, underestimating damage on up to 20% of systems. The model could be improved by incorporating more parameters and details, including actual system elevation, surrounding microtopography, system type and better damage descriptions in the aftermath of storms. Current coastal community resiliency plans are not adequately addressing the threat posed by storms with respect to OWTS, which could result in significant environmental degradation and public health risks. The methods we used for our analyses could be applied to many coastal communities in the US and abroad, and present an important consideration for the sustainability of coastal communities and their adaptation to climate change.

Project Objective 4 – Develop and deliver educational and outreach materials to inform practitioners and the public about the performance, management, operation, maintenance and health issues related to OWTS in light of climate variability and climate change.

University of Arizona

As an Extension Specialist (outreach professional), I educate and train onsite wastewater treatment practitioners in the soil and site evaluation, design, installation, operation and management, and inspection of onsite wastewater treatment systems, and inform homeowners and users of onsite wastewater treatment systems how to better manage their systems to prolong their useful life while protecting human health and the environment. This is done through formal training classes (1 to 2 days each) and seminars for homeowners. Exit surveys are conducted to obtain knowledge gained for the homeowners. Exams are given in several of the trainings for practitioners.

University of Georgia

A study update from Dr. Gary L. Hawkins. In Georgia, the following workshops/field days were held: A). Two workshops for homeowners (26 attendants), B). A field day for industry, GA Department of Public Health (DPH) personnel and manufacturers (106 attendants). The field day was designed and co-sponsored by the Georgia On-Site Wastewater Association (GOWA). The participants received updates on Georgia Regulations (1.5 hours) and an outdoor portion where DPH personnel and manufacturers explained different parts of OWTS and distribution systems including: pump trucks, ATU units, dosing systems and floats, installation of different Georgia approved distribution systems, and how the different distribution systems operate.  There were 98 persons registered, approximate number of Installers/pumpers/designers was 78, DPH personnel was 9 (from State level to County level), 11 manufacture representatives, 2 GOWA personnel, and 5 University of Georgia faculty and staff. At least the 78 installers/pumpers/designers received certification credits to renew their license.  These certifications are maintained by the GOWA association.

Michigan State University (MSU)

The Michigan State University Extension Comprehensive Onsite Wastewater Management Education Program is a facilitated online program for designers and installers. Completion of the classes results in 1.6 continuing education credits and/or 16 septage waste education credits. A homeowner OWTS program continues to be offered. A folder for homeowners defines onsite wastewater and provides important operational and maintenance procedures. Included in the homeowner folder is a grid to plot the location of structures, drives, and the onsite wastewater system and a maintenance log. In addition, a free webinar was offered for landowner, businesses, homeowners, and riparian owners to help educate them about how onsite wastewater systems work, the maintenance it requires, and how to keep the system operating at peak efficiency avoiding overloads, failure, and costly replacements.

Ohio State University (OSU)

Reuse of reclaimed wastewater through onsite spray irrigation. A new extension online/hybrid course on Soil and Site Evaluation for Onsite Wastewater Treatment was completed and piloted in fall 2019.  The course has 3 online segments – 6 CEUs each, followed by 3 field labs – also 6 CEUs each. For the pilot offering 2 sanitarians from the Ohio Department of Health, one county sanitarian and 1 contractor completed the first online segment.  The complete 6-session course is scheduled for full offering starting in June 2020.

University of Kentucky (UKY)

Septic System Operation and Maintenance Workshops for Appalachia Residents. In partnership with the US Forest Service, Kentucky Waterways Alliance (KWA), East Kentucky PRIDE and EPA 319 funding through Kentucky Division of Water for the Red River Watershed Restoration Project, the University of Kentucky delivered community septic system outreach programs to 21 residents interested in septic system repairs/replacements.  These programs focused on operation and maintenance of residential septic systems as well as how to identify septic system issues.  The efforts are focused on households below the poverty level in the following watersheds, Swift Camp Creek and its unnamed tributary, Calaboose Creek, and Red Bird River. 

Training of Septic System Regulatory Personnel. Through a partnership with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services - Department for Public Health, The University of Kentucky trained 15 regulatory personnel in how to describe soils for siting septic systems over three workshops.  These week-long workshops include hands-on field exercises and an examination at the end of the workshop to determine proficiency. 

University of Minnesota (UMN)

UMN trained over 2,000 septic professionals in Minnesota in over 50 training events and delivered training in numerous other states with over 1,000 attendees.  Staff planned and organized the educational program for 2020 annual Minnesota Onsite Wastewater Association conference.  In addition, staff assisted in organizing and delivering the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association annual conference in 2019. 

Through a grant from the Minnesota Department of Health, the UMN is developing and presenting education materials to increase the knowledge regarding chemical of emerging concern (CEC) for those served and managing septic systems.   A vast majority of these homes on a septic system use a private well for their drinking water.  There is the potential for CEC from septic systems to be affecting drinking water wells. This project focuses on educating septic system owners, septic system professionals and those managing wells with a source water protection plan.  During the reporting period, a factsheet was developed and 9 classes offered for homeowners (495 in attendance) and 6 for septic system professionals (523 in attendance).

