Summer 2003
Vol. 14, No. 3
Small Community Wastewater Issues Explained to the Public
High-strength flows – not your average wastewater
housands of homes in the concentration of various elements
What’s Inside…
T the rural areas of the
U.S., as well as many
businesses, use onsite
systems to treat their wastewater.
in the waste, is similar to residential
waste. However, wastewater from
some commercial enterprises is very
different in concentration and flow
Defining high strength
page 2
Examples of different flows
This issue of Pipeline will examine rates. page 2
problems associated with treating
Generally, commercial establish- Different flows from
commercially-generated wastewater
ments produce wastewater consid- different sources
onsite. It will also suggest ways to
ered high-strength and often produce page 3
treat nonresidential wastewater to an
this effluent at sporadically high flow
acceptable level. Handling high strength flows
rates. (Note that some specific com- page 4
Commercial establishments—funeral mercial installations fall under the
homes, taxidermy shops, car washes, U.S. Environmental Protection Restaurant case study
beauty shops, food processing facili- Agency [EPA]“Class V Injection page 6
ties, restaurants and nursing homes— Wells” ruling and, as such, are not Class V Injection wells ruling
are often located in rural areas and allowed to use any type of onsite page 7
use onsite systems for wastewater wastewater treatment system.
treatment. However, a restaurant or Refer to the story on
dry cleaning establishment produces page 7 for more
very different wastewater from what information.
a residence produces, both in quanti-
ty and quality. When these differ-
ences are not planned for, systems
often fail.
This issue describes character-
istics of wastewater from
various sources and sug-
gests treatment solutions.
Wastewater characteris-
tics refers to the contam-
inants in the effluent. As
a rule, an onsite waste-
water treatment system
design is based solely on
how much liquid waste
must be treated.
Designers commonly
assume that the quality of
the wastewater, which means
High strength flows
Defining high-strength when excessive organic mg/L respectively). The
When a wastewater engineer uses the
elements flow into the bio- The major average strength of resi-
mat. Microbes, bacteria, dential wastewater is
term “high-strength” wastewater, it
can mean it contains greater amounts
etc. grow so fast that the concern of approximately 20 mg/L.
effluent can’t pass into the
Fats and oils are triglyc-
of fats, oils, and greases (FOG) or
other organic components than resi-
soil. Chemical clogging having high erides and fatty acids. At
often occurs in clay-type
room temperature, oils
dential wastewater. It can also mean
the effluent contains large quantities
soils when high concentra- amounts of are liquid and fats are
tions of sodium ions (salt)
of suspended solids or high amounts solid. Obviously then,
of certain chemicals, such as disin-
cause the soil to lose its organic temperature plays a sig-
structure and not allow the
fectants. Any or all of these compo- nificant role in the treat-
nents can interfere with the normal
effluent to flow through. components ment process. FOG can
biological processes most onsite sys- Treatment plants are gener- also be divided into two
tems use. These characteristics vary ally designed for average (high organic categories based upon
from day to day, even hour to hour, peak flow rates and average origin: animal and veg-
and they can have a major impact on wastewater characteristics. loading) in etable based FOGs are
how a system performs. Designing a treatment plant considered to be edible,
based only on these aver- wastewater is petroleum and coal-based
The major concern of having high age values will result in a FOGs (mineral) are inedi-
amounts of organic components treatment plant that may drainfield ble. The nonedible ones
(high organic loading) in wastewater not be able to handle peak are especially slow to
is drainfield clogging. Physical clog- conditions. Conversely, if a clogging. break down and, in some
ging occurs when solid material, plant is designed for peak instances, are toxic. The
such as grit, organic material, and conditions, it may be too big to func- range of values for FOG in a com-
grease, flows beyond the septic tank tion well the rest of the time. mercial system can vary according to
to the soil absorption field, where it source. For instance, a full-service
is deposited on the biomat. Elements to consider in restaurant could generate up to two
Biological clogging generally occurs system design tons per year. Most restaurants today
A first step in most system design is use vegetable oils.
