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Comprising over 70% of the Earth’s surface, water is undoubtedly the most precious
natural resource that exists on our planet.
Pollution of freshwater (drinking water) is a problem for about half of the world's
population. Each year there are about 250 million cases of water-related diseases, with
roughly 5 to 10 million deaths.
Major causes include: Petroleum, Mining, Chemical waste from industrial plants,
Agricultural storm runoff, and sewage discharges.
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40% of America's rivers are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life.
Even worse are America's lakes—46% are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or
aquatic life.
Two-thirds of US estuaries and bays are either moderately or severely degraded from
eutrophication (nitrogen and phosphorus pollution).
The Mississippi River (US). How could we forget this mammoth river that crosses 10
states and carries millions of metric tons of pollutants with it to its mouth in the Gulf
of Mexico each year, creating a the notorious "deadzone." During the 1990s, this river discharged over 100 million pounds of
toxics downriver each year. The Dead Zone is aptly named due to the low levels of oxygen, causing no aquatic life to survive
in this area.
In any given year, about 25% of beaches in the US are under advisories or are closed at least one time because of water
pollution.
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Geologists estimate that there are more than 700 springs in the state of Florida,
representing perhaps the largest concentration of freshwater springs on earth.
There are 31 known springs in the Wekiva River basin north and west of Orlando,
Florida, which form the base flow for many of the rivers in the basin and create a
unique and productive ecosystem.
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Studies have been done to determine the causes of elevated nitrogen levels in the
Wekiva River Basin.
There are over 55,000 onsite systems in the Wekiva Study Area .
Fertilizer from both Agricultural and Residential land uses:
●Atmospheric deposition
●Livestock, feedlots, manure
●Wastewater treatment plants
●Drainage wells
●Onsite systems
●Other (sinking streams, etc.)
Wekiwa and Rock Springs contain 20 times the level of nitrogen of springs without development (1.5 mg/L Wekiwa, 1.6
mg/L Rock as compared to Juniper Springs which has 0.08 mg/L)The Wekiva Basin Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal
System Study makes many recommendations including upgrading and repairing septic tanks in order to reduce nitrogen
levels.
Based on existing data, a family of four in Wekiva Basin will discharge 44 pounds of nitrogen per year (based on the 2006/07
Wekiva study) into the drainfield of a conventional septic system and about 26 pounds of N/yr enter the ground water as a
load (after going through the drainfield); additional treatment is needed to reduce nitrogen in the waste stream
The Florida Department of Health did a study on the Wekiva River Subbasin in 2007. Approximately one-third of the
population of Florida utilizes an OWTS for wastewater treatment, creating one of the largest artificial ground water recharge
sources in the state. Ninety percent of the water used for drinking comes from the ground water (Florida Department of
Environmental Protection, 2006). It is necessary to take care of this resource to protect public health and the environment.
There are various sources of nitrogen pollution: fertilizer from both agricultural and residential land uses; atmospheric
deposition; agricultural sources such as livestock, feedlots, and manure; wastewater treatment plants; drainage wells; OWTS;
and other sources such as sinking streams.
A recently completed FDOH study looked at how quickly and far effluent and nitrogen from conventional OWTS moves in a
karst environment (Florida Department of Health, 2004; Roeder et al, 2005). Karst features are found throughout the state of
Florida and are characterized by conduits in the underlying limestone. The study found that effluent tracers moved very
quickly and nitrogen concentrations remained high in wells in the effluent plume, illustrating the conduits between the
ground surface and the surficial aquifer in karst environments that make them more sensitive to nitrogen pollution.
The estimated nitrogen input per capita leaving the septic tank varied between 7.3 and 14.7 pounds per person per year.
50 to 90 percent of nitrogen from onsite systems is loaded to the ground water.
On a per capita basis, the mass loading of nitrogen to the ground water ranged from 3.95 to 9.65 pounds per person per year.
This resulted in a mid-range of about 17 lbs nitrogen per year per system.