University of Rhode Island (URI)

The URI project team delivered 23 talks (12 of which were invited) and 4 posters to academic and professional audiences relative to OWTS and climate change at conferences in RI, CT, MA, NY, CA, ME, and Dublin, Ireland.  Graduate student, Alissa Cox, was awarded best oral presentation at New England Water Symposium and best poster presentation at SSSA meeting. Our audience reached scientists, wastewater practitioners, board of health officials, regulatory decision makers and coastal resource managers.  In addition, we published 2 peer-reviewed papers, and one book, delivered a total of 22 workshops/ classes in two states in the region, reaching 503 practitioners, decision makers and students. These classes provided continuing education credits needed by nearly 325 licensed professionals to renew their professional licenses.  Three of the classes had qualifying exams.  We provided direct OWTS technical assistance to Suffolk County Health Dept., NY and RI Department of Environmental Management.

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

1. Buchanan was involved with 14 educational sessions during 2019 and spoke to 938 people about septic system installation, operation, and maintenance. The scope of these events ranged from meeting with individuals seeking knowledge about their systems, community-level discussions about high septic system failure rates, state-level meetings with regulators, engineers and soil scientists, to presentations at national meetings.

Ohio State University (OSU)

Mancl, K. and M. Rowan. 2019. Spray Irrigation of Reclaimed Wastewater for Rural Homes. Ohio State University Extension. AEX-758.  https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/AEX-758 (Fact Sheet)

Henderson, K. 2019. Reverse Osmosis as a Chemical-Free Technology for the Removal of Nutrients from Cured Meat Processing Wastewater. MA Thesis. The Ohio State University.

Henderson, K., and K. Mancl. 2019. Reverse osmosis treating cured meat processing wastewater for removal of inorganic nutrients and salt. ASABE. Publication Number 190035.

University of Minnesota (UMN)

Distel, J., Heger, S., and S. Larson.  2019.  Analysis of contaminants of emerging concern with On-site wastewater treatment systems – year 1.  National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association Annual Conference Proceedings, Loveland, CO.

Heger, S., Doro, J., Rutter, M. Gustafson, D. and S. Larson. 2019.  Investigating wastewater reuse at MnDOT truck stations.  Minnesota Department of Transportation - MN/RC 2019-22.  

Overbo, A., Heger, S., Kyser, S., Asleson, B., and J. Gulliver.  2019.  Chloride contributions from water softeners and other domestic, commercial, industrial, and agricultural sources to Minnesota waters.  University of Minnesota. https://www.wrc.umn.edu/sites/wrc.umn.edu/files/overbo_finaldraftchloridebudgetreport_jan2019_1.pdf

Overbo, A., and S. Heger.  2019. Costs and benefits of household water softening: a review.  University of Minnesota, Water Resources Center. https://www.wrc.umn.edu/sites/wrc.umn.edu/files/overbo_watersofteningcostbenefit_jan2019.pdf

Heger, S. Doro, J. and S. Larson. 2019. Investigating Flammable Waste Trap Solids at MnDOT Truck Stations.  University of Minnesota, Water Resources Center. https://septic.umn.edu/sites/septic.umn.edu/files/mndot_flammable_waste_trap_2019.pdf

Michigan State University (MSU)

Dong, Y., S. I. Safferman, A. P. Nejadhashemi. 2019. Wastewater land application modeling using Hydrus CW2D calibrated and validated by volumetric water content and treatment performance from laboratory bench-scale drain fields. ASCE Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment 5(4):414-424.

Dong, Y., S. I. Safferman, A. P. Nejadhashemi. 2019. Computational modeling of wastewater land application treatment systems to determine strategies to improve carbon and nitrogen removal. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 54(7):657-667.

University of Rhode Island (URI)

Amador, J.A., and G.W. Loomis. 2018. Soil-based Wastewater Treatment. American Society of Agronomy, Inc.; Soil Science Society of America, Inc.; Crop Science Society of America, Inc., Madison, WI. 353pp.

Anderson, F.L., J.A. Cooper, and J.A. Amador. 2019. Laboratory-Scale Evaluation of the Effects of Water-Filled Pore Space on Emissions of CO2, CH4, N2O, and N2 from Soil-Based Wastewater Treatment. Water, Air, Soil Pollut. 230(10): 245. doi: 10.1007/s11270-019-4294-7.

Cox, A.H., G.W. Loomis, and J.A. Amador. 2019. Preliminary Evidence That Rising Groundwater Tables Threaten Coastal Septic Systems. J. Sustain. Water Built Environ. 5(4): 04019007. doi: 10.1061/JSWBAY.0000887.