to consider the characteristics of the
PIPELINE When grease reaches the soil absorp-
wastewater and make reliable esti-
mates of wastewater flow. Most state tion system, it can physically clog
regulations include a table of esti- the soil pores preventing water and
mated sewage flow rates for different oxygen from moving freely. Bacteria
types of facilities. need free moving water and oxygen
Pipeline is published quarterly by the National Small
Flows Clearinghouse at West Virginia University, to digest waste. The high BOD in
P.O. Box 6064, Morgantown, WV 26506-6064 When it comes to treatment plant grease also promotes excessive bac-
Pipeline is funded through a grant from the
design, traditionally the most impor- terial growth, causing a thick anaero-
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tant factors to consider are the five- bic biomat to form. This biomat has
Washington, D.C. day biochemical oxygen demand
Steve Hogye—Project Officer little ability to actually treat the
Municipal Support Division (BOD5) for a given flow, and the waste.
Office of Wastewater Management total suspended solids (TSS), which
is a measure of the amount of waste Oil combines with water in three
National Small Flows Clearinghouse
West Virginia University particles suspended in the waste- ways: as free oil, as an emulsion or
Morgantown,WV as dissolved oil. Free oil will rise to
Peter Casey — Program Coordinator water. BOD5 is a measure of the
Marilyn Noah — Editor amount of oxygen that microorgan- the surface when the mixture is
Jennifer Hause — Technical Advisor allowed to rest and, thus, is easy to
Ed Winant PE — Technical Advisor isms need to consume and break
Chris Metzgar — Graphic Designer down organic matter. separate. Most grease traps and
Permission to quote from or reproduce articles in grease recovery devices work by col-
this publication is granted when due acknowledgement is In addition, when dealing with com- lecting this free oil. Emulsified oil
given. Please send a copy of the publication in which informa-
tion was used to the Pipeline editor at the address above. mercial establishments, designers has been broken up into very small
must consider the FOG levels in the droplets and occurs either by
waste flow. The public sewer indus- mechanical or chemical action.
an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution
ISSN 1060-0043
try uses three classifications for FOG Mechanical emulsification frequently
The contents of this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of based on waste strength, measured in occurs when very hot water is briskly
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the mention of trade names
or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. milligrams per liter (mg/L): weak, agitated with the oil. This type of
Printed on recycled paper medium and strong (50, 100 and 150
2
PIPELINE – Summer 2003; Vol.14, No. 3 National Small Flows Clearinghouse (800) 624-8301 or (304) 293-4191
High strength flows
10 Ten Ways to Protect
Your Restaurant’s
Septic System
1. Thoroughly scrape plates and
Car washes
Springing up as quickly as toad-
stools after a rain, commercial
carwashes have become big
cookware.
business. Car washes create high
2. Install a grease skimmer. intermittent flows and hefty con-
3. Practice water conservation. taminants, such as oil and
grease, detergents, and phos-
4. Install low temperature phates. They also produce exces-
dishwashers. sive amounts of grit and sand.
5. Use special detergents that pro- Car washes can reduce the
mote rapid oil/water separation. amount of toxic materials by
using biodegradable soaps instead of gested that beauty salons should be
6. Use proper concentrations of sol- able to use a standard septic system.
solvent based ones, and reducing the
vents, cleaners, and disinfectants. The study looked at the levels of
amount of detergent, thereby reduc-
7. Use shortening instead of liquid ing the amount of rinse water lead, cadmium, chloroform, dimethyl
vegetable oil. required and discharged. phthalates, and ammonia nitrogen in
the effluent. All levels were found to
8. Pump grease trap quarterly at the Generally, regulations for onsite sys-
be within levels EPA considers safe.
minimum. tem design are based upon an indi-
vidual home. The number of bed- Designers should consider the flow
9. Leave most of the liquid in the
criteria as extremely important. New
grease trap when it is pumped.