Nitrogen sources to the environment include: atmospheric deposition; fertilizer from both agricultural and
1 residential land uses; livestock wastewater; municipal wastewater treatment systems; onsite sewage treatment and disposal
systems; and stormwater.
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Comments about pollution on the Pacific coast near Mailbu.
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Malibu, a city on California’s star-studded coast, has long relied on septic tanks for
treatment of human waste; human waste contains disease-causing viruses, bacteria and
parasites.
The regional board estimates that there are 10,000 people in Malibu who rely on about
6,000 septic tanks.
Surfrider Beach, one of the most popular and scenic stretches of coastal Malibu, is also
one of the most polluted in the state: Surfrider Beach rates in the top ten most polluted
beaches
The Malibu Surfing Association claims that surfers try to keep their mouths closed
when riding the breakers because swimmers are “always getting sick – sinus
infections, stomach and gastrointestinal viruses”
When operating correctly, septic systems are effective in removing 100% of fecal
coliform bacteria (through soil filtration in the drainfield)
The problem with some of the Malibu septic systems is that septic systems of some
beachfront homes are situated too close to surface waters or high groundwater tables;
the result is that septic systems are short-circuited, or have inadequate drainage fields and soils to work properly
It is estimated that 30% of septic tanks in the Malibu Creek watershed are failing or have failed. The city of Malibu, Calif.'s,
much-anticipated $50-million Legacy Park Project is an important example of how local governments are working diligently
to reduce pollution and clean local beaches. The project will transform 17 acres in the heart of Malibu into a central park that
will serve as an environmental cleaning machine, capturing, cleaning and disinfecting up to 2.6 million gal of storm water
and urban runoff that flow from the surrounding watershed. The park's state-of-the-art design will reduce pollution and
improve water quality in Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon and the world-famous Surfrider Beach.
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The Chesapeake Bay watershed is 64,000 square miles and has 11,600 miles of tidal
shoreline, including tidal wetlands and islands. The watershed encompasses parts of
six states. Approximately 17 million people live in the watershed; about 10 million
people live along its shores or near them.
The Chesapeake Bay has experienced a decline in water quality due to over
enrichment of nutrients (mainly phosphorus and nitrogen).
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Fifty years ago the Chesapeake Bay was one of the most beautiful and productive
estuaries on our planet. Water quality was good and extensive grass beds were an
integral part of the Bay's ecology. The aquatic vegetation provided habitat and
sanctuary for many species of marine life, and was a primary source of food for
wintering waterfowl. The vegetation helped stabilize the Bay's bottom, improved
water clarity, and increased the estuaries' dissolved oxygen. Oysters were an important
part of the Bay ecosystem; their reefs provided habitat for a wide variety of marine
life, and they filtered a large amount of nutrients which helped improve water quality.
Waterfowl, finfish, shellfish, and the blue crab were all relatively abundant throughout the Chesapeake Bay at the middle of
the 20th century. About 100,000 streams and rivers flow into the largest estuary in the United States along its 200-mile
length. The Bay is 3.4 miles across at its narrowest point in Aberdeen, Maryland, and 35 miles across near its mouth in
southeastern Virginia. It has 11,600 miles of shoreline encircling 15 trillion gallons of water. The Bay's average depth is 21
feet.
The shoreline and wetlands are perhaps the most attractive feature to the more than 15 million people who call the watershed
home. The Chesapeake Bay watershed population is expected to climb to 18 million people by the year 2020.
But approximately 3,600 other species also make their home in and around the Bay. Of these, 265 species are fish and 29
species are waterfowl.
