Design of Onsite (Septic) Wastewater Treatment Systems

The safe treatment and disposal of wastewater are critically important actions to protect the public from disease-causing germs and parasites. Approximately 21% of United States home use and an unknown percentage of other non-residential users rely on onsite wastewater treatment systems to provide safe disposal of their wastewater. We will present a brief history on the growth of onsite wastewater treatment from pit privies to today’s advanced wastewater treatment systems and the role of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the states when it is proposed for use. We will explain in detail the different components, types, and methods of onsite wastewater treatment systems. There will be a detailed explanation of the importance of in-situ soil to the safe operation of onsite systems, along with some of the evaluation practices used to determine soil characteristics. The importance of the proper operation, maintenance, and planning in protecting groundwater from onsite effluent will also be covered.
In this course, we will discuss:
• History and onsite system components
• Wastewater treatment processes used in onsite wastewater systems
• Role of in-situ soil and wastewater characteristics
• Effluent dispersal
• Operation and Maintenance 
• Planning and groundwater protection