Jersey onsite wastewater treatment
(This is one recommendation.
regulations provide the criteria of
Depending upon the plumbing
120 gallons per day per sink.
configuration to the grease trap,
Following this criteria, only salons
you may need to pump all of the
with more than 15 sinks exceed the
contents of the trap.)
normal permitted amount of flow.
10. Pump septic tanks frequently to However, engineers should be aware
prevent buildup and carryover that beauty shop wastewater may be
of solids. lower in solids and carbon content,
(Barnstable County, 2002)
and the designs may need to be mod-
ified accordingly.
emulsion will separate out again if Whenever possible, salon owners
given enough time. should use only nonhazardous, non-
toxic substances if an onsite system
Detergents produce a chemically rooms is used to calculate the flow serves them. Hair dyes, bleaches, and
emulsified mix of oil and water. and tank volume required. And while permanent wave solutions should be
Chemically emulsified oil will not the system is normally sized to treat used as sparingly as possible.
rise to the top no matter how much a greater amount of wastewater than
time is allowed. Dissolved oil occurs a home will actually generate, it is RV dumping stations
when the oil is no longer present as clear that a commercial car wash will The wastewater at recreational vehi-
discrete particles, generally caused easily overwhelm a standard sized cle (RV) dumping stations is often
by the use of degreasing compounds. tank. Professional car washes should very high-strength due to the fact
The most common form of treatment implement water-saving devices, that campers who live in RVs are
is gravity separation, typically such as low flow nozzles, and run usually very conservative with water
through a grease trap or tank. But them at lower pressures. They should and, therefore, produce wastewater
gravity separation cannot remove repair all leaks and control the flow of that contains highly concentrated
emulsified oils and greases. Mineral water when the facility is not in use. solids. In addition RV owners use
oils are not considered biodegradable special products to cover up odors in
Beauty shops RVs, but these chemicals often kill
in biological treatment systems.
According to recent research by the the anaerobic bacteria, which is the
Different flows from state of New Jersey, the wastewater primary treatment mechanism in an
different sources generated by a beauty salon is not onsite sewage system. These deodor-
It will help to understand the special very different in substance from izing chemicals present a special
considerations a treatment plant household waste. The analyses sug-
requires by examining some specific
sources.
3
PIPELINE – Summer 2003; Vol.14, No. 3 National Small Flows Clearinghouse (800) 624-8301 or (304) 293-4191
High strength flows
The nursing home houses 220 organic waste emerges from a highly
clients, producing an average concentrated, low-volume source in
wastewater flow of 10,000 gal- the facility, a holding tank/hauling
lons per day. The grease from solution may be the most cost-effec-
the kitchen, which uses no tive choice. The fraction that con-
grease trap, plus pharmaceuticals tains the majority of the excess con-
and cleaning products resulted in taminants might be readily remov-
BOD and TSS values above per- able by a specific process. For
mit limitations. The wetland has instance, soluble and biodegradable
been very successful in bringing components can be effectively treat-
these values down. The average ed in an aerobic unit.
monthly TSS in the influent has
been 195 mg/L, with an effluent Handling FOG
problem to wastewater treatment of 8 mg/L. BOD values are aver- Regulatory agencies use both BOD
designers. aging 213 mg/L dropping to 12 mg/L and TSS in wastewater as indicators
as effluent after treatment. The sys- to assess treatment and potential
Restaurants tem has been operating in compli- impact on the environment. A grease
Restaurants present special chal- ance of its discharge permit since it trap or collector, which separates by
lenges to onsite wastewater treatment was brought on line. gravity, is the most common way to
plant designers. Considerations spe- remove oil and grease. But emulsi-
cific to each restaurant that affect the Handling high strength fied fats can be more difficult to
flow rate and strength of the waste- flows remove from the waste stream. If the
water include hours of operation, dis- Commercial onsite systems have nor- liquid is above room temperature,
posable serving ware, sanitization mally been designed in the same solid fats may liquefy and pass
schedule with chemicals or hot manner as household through to the onsite
systems. However, this system.