Read more: http://marinehabitats.suite101.com/article.cfm/chesapeake_bay_watershed_habitat_and_ecosystem#ixzz0QhpiNgLG Over the past half
century most of the aquatic vegetation disappeared. The waterfowl that fed primarily on the Bay's underwater grasses and
couldn't adapt to feeding on the land now fly over the Chesapeake Bay to winter further south. Declining water quality has
stressed the Bay's living resources and fish kills are becoming more frequent throughout most of the Bay. There are warning
signs that indicate the bottom of the food chain has been affected by pollution. The number of ecologically less desirable
species of phytoplankton (algae) such as bluegreen algae and potentially toxic dinoflagellates (e.g. Pfiesteria) is increasing.
Bacteria levels in the Bay are among the highest known to exist in any estuarine environment. Zooplankton, the food base for
many fish species, are declining. The numbers of harmful algae blooms that are potentially harmful to humans, and have been
proven lethal to aquatic life, are increasing in the Bay.
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Extensive land development along the shore lines of lakes, rivers, bays and oceans.
This brings more and more pollution from stormwater runoff, agricultural runoff,
waste treatment plants and onsite watewater systems.
The nutrient causing the most problem in Nitrogen.
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Let’s look at causes of nitrogen pollution of the Chesapeake Bay.
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Over the past half century most of the aquatic vegetation disappeared. The waterfowl
that fed primarily on the Bay's underwater grasses and couldn't adapt to feeding on the
land now fly over the Chesapeake Bay to winter further south. Declining water quality
has stressed the Bay's living resources and fish kills are becoming more frequent
throughout most of the Bay. There are warning signs that indicate the bottom of the
food chain has been affected by pollution. The number of ecologically less desirable
species of phytoplankton (algae) such as bluegreen algae and potentially toxic
dinoflagellates (e.g. Pfiesteria) is increasing. Bacteria levels in the Bay are among the
highest known to exist in any estuarine environment. Zooplankton, the food base for
many fish species, are declining. The numbers of harmful algae blooms that are potentially harmful to humans, and have been
proven lethal to aquatic life, are increasing in the Bay. These blooms also lower the Bay's dissolved oxygen and block
sunlight preventing underwater grasses from growing.
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The Chesapeake's commercial fisheries are but
a remnant of what they were fifty years ago,
even the forage fish are at
historically low densities. Data collected from
1985 to 1999 by the Chesapeake
Bay Program (CBP) indicate that blue crab
larvae entering the Chesapeake Bay
from our coastal waters have declined
approximately 70% at the mouth of
the Bay. The 2000 blue crab harvest was the
lowest on record, forcing many
watermen out of business by the middle of the
summer. Shellfish populations are
only a fraction of their historic levels because
of over harvesting, loss of habitat,
pollution, and disease, and now one of the
Bay's top predators, the striped bass, has been diagnosed with a disease that may significantly reduce its population.
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The Chesapeake Bay was placed on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) list
of "impaired' waters in 1999. The year 2000 left no doubt that the Chesapeake bay was
an ecological disaster, water quality was so poor in some major tributaries that record
low dissolved oxygen levels were recorded during the summer, following one of the
most widespread mahogany tides ever observed in the Bay. The EPA said it could
require a mandatory clean-up plan known as Total Maximum Daily Load unless the
Bay attains water quality standards that support the needs of it's marine life by 2010.
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Senate Bill 320, also known as the Bay Restoration Fund was signed into law on May
26th, 2004. The purpose of the bill is to create a dedicated fund, financed by
wastewater treatment plant users, to upgrade Maryland’s wastewater treatment plants
with enhanced nutrient removal technology so they are capable of achieving better
wastewater effluent quality In addition, a similar fee paid by septic system users will
be utilized to upgrade onsite systems and implement cover crops to reduce nitrogen
loading to the Bay.
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Millions of people depend on onsite systems for wastewater treatment and
environmentally-safe disposal. The population of North America continues to grow
and become more rural. The EPA and other sources estimate that from one-fourth to
one-third of all new development is served by decentralized treatment systems like
precast concrete septic tanks. It is important that the precast concrete industry:
In this era of fiscal limitations, many cities and towns have difficulties addressing the
high costs to expand the capacity of their wastewater treatment facilities or extend
lines to urban areas to accommodate growth. As a result, onsite systems now provide
more than 40% of the wastewater treatment services to residential areas, communities,
shopping centers and commercial businesses throughout the U.S.
