Design Manual: Onsite Wastewater Treatment and ... - US EPA

[Pages:409]II I

II I

II I

EPA 625/1-80-012

DESIGN MANUAL ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT

AND DISPOSAL SYSTEMS

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

O fif i c e o f Water Program Operations

O f f i c e o f Research and Development Municipal Envi ronmental Research Laboratory

October 1980

NOTICE The mention o f t r a d e names o r commercial products i n t h i s p u b l i c a t i o n i s f o r i l l u s t r a t i o n purposes and does n o t c o n s t i t u t e endorsement o r recommendation for use by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.

ii

FOREWORD

Rural and suburban communities are confronted w i t h problems t h a t are unique t o t h e i r size and population density, and are often unable t o superimpose solutions t y p i c a l l y applicable t o larger urban areas. A good example o f such problems i s t h e p r o v i s i o n o f wastewater services.

I n t h e past, p r i o r i t i e s f o r water p o l l u t i o n c o n t r o l focused on t h e c i t i e s , s i n c e waste generation from these areas was most evident. I n such high- densi t y development, the tradit i onal sanitary engi neeri ng approach was t o c o n s t r u c t a network o f sewers t o convey wastewater t o a central location f o r treatment and disposal t o surface waters. Since a l a r g e number o f users e x i s t e d p e r u n i t l e n g t h o f sewer l i n e , t h e c o s t s o f c o n s t r u c t i o n and operation c o u l d be d i v i d e d among many people, thus keeping the financial burden on each user relatively low.

W i t h i n the p a s t several decades, m i g r a t i o n o f the population from c i t i e s t o suburban and r u r a l areas has been s i g n i f i c a n t . With t h i s s h i f t came the problems o f providing u t i l i t y services t o the residents. Unfortunately, in many cases, solutions to wastewater problems in urban areas have been a p p l i e d t o r u r a l communities. With the advent o f f e d e r a l programs t h a t p r o v i de g r a n t s f o r c o n s t r u c t i o n o f wastewater f a c i lities, sewers and centralized treatment plants were constructed in these low- density r u r a l s e t t i n g s . I n many cases t h e c o s t o f o p e r a t i n g and m a i n t a i n i n g such f a c i l i t i e s impose severe economic burdens on t h e communi t i e s .

Although wastewater treatment and di sposal systems s e r v i ng s i n g l e homes have been used f o r many years, they have o f t e n been considered an inadequate or temporary sol ution until sewers could be constructed. However, research has demonstrated t h a t such systems, i f constructed and maintained p r o p e r l y , can p r o v i d e a r e l i a b l e and e f f i c i e n t means o f wastewater treatment and disposal a t r e l a t i v e l y low cost.

T h i s document p r o v i des technical i n f o r m a t i o n on onsi t e wastewater treatment and disposal systems. It does n o t c o n t a i n standards f o r those systems, nor does i t c o n t a i n r u l e s o r r e g u l a t i o n s p e r t a i n i n g t o o n s i t e sy stems.

The i n t e n d e d audience f o r t h i s manual i n c l u d e s those i n v o l v e d i n t h e design, construction, operation, maintenance, and regulation o f onsi t e wastewater systems.

t d m i n i st r at o r

f o r Water Program Operations

Director Municipal Environmental

Research Laboratory

iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There were three groups o f participants involved i n the preparation o f t h i s manual : (1) t h e contractor- authors, (2) the c o n t r a c t supervisors,

and ( 3 ) t h e t e c h n i c a l reviewers. The manual was w r i t t e n by personnel from SCS Engi neers and Rural Systems Engi neeri ng (RSE). C o n t r a c t

supervi s i o n was p r o v i d e d by U.S. Environmental P r o t e c t i o n Agency (EPA)

personnel from t h e Municipal C o n s t r u c t i o n D i v i s i o n i n Washington, D.C. , and from the Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory i n Cincinnati ,

Ohio. The t e c h n i c a l reviewers were expertsin c e r t a i n areas o f o n s i t e

waste treatment and disposal , and included professors, health o f f i c i a l s ,

consultants, and government o f f i c i a l s . Each provided technical review o f a s e c t i o n o r s e c t i o n s o f the r e p o r t . The membership o f each group i s

li sted bel ow.

CONTRACTOR-AUTHORS:

Direction: C u r t i s J. Schmidt, SCS W i l l i a m C. Boyle, RSE

Senior Authors: E r n e s t V. Clements, P r o j e c t Manager, SCS Richard J . O t i s , RSE

C o n t r i b u t i n g Authors: David H. Bauer, SCS Robert L. Siegrist, E. Jerry Tyler,

Davi d E. Stewart, James C. Converse, RSE

CONTRACT SUPERVISORS: P r o j e c t O f f i c e r s : R o b e r t M. Southworth, OWPO, EPA, Washington, D.C.

Robert P. G. Bowker, MERL, EPA, C i n c i n n a t i , Ohio

Revi ewers: James K r e i ssl, MERL , EPA, Cinci n n a t i , Ohio

Denis Lussier, CERI, EPA, Cincinnati, Ohio Sherwood Reed, CRREL, COE, Hanover, N.H.

- TECHNICAL REVIEWERS:

- 1. Michael Hansel Minnesota P o l l u t i o n C o n t r o l Agency

2. Roger Machmeier U n i v e r s i t y of Minnesota

- 3. Jack Abney - P a r r o t t , Ely & Hurt, Inc., Lexington, Kentucky

4. W i l l i a m M e l l e n Lake County H e a l t h Department, I l l i n o i s

5. Rei n Laak - U n i v e r s i t y o f Connecticut

6. 7.

