Sewering was financially unfeasible so the Suffolk County Health De- partment began a “Reclaim Our Water Initiative” focused on reducing nitrogen by replacing existing septic systems with individual AOWTS. The initiative includes a demonstration program to pilot these advanced treatment technologies. In this public-private partnership, manufactur- ers donate the systems, including advanced treatment technologies and shallow dispersal drainfields, to the demonstration program. Tested and monitored by the county for six months, if the system meets the county “pass criteria” standard of a 50 percent reduction in nitrogen, it gains Provisional Use Approval. The county also upgraded its sanitary code to allow for the changes needed to incorporate these advanced Decentralized systems offer many benefits for small residential or community applications and the best approach varies from case to case. Community leaders and residents need to define the community’s environmental challenges and anticipated growth in making the best wastewater treatment choice. Local codes, proximity to water bodies, and anticipated daily flows are additional key factors for individual, commercial, or community systems. In most cases, the decentralized approach can offer lower cost, high performance, and versatility when compared with a centralized option. technologies. Conclusion
The National Onsite Wastewater Association (NOWRA), the largest wastewater organization in North America, is dedicated to provid- ing resources to members and professionals wishing to incorporate decentralized treatment. Organization members include regulators, educators, engineers, and manufacturers of decentralized wastewater products and systems. NOWRA also has an extensive training program in place that is accessed via national or state affiliate shows. Find out more at www.nowra.org. Another resource for wastewater engineers and designers is numerous state and university-based demonstration programs and test centers such as the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center (www.masstc.org) and the North Carolina Soil and Water Environmen- tal Technology Center (http://soils.ces.ncsu.edu/training).
ALLISON BLODIG , REHS , is a senior regulatory specialist at Infiltrator Water Technologies. She has more than 20 years of experience in designing, inspecting, and troubleshooting many types of decentralized systems. She can be contacted at ablodig@infiltratorwater.com.
Low-profile stormwater detention
UNC-Wilmington upgrades athletic fields to maximize use and reduce flooding. By Gina Carolan
The University of North Carolina-Wilmington determined in 2013 that it needed to upgrade its recreational facilities. The university had already invested heavily in its buildings, primarily to save money through better energy efficiency. The university’s $45 million facilities enhancement plan included $7.5 million to improve four athletic fields used primarily by its intramural and club sports teams. Two of the fields were synthetic turf, and the others were natural grass. The budget included $500,000 for stormwater improvements, $2.5 million for artificial turf fields, $750,000 for natural fields, and $1.5 million for buildings and infrastructure. When the university celebrated the grand opening of the new athletic fields in August 2017, Chancellor Jose Sartarelli grabbed a soccer ball
and demonstrated the athletic aptitude he developed as a boy in his native Brazil. Students, administrators, and staff celebrated completion of the project, which began even prior to Sartarelli’s arrival in 2015. Work contractors, especially those who designed the stormwater man- agement solution, had also earned the right to celebrate. The project presented several challenges, including a large site disturbance, strict drainage requirements, and high-water tables. Stormwater engineers designed two systems using entirely different CULTEC chambers. The chamber stormwater detention systems, covered by 6 inches of No. 57 stone, 2 inches of No. 8 stone, and 1.75 inches of artificial turf, are rated for traffic. Photo: courtesy of CULTEC
46
csengineermag.com
january 2018
Made with FlippingBook Annual report