Millions of people depend on it.
Protects the environment and our drinking water
Onsite systems are an effective solution to protecting water quality.
They are valuable component to integrate with watershed management plans and implementing sustainable development
concepts.
The recycling component in this system supports the water resources management goals in many arid areas of the country
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Nitrogen is a common element that occurs in different forms
●Law of Conservation of Matter: Matter can neither be created nor destroyed
●We are increasing nitrogen into the biosphere through release of oxidized nitrogen as
a result of burning fossil fuels and by applying fertilizers
●High nitrogen levels can cause excessive algae growth
●Too much algae can eventually kill fish and other aquatic life
●Drinking water standard is 10 mg/L, too much nitrogen in drinking water can lead to
health hazards such as blue baby syndrome.
Nitrogen is very soluble and can move at the rate of the groundwater
●USDA Soil Surveys document movement of between 1.2 to greater than 40 feet per day
●The karst study documented movement rates of 1 to 280 feet per day horizontally
Unsaturated soil surrounding the drainfield is extremely effective at removing disease-causing viruses, bacteria, and parasites.
In 1983, the department adopted a requirement that there be two feet of unsaturated soil beneath the drainfield to achieve
effective removal of these disease-causing agents. The conventional septic system is generally less effective at removing
nutrients, particularly nitrogen. Onsite sewage system treatment and disposal system research has shown that certain
environments have a higher capability of naturally removing the nitrogen once it leaves the drainfield.
Nitrogen is the most abundant element in our atmosphere at 78% dinitrogen gas (N2). It is a vital element since compounds
essential to living systems are nitrogen-containing compounds (a necessary element in the composition of proteins, nucleic
acids and other major cellular components). Nitrogen is a primary nutrient for all green plants, but it must be modified before
it can be readily utilized by most living systems.
Denitrification is an anaerobic biological process
Nitrification: process of reducing nitrate (NO3) with heterotrophic bacteria under anoxic (no oxygen) conditions to nitrogen
gas (N2); heterotrophic bacteria use nitrate instead of oxygen to degrade organic matter under anoxic conditions
Bacteria remove oxygen from nitrate and the nitrogen is converted to a gas, escaping harmlessly into the environment where
nitrogen gas makes up 78% of the air we breathe
Recirculating Sand Filter (RSF) process uses an anoxic biofilter (ABF); the aerobic biological step takes place in the RSF
where phosphorous is removed and nitrogen nitrified (changed to gas)
Lined Drip Irrigation Bed distributes effluent with pressurized drip emitters; nitrification occurs in the lined irrigation field
and by plant uptake (at the root zone)
Bio-Microbics/Anoxic Biofilter is a proprietary fixed-film activated sludge treatment (FAST™) system that incorporates both
suspended growth and attached growth aerobic biological process. Denitrification occurs in the anaerobic (no oxygen) FAST
chamber
Supplemental Carbon Feed Process is an add-on system that uses the automatic addition of dry-carbon and freeze-dried
denitrifying bacteria
Advanced Environmental Systems (BESTEP) is a proprietary system of aerobic/anaerobic suspended growth biological
treatment using a continuous feed cyclic reactor
Klargester Biodisc™ uses a rotating biological contactor with an anoxic biofilter (ABF); nitrification occurs in the ABF
New denitrification processes are being developed continuously, including: peat biofilters; fixed-film vertical-downward
filtration; vertical-upward filtration; fluidized-bed sand filtration and constructed wetlands (using plant uptake of nitrogen in
a sluggish water flow condition)
SLIDE 42
Explain briefly that nitrogen levels can be lowered by the use of advanced treatment
systems… MDE has identified BAT
In order to reduce nitrogen levels, you can use advanced treatment systems. The BRF
refers to these as Best Available Technology and have identified certain products that
can be used. They all operate on the same basic premise
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The science behind it. All advanced treatment methods have three common features: a
pretreatment chamber to settle solids and decompose the sewage anaerobically (just
like a conventional system); an aeration chamber where oxygen is pumped into the
wastewater; and a clarification chamber where the clear, odorless effluent rises before
being released into the soil.