Gary B. L.

Plews Carl

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- Washington le - North C

Department arolina Sta

t

o e

f

Soc Univ

ial ers

& ity

H

e

a

lth

Services

- 8. John C l a y t o n - F a i r f a x County H e a l t h Department, V i r g i n i a

9. W i l l iam Sharpe Pennsyl vani a S t a t e Uni v e r s i t y

10. 11. 12. 13.

Elmer Edwin Harry Briar

Jones - U.S. Department o f A g r i c u l t

Bennett - University o f Colorado

Pence Cook

-

- Vi

U.S.

r

ginia Polyte Department

ch of

nic Ag

I ri

n c

s u

tit ltu

ur

ut re

e

e ,

Forest

Service

14. Marek Brandes - O n t a r i o M i n i s t r y o f the Environment ( R e t i r e d )

15. 16.

MJoihcnhaFeal nHcyine-sJo-hnI l

linois Fancy,

State

Inc. ,

Department Waldoboro,

of Public Maine

Health

iv

Chapter

CONTENTS

- Page

FORWORD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES

iii

V

vii

ix

xv

1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

1

1.2 Purpose

2

1.3 Scope

3

2

STRATEGY FOR ONSITE SYSTEM DESIGN

2.1 Introduction

4

2.2 O n s i t e System Design S t r a t e g y

4

3

SITE EVALUATION PROCEDURES

3.1 Introduction

13

3.2 Disposal Alt e r n a t i ves

13

3.3 S i t e E v a l u a t i o n S t r a t e g y

17

3.4 References

48

4

WASTEWATER CHARACTERISTICS

4.1 I n t r o d u c t i on

50

4.2 Residential Wastewater Characteristics

50

4.3 Nonresi d e n t i a l Wastewater Characteri s t i cs

57

4.4 Predi c t i ng Wastewater Characteristics

65

4.5 References

68

5

WASTEWATER MODIFICATION

5.1 I n t r o d u c t i on

70

5.2 Water Conservation and Wastewater Flow Reduction 71

5.3 P o l l u t a n t Mass Reduction

84

5.4 Onsite Containment - Holding Tanks

88

5.5 R e l i a b i l i t y

88

5.6 Impacts on O n s i t e Treatment and Disposal

Practices

92

5.7 References

95

V

Chapter

CONTENTS ( c o n t i nued)

-Page

6

ONSITE TREATMENT METHODS

6.1 I n t r o d u c t i on

97

6.2 Septic Tanks

98

6.3 I n t e r m i t t e n t Sand F i l t e r s

113

6.4 Aerobic Treatment U n i t s

140

6.5 D i s i n f e c t i o n

161

6.6 N u t r i e n t Removal

184

6.7 Waste Segregation and Recycl e Systems

197

6.8 References

199

7

DISPOSAL METHODS

7.1 I n t r o d u c t i on

206

7.2 Subsurface Soil Absorption

207

7.3 Evaporation Systems

300

7.4 O u t f a l l t o Surface Waters

316

7.5 References

316

8

APPURTENANCES

8.1 I n t r o d u c t i o n

321

8.2 Grease Traps

321

8.3 Dosing Chambers

327

8.4 Flow D i v e r s i o n Methods f o r A l t e r n a t i n g Beds

33 5

8.5 References

337

9

RESIDUALS DI SPOSAL

9.1 Introduction

338

9.2 Resi duals Characteri s t i cs

338

9.3 Residuals Handling Option

343

9.4 U l t i m a t e Disposal o f Septage

343

9.5 References

351

10

MANAGEMENT OF ONSITE SYSTEMS

10.1 I n t r o d u c t i o n

353

10.2 Theory o f Management

354

10.3 Types o f Management E n t i t i e s

355

10.4 Management Program Functi ons

358

10.5 References

366

APPENDIX - Soi l Properties and Soil-Water Relationships

367

GLOSSARY

382

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Number

2-1 2-2 3-1

3-2 3-3 3-4

3-5 3-6 3-7

3-8

3-9

3-10

3-11

3-12 3-13

3-14 3-15 3-16

FIGURES

Onsi t e Wastewater Management Options Onsi t e System Design Strategy

P o t e n t i a l Evaporation Versus Mean Annual Precip it a t i on

Example o f a P o r t i o n o f a S o i l Map a s P u b l i s h e d i n a Detailed Soil Survey (Actual Size)

T r a n s l a t i o n o f T y p i c a l S o i l Mapping U n i t Symbol

P l o t Plan Showing Soil Series Boundaries from Soil Survey Report

Plo t P l a n Showi ng Surface Features Landscape Posi tions Methods o f Expressing Land Slopes P r e p a r a t i o n o f Soi l Sample f o r F i e l d D e t e r m i n a t i o n

of Soil Texture

Soi l T e x t u r e Determi n a t i on by Hand: Physical

Appearance o f Vari ous Soi l Textures Comparison o f Ribbons and Casts o f Sandy Loam and

Clay (Ribbons Above, Casts Below) Exampl e Procedure f o r C o l l e c t i ng Soi l P i t

Observation I n f o r m a t ion

Types o f S o i l Structure T y p i c a l Observation Well f o r Determining Soi l

Saturation Construction of a Percometer Percolation Test Data Form

Compi lation o f Soi ls and S i t e Information

( I n f o r m a t i on Includes Topographic, Soi l Survey,

Onsite Slope and Soil P i t Observations)

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