This document discusses different methods for managing wastewater, including reuse, recycling, discharge and treatment. It focuses on on-site and decentralized wastewater treatment systems, particularly septic systems. It describes how septic systems work by holding liquid waste in a septic tank, where sludge and scum are separated from the liquid, which is then dispersed into a drainfield for further treatment by the soil. Approximately 25% of single residences and 33% of new developments in the US use on-site septic systems.