The heart of the system comes in the second phase, where air pumped into and
circulated in the tank sustains aerobic (oxygen-consuming) bacteria. “It’s a little like a
fish tank bubbler,” says Boris. By maintaining high oxygen content in the fluid, large
organic molecules are more thoroughly broken into smaller molecules and eventually carbon dioxide and water. In
Maryland’s Anne Arundel County, researchers at the National Association of Homebuilders Research Center found that one
innovative nitrogen-reducing system installed at a residential field site averaged an 80 percent reduction in total nitrogen.
This represents a significant success in the Chesapeake Bay area, where strict county and state legislation designates land
within 1,000 feet of fragile tidal waters for special protection.
Oxygen must be present before the effluent decants in a third chamber, where anaerobic bacteria finish the process by turning
the liquid nitrogen into a harmless gas, says Boris. The now nitrogen-free (and crystal-clear) effluent is discharged into the
ground. This highly treated oxygenated effluent seeps into the soil and does not produce the anaerobic mucous that typically
clogs failing leach fields.
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Structurally sound and watertight when manufactured to industry quality standards,
precast concrete on-site wastewater systems outperform and outlast systems comprised
of other materials. Quality precast tanks are designed to withstand loads that other
materials cannot bear, and a routinely serviced tank will provide many decades of
trouble-free service. Whether for residential projects or commercial construction,
precast concrete is the material of choice for on-site wastewater treatment systems.
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Precast concrete gradually strengthens over time. Other products, such as steel and
HDPE, can deteriorate and lose strength.
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Precast concrete can be made watertight when produced in accordance with the
“NPCA Best Practices Manual for Precast Concrete On-site Wastewater Tanks” and
ASTM C 1227 “Standard Specification for Precast Concrete On-site Wastewater
Tanks”.
Standard sealants are specially formulated to adhere to precast concrete and produce a
watertight joint. When proper installation and application standards are followed,
complete watertightness in ensured.
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With a specific gravity of 2.40, precast concrete on-site wastewater tanks resist
buoyant forces better than tanks made from other materials. In comparison, fiberglass
has a specific gravity of 1.86, while high density polyethylene (HDPE) has a specific
gravity of 0.97. Additional labor-intensive and time-consuming on-site preparation is
often required to anchor structures made from more buoyant materials.
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The use of precast concrete on-site wastewater products is a sensible choice for
sustainable development.
Recycling
Precast plants reuse formwork, in itself a conservationist move, and in doing so reduce
construction waste that would otherwise be generated at a job site. In addition,
cementitious materials used in concrete often contains manufacturing byproducts such
as fly ash and blast furnace slag that would otherwise find their way to a landfill. Waste water can be recycled for use in
manufacturing. Steel used for concrete reinforcement is typically composed of 95 percent post-consumer recycled content.
Reduced Site Impact
Precast concrete on-site wastewater tanks are manufactured offsite in a controlled environment, and shipped to the site as
needed. They are also easier to install than tanks made from other materials. Both these attributes result in reduced
construction times and energy usage, noise and emissions from on-site equipment and in reduced site impact.
Natural Materials
The cement used in concrete is made of natural materials such as limestone. Most cement plants rely on nearby limestone
quarries. The cement industry has made significant progress in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and energy usage in the
last 30 years and is continually striving to make further reductions.
Aggregates used in the manufacturing of precast concrete on-site wastewater products are generally extracted and
manufactured regionally.
Durability
Concrete is a very strong and durable material, which is a significant sustainable attribute. It will not rust, rot or burn and has
a service life in excess of 100 years.
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