water, use of a deep fryer, and num-
ber of meals served. Even the type of design principle often
With the
There are several con-
leads to system failure.
food served can affect the wastewater
strength: fast food usually involves a Designers must consider
additive, the sumer products avail-
able that claim to
larger amount of FOG than a family flow variations, organic
diner. If a restaurant uses ice cream loading, and other fac- biomat absorbs reduce the effects of
FOG in a septic tank
and yogurt machines, these put a lot tors. They must consider
of extra protein into the wastewater the type of organic con- the BOD, but it system. These often
are a combination of
system. If they use a garbage dispos- tent (soluble, settleable
al, total suspended solids become a or colloidal), the site may increase the bacterial cultures and
enzymes. Some appear
problem. characteristics, the final
steps in the onsite sys- hydraulic to be effective in
metabolizing the FOG
Personal care homes tem, how the effluent is
Personal care homes and nursing introduced to the envi- resistance, into more soluble or
dispersible compounds
facilities produce wastewater with ronment, and how much
preprocessing is required possibly leading
that, nonetheless, still
high levels of pharmaceuticals and
have a relatively high
cleaning products. Expect high BOD to effectively handle the
and TSS. However, a project in high organic strength. to malfunction. BOD. But, by making
the FOG soluble, they
Colorado is successfully treating the
wastewater a nursing home generates.
Onsite systems that have
been used to treat com-
Therefore, it is increase the TSS in the
septic tank effluent,
Constructed in 1988, the Horizon which increases the
Nursing Home treatment wetland is
mercial strength waste-
water include grease
strongly potential carryover into
the oldest recorded treatment wetland traps and grease inter- the drainfield. This
in Colorado. The facility consists of ceptors, septic tanks,
recommended additional BOD pass-
two aerated lagoons, a settling pond, aerobic treatment units, ing to the drainfield is
and a surface flow wetland followed sand filters, constructed
that no additives a concern. Without the
by a meadow area. Prior to dis- wetlands, drip irrigation, additive, the FOG
charge, the effluent is disinfected and mound systems.
be used in the remains in the septic
with chlorine as needed. tank, accumulating
If the majority of the septic system. until the tank is
4
PIPELINE – Summer 2003; Vol.14, No. 3 National Small Flows Clearinghouse (800) 624-8301 or (304) 293-4191
High strength flows
pumped out. With the additive, the Grease traps are sized based upon Handling high chemical loads
biomat absorbs the BOD, but it may wastewater flow and calculated from Conventional onsite treatment sys-
increase the hydraulic resistance, the number and kind of sinks and tems are unable to handle high levels
possibly leading to malfunction. fixtures discharging to the trap. A of chemicals. It is recommended that
Therefore, it is strongly recommend- grease trap needs to be rated on its wastewater generated from processes
ed that no additives be used in the grease retention capacity, which that involve high levels of chemicals
septic system. means the amount (in pounds) that be removed from the general waste
the trap can hold before it is no stream and treated separately.
Grease traps are an effective means
longer 90 percent efficient. Grease
of removing grease if the trap is rou- REFERENCES
traps must be cleaned regularly
tinely pumped. As water and grease Bowers, Fred. Characterizing Beauty
enter the grease trap, the water veloc- Three strategies may help control the Salon Wastewater for the Purpose of
ity is reduced. This allows the problems associated with FOG. The Regulating Onsite Disposal Systems,
grease, which is lighter than water, to first is to institute new maintenance NJ Department of Environmental
float to the surface. The plumbing practices, such as making sure all Protection. Division of Water Quality.
configuration allows the water to food scraps are removed from dishes 2002. www.state.nj.us/
enter and exit below the grease level, and utensils before washing, or using dep/dwq/pdf/salonreport.pdf.
thus providing a space above the shortening instead of liquid cooking
water for the grease to collect. oil. The second is to redirect the Barnstable County (Massachusetts)
dishwashing machine discharge Health Department. 2002.
