Overview: Decentralized Approach and Community Process Laurie Brown Cloquet Regional Center...
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Transcript of Overview: Decentralized Approach and Community Process Laurie Brown Cloquet Regional Center...
Overview: Decentralized Approach and Community Process
Laurie Brown Cloquet Regional Center888-241-0724; 218-726-6475; [email protected]
Doug Malchow Rochester Regional Center888-241-4536; 507-280-5575; [email protected]
Valerie Prax Mora Regional Center888-241-4528; 320-225-5054; [email protected]
http://septic.umn.eduwww.extension.umn.edu
Regional Extension Educators
• Professional Training – Designers, Inspectors, Pumpers, Installers
• Research and Demonstration• Homeowner Operation & Maintenance• Small Community Wastewater
Education Program
Sewage Treatment Options
•Three Approaches to Wastewater Treatment
•Conducting a Complete Assessment
•Community Process for Making Wastewater Treatment Decisions
Community solution criteria Effective treatment –
protect health & environment
Affordable life-cycle costs: installation, operation, maintenance, repairs, monitoring, replacement
Sustainable – water supply & economics
Esthetically acceptable
Reliable Manageable Adequate space Flexible – flow & waste
strength Consistent with
community values & culture
Consistent with land use plan
Fits a long range plan
Three approaches to wastewater treatment -
• 1) Centralized:– Collection network
(many homes)– Central treatment
facility(ies)– Discharge - surface
• 2) Decentralized:– Individual or small
group of homes– On-site treatment
facilities (near site)– Discharge -
subsurface
• 3) Combination
Typical Cost Range per Connection in Low Density
Areas
• Design & Installation:– Decentralized -
$6000 to $15,000– Centralized -
$13,000 to $40,000+
Anatomy of a Septic System• Plumbing: wastewater collection• Septic tank: primary treatment• Soil treatment system: final
treatment/dispersal
EPA: “Decentralized approach will work”
• 1997 - EPA suggested ‘decentralized’ systems as a solution to many sewage treatment problems
• Why?– Now have good on-site
treatment systems
– Cost is usually lower than centralized
• Report:– www.epa.gov/ow-
owm.html/decent/index
Decentralized systems:
• Individual or multi-household (cluster)
• Standard - trenches, mounds, at-grades
• Alternative Systems-– pre-treatment– final treatment/dispersal– separation
• Water supply options
Determining ‘decentralized’ feasibility
Typical assessment:
Compliant
&
Non-compliant
More complete assessment:
Compliant
&
‘Could be’ Compliant
&
‘Can’t be’ Compliant
Conducting a more complete assessment
• Map of parcels• Records:
– Permits– Age of systems– Maintenance
• Identify:– Likely compliant– Spot check
• Properties to be checked:– No records– Older than XX years– Suspected problems
• Map of findings– Well location– Property boundaries– Setbacks– Other (Soils, ?)
Comply (10) Don’t Comply (25)
Minnesota Lake35 parcels
Typical Assessment w/Central Treatment
Cost to Community
$15,000 per parcel
Total Cost =
$525,000
Comply (10) Can’t Comply (10)Could Comply (15)
Minnesota Lake35 parcels
Complete Assessment w/Decentralized
TreatmentCost to Community
10 x $0 =0
15 x $10,000 = $150,000
10 x $15,000 =
$150,000
Total Cost =
$300,000
Small Community:
• Communities not currently served by centralized systems - “unsewered”
• Include:– incorporated– unincorporated– villages – shore lands– ‘groups of homes’
What might be ‘unique’ about these small communities?
– Small lots– Low overall density
(perimeter of a lake)– Poor Soils– Especially valuable natural
resource (I.e. lake, river)– Mix of seasonal & full-time
residents– Growing or decreasing
population– Income levels
How is wastewater currently being handled in ‘unsewered’ areas?
• On-site Disposal - – pipe to ditch/lake– non-compliant system– other?
• On-site Treatment - – compliant system
Characteristics of Successful Communities
• Understand current situation clearly before looking at possible solutions
• Use the ‘civic engagement’ model to involve diverse interests/views from the community
• Have or develop effective leadership from within the community
Characteristics continued
– Recognize the bias’s and self-interests of professionals they’re working with
– Defines an appropriate goal and boundaries
– Identify and examine all options – Keep all affected parties informed
Success or failure?
Success or failure in finding a viable solution is frequently more dependent on a sound community process than on the availability of treatment options and financing!
Exploring Small Community Wastewater Treatment
• Treatment Options
• Management
• Community Structures
• Costs & Financing
Form a Task Force
• Wide range of interests
• Citizens and local leaders
• Provides leadership for process
• Oversees the process (i.e. gathers information, point of contact)
• Shares information with stakeholders (especially residents)
Develop a Community Vision for Treatment
• Socially acceptable
• Cost effective
• Provides viable
treatment option(s)
Down the Road. . .
1. Develop work plan2. Keep citizens informed3. Gather and evaluate
information4. Keep citizens informed
That provides: Effective treatment - protects human & environmental
health
Reasonable cost - Life cycle costs = capital costs & O & M Remember homeowners need to move from costs of
occasional tank pumping to regular maintenance costs.
Socially acceptable - community values, culture, esthetics
Is well managed.
The Community ProcessFinding a Viable
Solution
Managing Small Community Wastewater Involves Education Process for community to select options Treatment Options Management of Systems Community Structures Costs & Financing Working with Professionals Community Process
Citizens of communities that succeed … Clearly understand their current situation
before they start looking for solutions Know that only they can make the best
decisions for their community Take responsibility for and ownership of the
problem Have or develop members with strong
leadership abilities Have a clearly defined vision and mission,
and set appropriate goals
Citizens of communities that succeed … Take the time and energy to identify and
examine all options before making decisions Gather information from as many sources as
possible before taking action Keep all affected parties involved and
informed all along the way Identify criteria for making decisions and
use all identified criteria.
Communities do not succeed … When a small group makes the decisions
and expects everyone to agree – and pay the bill
When the community lets engineers, consultants or funding sources dictate their choices
Result in chaos, bickering among neighbors, elected officials getting “un-elected,” and a loss of sense of community.
Keys to Success A community ‘vision’ or plan Civic engagement –
Responsibility Ownership
Setting the appropriate goals: Treatment Affordable Community values/
character
Effective leadership Understanding that all
professionals have biases & self interests
Identify & evaluate all options
Involve all interests at the table
Keep everyone informed.
Remember:This is a LOCAL project not the funders not the
consultantsnot the engineers
It belongs to the residents
Message from all of this
Heading towards everyone having a properly operating system and improved management at an affordable cost (ISTS/community)
Goal: protect human health and environment