THE FUTURE OF ONSITE WASTEWATER

By: John R. Blount, PE, LEED AP Director

Harris County Architecture & Engineering Division

The future looks good!

But change will happen. We need to be ready, as an industry, to respond to outside influences.

The good news is that your expertise will be critical.

Better onsite systems will be developed for an expanding marketplace.

Now- Clean Water Act

The State and Federal governments are required by the Clean Water Act to mandate the clean- up of our waterways if they are considered “impaired” based on pollutant benchmarks defined by the State.

Now- Clean Water Act

Texas Impaired Streams Statewide (based on 2012 assessment by TCEQ):

Source: http://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/waterquality/swqm/assess/12twqi/2012_exec_summ.pdf & information from Andrew Sullivan, TCEQ

Pollutant Examples

Number of Waterbodies Impaired

Percent of Waterbodies Assessed Impaired

Bacteria 273 26%

Dissolved Oxygen

90 16%

Organics 99 17%

Other pollutants

106 19%

Now- Clean Water Act

Now- Clean Water Act

In some impaired watersheds, new ATUs are required to meet 10 CBOD/10 TSS standards and electronic monitoring is being required.

Onsite is already being held to a higher standard!

Now- Clean Water Act

Another benefit:

Effluent treated effectively by an OSSF never enters a stream and therefore cannot cause instream pollution.

Soon- Pharmaceuticals in our Water

High levels of pharmaceuticals have been found in our drinking water, local waterways, and fish tissue of the fish we eat.

Soon- Pharmaceuticals in our Water

Large wastewater treatment plants do not treat for pharmaceuticals.

Soon- Pharmaceuticals in our Water

But research is beginning to show that soils do help break down pharmaceuticals before they get out to the water column.

Onsite wastewater technologies are needed to keep our water clean!

Now- LEED Projects

The U.S. Green Building Council has created a certification program for projects called “LEED” (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Now- LEED Projects

Wastewater reuse earns the development points towards LEED certification:

Water Efficiency Credit may be obtained specifically for Wastewater Management, including “to reduce pollution from wastewater and encourage water reuse.”*

Onsite wastewater is a logical means to achieve this goal.

• * http://www.usgbc.org/credits/we4

Future- Impact of Scarcity of Water

Texas is growing!

Geographic variationin growth rate.

Historical:Percent Change in Population, 2000-2005

Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts: http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/tif/population.html

Future- Impact of Scarcity of Water

And the growth is projected to continue!Texas Population Growth & Projections, 1980-2040 (in millions)

Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts: http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/tif/population.html

Future- Impact of Scarcity of Water

Therefore Demand is increasing with only a constant Supply. How will we respond?

Create New Water Sources (costly) Conservation Increase in Price of Water REUSE! Regulatory Changes All of the Above

Future- Impact of Scarcity of Water

We are wasting water daily, in the form of wastewater effluent disposal.

That effluent, with minimal additional treatment, can be reused to help meet water

supply.

Future- Impact of Scarcity of Water

But in order to reuse the wastewater effluent inside the building envelope, improved treatment must occur.

Future- Impact of Scarcity of Water

NSF has already anticipated this demand and has developed NSF 350- Wastewater Reuse Technologies Standard.

Assures water is treated to a safe level for specific reuse, non-potable applications like surface or non-surface irrigation, toilet/ urinal flushing, and decorative fountains.

Applies to any technology type capable of meeting the requirements, without limitations on system design or treatment capacity.

Includes physical, chemical, and microbiological reduction requirements to assure public health, safety, and suitable reuse.

Future- Impact of Scarcity of Water

Reuse = Less land area required for disposal

Eventually OSSFs will become viable in suburban and urban settings.

Future- Impact of Scarcity of Water

And when the price of water escalates high enough…..

Market forces will make OSSFs with onsite reuse in suburban and urban areas the cost effective way to develop.

We’ve Come a Long Way25 years

ago•Perk Tests•Anyone designed system•Anyone installed the system•No professional licenses

Today•Site Evaluations•Professional design•Professional installation•Licensed maintenance providers•Standards•Professionalism

25 years from now

•Better systems•Improved protection of public health•Improved environment•Onsite wastewater helping communities solve their needs

And we keep moving in the right direction

In SummaryWe expect to see: Improved technologies Increasing use of wastewater reuse National recognition of the benefits on onsite Onsite systems beginning to be used in an

suburban and urban environments

Resulting in: Protection of public health Protection of the environment Market based solutions to water shortages

The Future of Onsite Wastewater

In short, the future of onsite wastewater is bright.

Your expertise is needed for Texas’ future.

Questions?