Wastewater engineers used to recom- www.barnstablecountyhealth.org/
directly to the septic tank. (As men-
mend passing everything from the AlternativeWebpage/Grease/
tioned earlier, the dishwashing dis-
kitchen into a common, large, grease Grease.htm.
charge is at a much higher tempera-
trap (usually a modified septic tank)
ture and may emulsify the FOG.) The following articles can be ordered
before this effluent mixes with toilet
This will help avoid disruption of the from the National Small Flows
waste and wastewater from sinks and
separation process in the external Clearinghouse (NSFC) at (800) 624-
bathtubs in the larger main septic
grease trap, which still takes the load 8301, or email nsfc_orders@
tank. This was usually satisfactory in
from the prewash sink. The purpose mail.nesc.wvu.edu. A shipping and
the days of hand-washing utensils,
is to reduce the additional organic handling charge will apply.
providing the frequency of pumping
loading on the system and reduce the
was adequate. • Stuth , William L. Treatment and
potential for carryover to the drain-
Modern automatic restaurant dish- field. The third is to consider using odor control of high strength com-
washers have changed the situation. an active oil and grease separator on mercial wastewater, #L005233.
The higher temperatures and harsher the discharge from the prewash sink. $0.15 per page.
detergents and other chemicals tend There are several commercial appli- • Jacobson, N. Treatment of
to emulsify the FOG. The resulting cations on the market. Restaurant Wastewater Using a
emulsion does not separate out in Recirculating Sand Filter. #L005840.
this warmer and more turbulent envi- Handling high BOD/TSS
$0.15 per page.
ronment, but passes through to the Aerobic units, or small extended aer-
septic tank and on to the drainfield as ation package plants, use a suspend- • Small Flows Quarterly, Spring 02,
an emulsion. This can adversely ed growth wastewater treatment Q & A: Grease Traps. #SFQUNL10,
impact the biomat. process, which may remove substan- $1.00. Also can be found on line at:
tial amounts of BOD and suspended www.nesc.wvu.edu/nsfc/nsfc_archive.
solids. When wastewater temperature htm.
rises above room temperature, the • NSFC. 1997. Sand Filters Provide
fats remain in a liquid form and pass Quality, Low-Maintenance Treatment.
through into the treatment system. Pipeline, vol. 8, no.3. NSFC
But the long detention times of #SFPLN10, cost is $.40. Also can be
extended aeration treatment work to found on line at:
lower the temperature of the water so www.nesc.wvu.edu/nsfc/nsfc_archive.
that separation can occur (cooled, htm.
hardened fats separate out from the
main flow). There are some propri-
etary aerobic units that are specifical-
ly designed to handle high organic
loads.
5
PIPELINE – Summer 2003; Vol.14, No. 3 National Small Flows Clearinghouse (800) 624-8301 or (304) 293-4191
Activated Sludge
High strength flows
Recirculating Sand Filter
Handles Restaurant’s High Organic Loading
It only took four years for the origi- several passes, From Recirculation Tank
nal subsurface sewage disposal sys- quality was
tem that served a restaurant in improved and Filter
Chester, Connecticut to fail. Even odor problems From
Septic Tank
though additional attempts were reduced.
made to improve the original septic
In a recirculat- Underdrain
tank and leaching galleries, partially
ing sand filter, Effluent
treated septic tank effluent continued
wastewater To Dispersal
ponding on the surface of the parking
flows by gravi-
lot. Needless to say, the restaurant’s
ty from a septic
management was desperate to fix this Ball Float
tank to a recir- Valve
extremely unappetizing problem.
