The document discusses the challenge of wastewater management on Cape Cod, where 85% of buildings use septic systems. Rapid population growth is increasing the nitrogen from septic systems, which is the main cause of deteriorating coastal water quality. Traditional septic systems convert nitrogen to nitrates, but advanced treatment systems aim to remove nitrogen by converting it to nitrogen gas. While innovative onsite systems can remove 50-70% of nitrogen, large treatment plants are generally more efficient at removal. The document also discusses alternatives to traditional wastewater management like composting toilets, which reduce the volume of waste.

1. The Challenge of Wastewater on Cape Cod George Heufelder Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment & Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center [email_address]

3. The Impacts of Nitrogen in Marine Settings

4. DAYTIME –Oxygen Production It’s gonna be a long night. O 2 O 2 O 2 O 2 O 2 O 2 O 2 O 2 NIGHT -Oxygen Depletion Decomposition O 2 Respiration O 2 O 2

5. What is Wastewater Treatment ?

6. SEWAGE CESSPOOL SCUM

7. CALM PAUSES SEAS COOL

9. What Wastewater is not…. Radioactive Waste

10. How do traditional treatment methods treat wastewater?

11. Septic Tank NH 4 + NO 3 - Nitrosomonas – Ammonium to Nitrite Nitrobacter – Nitrite to Nitrate O 2 SOIL ABSORPTION SYSTEM The standard septic system efficiently transforms the nitrogen in wastewater to nitrate which conservatively moves in the groundwater toward the ocean.

12. A B

13. TAP WATER 2 Ft. Medium Sand

14. The challenge, in our geological setting is to Remove Nitrogen from Wastewater

15. Nitrogen from the atmosphere is fixed into tissue by plants We or animals eat the plants We process the food and eliminate excess Nitrogen (as urea) Septic tank bacteria convert urea to ammonium Leachfield bacteria convert ammonium to nitrate Oxygen deprived bacteria convert nitrate to nitrogen gas. Nitrogen returns to atmosphere Advanced treatment units manipulate the nitrogen cycle to return fixed nitrogen to the atmosphere

16. NITROGEN TRANSFORMATIONS IN WASTEWATER ARE MEDIATED PRIMARILY BY BACTERIA It’s all about ENERGY!

17. Are advanced treatment onsite septic systems a viable alternative to large treatment plants?

18. Performance Comparison of Selected Denitrification Systems Tested at the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center 1999-2003 .

19. What can we expect for treatment in “real” situations?

20. If you aren’t watchin’ they may not be working. In real situations ………

22. Single Family – All Technologies Combined (four or more samples)

23. Multi-Family – All Technologies Combined (four or more samples)

25. The emerging picture is that large wastewater treatment plants are the most efficient way to remove nitrogen…… But what if ?

26. Other Means of Dealing with Wastewater? (Don’t create so much!)

27. Instead of taking a small amount of waste and adding it to a large amount of water only to have to remove it again later (at quite a cost)

28. Instead of taking a small amount of waste and adding it to a large amount of water only to have to remove it again later (at quite a cost)

29. Instead of taking a small amount of waste and adding it to a large amount of water only to have to remove it again later (at quite a cost)

30. Instead of taking a small amount of waste and adding it to a large amount of water only to have to remove it again later (at quite a cost)

31. Instead of taking a small amount of waste and adding it to a large amount of water only to have to remove it again later (at quite a cost)

32. Instead of taking a small amount of waste and adding it to a large amount of water only to have to remove it again later (at quite a cost) Work Energy Expense

33. Instead of taking a small amount of waste and adding it to a large amount of water only to have to remove it again later (at quite a cost) Work Energy Expense

34. Instead of taking a small amount of waste and adding it to a large amount of water only to have to remove it again later (at quite a cost) Work Energy Expense

35. Why not prevent the small amount of waste from getting into a large amount in the first place.

36. Why not prevent the small amount of waste from getting into a large amount in the first place.

37. Why not prevent the small amount of waste from getting into a large amount in the first place.

38. Why not prevent the small amount of waste from getting into a large amount in the first place.

39. Why not prevent the small amount of waste from getting into a large amount in the first place.

40. Why not prevent the small amount of waste from getting into a large amount in the first place.

41. Why not prevent the small amount of waste from getting into a large amount in the first place.

42. So how can we do it?

43. Composting toilets allow for the separation of toilet waste (containing most of the nutrients and pathogens) from “graywater”

44. Composting toilets still need a means for safe graywater disposal Composting Toilets Smaller carousel type compost toilet

46. Foam flush toilet eliminates the objections of the “dark hole”, but creates approximately 500 gallons of liquid waste/year/household.

47. Thinking about that 500 gallons? Let’s do some math…… 1000 homes using composting toilet = 0.5 million gallons per YEAR 1000 homes on sewer using 250 gallons per day produces 0.5 million gallons every two days that require treatment!

48. Envirolet

49. Urine Diversion Diverting Urine to a tank for later collection and treatment/ recycling.

50. UREA IS THE MOST ABUNDANT NITROGEN-CONTAINING COMPOUND IN THE WASTE FROM OUR BODIES Although urine makes up only 1% of the total volume of wastewater, it accounts for 50–80% of the nutrient content.

51. Urine diversion may offer the opportunity to recover phosphorus and nitrogen as a fertilizer

52. Evapotranspiration Beds

53. Geoflow® Drip Irrigation

54. Surface and Subsurface Irrigation

55. Wastewater Management How will we know what’s best?

57. Questions ?