Combatting Pollution

MODERNIZING Wastewater Treatment

Are the days of septic tanks and cesspools numbered?

BY KELLI OAKLEY

Have you ever thought about where wastewater goes when you flush your toilet? We might hope that it flows into a large self-contained basin and is never released into the environment. But the truth is, wastewater eventually makes it back into our soil and waterways. The good news is that you can make a difference and thereby help our marine life.

Here is a sort of gross fun fact: The average adult flushes about 320 pounds (145 kilograms) of waste down the toilet each year. Many people believe that their home is connected to a municipal sewer system, and a sewage treatment plant removes pollutants before effluent is released into the environment.

While some modern sewage facilities offer state-of-theart filtration and treatment for cleaning wastewater, often, these plants are old and do not receive the maintenance they need. They also frequently experience combined storm and wastewater sewer overflows (CSOs) due to heavy rainfall or the inundation and infiltration (I&I) of storm and groundwater into sewer pipes that exceed treatment plant capacity. Elevated bacteria counts often are a result of these overflows when a mix of raw and treated wastewater enters waterways. Fecal coliform and enterococci threaten public health, mandating closures of beaches and recreational waterways, thus impacting the environment, the economy and our enjoyment of public waters.

Even though sewage plants have myriad challenges, there are literally millions of Americans who are not connected to any sort of municipal treatment facilities at all. Waste instead flows into a cesspool or septic tank on their property, and they are nothing more than underground vaults that hold the untreated wastewater for a short time before releasing it directly into the ground. We are now seeing a whole host of problems stemming from our reliance on this Roman-era technology from harmful toxic algae blooms that decimate fish and shellfish populations and close beaches for swimming, to the contamination of our underground drinking water.

The impacts of septic tanks are apparent in coastal areas throughout the country, especially in places like the Florida Keys and Florida’s freshwater springs where homes and businesses are close to the water. The Keys consists of coral rock that is barely covered with topsoil with a limited capacity to absorb and contain wastewater. Protecting Florida’s freshwater springs has become a priority because wastewater that contains phosphorus, nitrogen and other nutrients and pollutants continues to pollute the groundwater moving through the karst rock formations.

These issues are not confined to Florida. Suffolk County, New York, is home to the Hamptons and other ritzy enclaves frequented as summer retreats by affluent New York City residents. There, toxic algae blooms are now a regular occurrence and have played a large role in destroying what were formerly the most productive hard clam and bay scallop fisheries in the country. This is largely due to the fact that Suffolk County holds the unfortunate honor of being the “cesspool capital of America,” as approximately 75% of the property in the county relies upon cesspools and septic tanks while only 25% is connected to sewers — the inverse of what is typically seen nationwide.

The situations seen in Long Island and the Florida Keys are occurring in coastal areas throughout the world. Since many areas are not conducive to the installation

Failures to adequately treat wastewater result in of a municipal sewer system, impacted areas nutrient pollution that are turning to Advanced Treatment Units kills fish and forces beach closures. The problem (ATUs) to help solve this critical problem. occurs throughout ATUs essentially serve as mini-wastewater the country. treatment plants for individual homeowners or businesses that replace traditional septic tanks or cesspools, so what is ultimately released into your backyard is clean water. Wastewater technology is advancing in response to the dire need for water to be treated and pollutants removed so that it may be reused. Sadly, we have both a water shortage problem and a water pollution problem. Keep in mind, regular septic systems only remove solids, oil and grease and then the system counts on the ground soil to perform the treatment. This would be great, but the organic and bacterial matter build up over time and then overwhelm the soil’s capacity to perform that role. One of the leaders in the fight against this water quality crisis is FujiClean — a Japanese company with a global footprint

Advanced Treatment Units like these located in coastal Maine, replace septic tanks by serving as miniature wastewater treatment plants.

Manufacturers including FujiClean have developed Advanced Treatment Units with a combination of bacteria, ensuring that wastewater discharged to the environment contains substantially reduced levels of nitrogen.

that has installed more than 3 million ATUs worldwide. These advanced systems use good and bad bacteria working as a team to improve the level of wastewater treatment.

FujiClean CEO Watanabe Kaichi said it best, “Because the water will eventually go into the rivers, we insist on maintaining the highest treatment standards.” FujiClean’s nutrient removal system is more effective at lowering BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) and is capable of removing more than 77% of nitrogen from wastewater, more than 50% better than the industry average. Their latest model also features an electrolytic treatment for removing phosphorus, a key element in algae blooms.

The nitrogen cycle is one of Earth’s most important biological processes, second to only photosynthesis. In simple terms, ATUs use

a simple, well-engineered process whereby air is injected into tanks, thereby turning the anaerobic environment aerobic. Th is allows aerobic bacteria to treat wastewater resulting in a cleaner effl uent than that from a normal septic tank system. Th ese biological processes transform both dissolved and solid constituents into gases, cell mass, and nondegradable material. Th e process also involves the nitrifi cation of ammonia in the wastewater and the reduction of pathogenic organisms.

Fortunately, some of the hardest-hit areas are now fi ghting back. In Long Island, Suff olk County has passed legislation prohibiting the use of septic tanks or cesspools for all new construction projects and requiring the use of ATUs in their place. Th e county has also joined forces with several townships to off er homeowners and businesses upwards of $20,000 in government funding to voluntarily upgrade their existing septic tanks or cesspools to an ATU.

Suff olk County has also implemented a rigorous sampling program to ensure that the ATUs in the program are functioning properly. Th us far, the majority of ATUs are reducing nitrogen levels by more than 70%. FujiClean systems lead the way with average treatment levels approaching the EPA’s potable drinking water standard for nitrogen.

Meanwhile, back in Brevard County, Florida, the Save Our Indian River Lagoon program has brought about a half-cent sales tax, garnering $489 million for grants that will enable homeowners to replace their old septic tanks with ones that are approved for nitrogen removal. Each homeowner now receives up to $18,000 to cover the costs of design and installation of their nitrogenreducing septic system.

FujiClean USA has representation worldwide, and they are looking to make a diff erence in their own communities. Advanced Wastewater Solutions has established the Save the Bays programs to sponsor, promote and fund water quality improvement projects. Th e Peconic Baykeeper’s Community Oyster Restoration Program in New York grows hundreds of thousands of oysters, each of which can fi lter up to 50 gallons of water per day, for distribution into local bays and estuaries.

Th e program includes an educational component whereby students and other community members are invited to assist in the maintenance of the oyster garden and help with the distribution of mature oysters.

HydroDynamic Solutions is making a diff erence in Kentucky and Tennessee by making sure that wastewater lagoons and failing septic systems are replaced by ATUs.

If these eff orts are duplicated from coast to coast, human, marine and all life will greatly benefi t. Clean water released from ATUs can, in turn, be used for any number of purposes, such as supplying drinking water, irrigating crops and sustaining aquatic life.

ATUs break down solids, reduce bacteria and transform nutrients — all in a very energy-effi cient way — returning clean water to our soils and waterways.

Your next fl ush could truly be making a positive diff erence if processed with the newest technology.

Credits: HydroDynamic Solutions, FujiClean USA, Advanced Wastewater Solutions, Maine Septic Solution, Morris Smith Engineering and Dr. Tracy Fanara, ocean scientist and environmental engineer.