culation tank
After several frustrating years, a con- equipped with Recirculation Tank Pump
sulting engineering firm designed a a pump, timing
new wastewater pre-treatment plant controls, and float valves. The waste- compares typical values of household
and disposal facilities using a recir- water is pumped to the filter in timed wastewater to restaurant wastewater.
culating sand filter. The new facili- doses. The system was set up in this order:
ties have been successfully treating main grease trap, main septic tank,
Sand filters do not need much main-
the restaurant’s high strength waste- secondary grease trap, recirculation
tenance, mostly keeping the pumps
water since 1985. tank, and sand filter. The filter media
running, checking the controls, and
Beyond the high organic content of occasionally raking or replacing the was sized to between 0.9 and 2.0
the effluent, with average readings of sand. If properly maintained, they millimeters. The sand depth was 30
biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) tolerate infrequent peak hydraulic inches. Perforated underdrain pipe
of 685 and total suspended solids and organic loadings well. collected the filtrate. The dosing
(TSS) of 398, the site suffered from schedule was five minutes in every
seasonally high groundwater condi- Design parameters 30 minutes to 15 minutes in every
tions and soils of low permeability. To provide optimum treatment, the two hours. Recirculation ratio was
The new system employs two grease designers had to consider what flow set at 4:1, which means that each gal-
traps, and a septic tank, before the rates and pollutant concentrations to lon of wastewater is dispersed four
recirculating sand filter. expect. Calculations involving the times over the filter. Final disposal is
allowance of flow per meal, the num- to a new subsurface sewage disposal
The technology of intermittently ber of meals served per day, and the system.
applying wastewater to the surface of number of seats available produced
the filter has been used successfully After a few minor adjustments, this
estimated peak flow rates upon system has reduced BOD by 99 per-
to purify the effluent for many years. which the treatment system was
A sand filter is capable of producing cent and TSS by 96 percent.
designed.
a high quality product with under After enduring the soggy, smelly
drains to collect and discharge the Possible TSS and BOD values were parking area for so many years, the
effluent from the bed. derived from EPA figures. Table 1 restaurant owners are thrilled
The biochemical action by the success of this new
of microorganisms liv- Table 1 facility. With minor mainte-
ing within the filter bed nance, the new treatment
purifies the wastewater. Comparison of some typical restaurant effluent plant has been more than sat-
Originally the waste- components to household wastewater isfactory. Recirculating sand
water passed through the filters, if designed properly,
sand filter only one time, Restaurant Household can provide excellent treat-
but by recirculating the BOD range (mg/L) 280—960 100—450 ment of the high strength
effluent back through for wastewater typically dis-
TSS, mg/L 202—1985 100—375 charged from restaurants.
6
PIPELINE – Summer 2003; Vol.14, No. 3 National Small Flows Clearinghouse (800) 624-8301 or (304) 293-4191
High strength flows
Class V Injection Wells and the
Underground Injection Control Program
In an attempt to more carefully pro- Motor Vehicle Waste
tect our groundwater from endanger- Disposal Wells: Shallow
ing injection practices, the EPA was waste disposal systems that
directed by the Safe Drinking Water receive or have received
Act to establish minimum federal fluids from vehicle repair or
requirements for state and tribal maintenance activities, such
Underground Injection Control (UIC) as auto body or automotive
Programs. This includes the over- repair, car dealerships, or
sight of construction, operation and other vehicular repair work,
are required to meet
closure of injection wells.
additional protective
For our purposes here, an injection requirements.
well can be considered any under-
ground storage of fluids as long as
the storage unit’s depth is greater
than it is wide. Underground injec- allowing chemicals to pass through • An office building that injects
tion wells are classified according to the system unchanged and to enter water passed through a heat
their depth and injection practice. the groundwater, posing a serious exchanger to cool the building
Class I wells are used to inject fluids contamination threat. • A carwash where the wastewater
into the lower most formation. Class The UIC program is concerned about enters a floor drain that leads to a
V wells are those that are used to businesses that inadvertently use drywell or septic system
inject non-hazardous fluids into shal- their septic system as a Class V well. To prevent contamination of under-
low formations. These shallow for- In other words, a business that is pro- ground sources of drinking water
mations may also be used as a source ducing wastewater from an industrial contact a local UIC official if you
of drinking water for residents. The or commercial process and sending it suspect a septic system is currently
UIC Program manages these wells to directly to a septic system is in viola- receiving industrial or commercial
protect underground sources of tion of UIC Program requirements. waste. For more information about
drinking water from unsafe injection Businesses that could be inadvertent- this program, you can visit the UIC
practices. ly operating a Class V well include website at www.epa.gov/safewater/
A common septic tank and drainfield food processing, photo processing, uic/. A phone number for general
fall under this classification if they electroplating, and dry cleaning busi- information is the Safe Water
have the capacity to serve 20 or more nesses. Very possibly the sort of Drinking Act Hotline: (800) 426-
persons/day or if the system accepts establishment discussed in this issue 4791.
other than solely sanitary waste. The of Pipeline would be considered a
purpose of this requirement is to Class V well.
ensure that industrial or commercial Some examples of Class V wells
wastewater is disposed of properly. include:
The standard septic tank/drainfield
• A gas station with a service floor
Reprint
system is not designed to treat indus-
trial or chemical waste thereby drain that leads to a septic system Info
• An apartment building with a septic Readers are encouraged to
system for sanitary waste disposal reprint Pipeline articles in local
• A rest stop that uses a cesspool newspapers or include them in fly-
ers, newsletters, or educational pre-
• A municipality where stormwater sentations. Please include the name
flows into drywells and phone of the National Small Flows
Clearinghouse (NSFC) on the reprinted
• A strip mall, with small businesses information and send us a copy for our
such as a photo processor and a files. If you have any questions about
dry cleaner, that discharge sanitary reprinting articles or about any of the
wastes mixed with process chemi- topics discussed in this newsletter,
cals into a septic system please contact the NSFC at
(800) 624-8301.
7
PIPELINE – Summer 2003; Vol.14, No. 3 National Small Flows Clearinghouse (800) 624-8301 or (304) 293-4191
Two New Products Now Available From NSFC
“Pumping Your Septic Tank,” (Item #WWBRPE71), this brochure explains why
it is necessary to regularly pump your septic tank. It lists the information that the
pumper should include on a receipt, such as tank size, construction, and num-
ber of compartments; effluent levels, tank condition, and scum and sludge
levels; baffle condition; outlet baffle effluent filter; pump chamber
and pump; drainfield condition; sewage disposal location; and any
abnormal findings. The brochure includes a brief description about
watertight septic tanks. Homeowners, public health officials, and
local officials will find this information useful. The cost of this
brochure is $.40.
“Landscaping Your Septic System,” (Item#WWBRPE72), describes
different ways to plan a landscape design for optimum septic tank opera-
tion. Information is provided about marking your septic components for easy
access, and choosing the right plants. A suggested plant list is included. This
brochure will be useful for homeowners as they landscape the area around their
septic system.
The cost of this brochure is $.40.
To learn more about these products, visit our New Products Page on the NSFC
Web Site at www.nesc.wvu.edu/nsfc/nsfc_new_products.htm
Or to place your order, call (800) 624-8301 or (304) 293-4191. Orders also may be
faxed to (304) 293-3161 or sent via e-mail to nsfc_orders@mail.nesc.wvu.edu
For wastewater information, call the NSFC at (800) 624-8301 or (304) 293-4191
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
MORGANTOWN, WV Morgantown, WV 26505-6064
PERMIT NO. 34 P.O. Box 6064
U.S. POSTAGE PAID West Virginia University
ORGANIZATION WVU Research Corporation
NONPROFIT National Small Flows Clearinghouse