The purpose of this study was to describe a) the status of the household sewage systems in the municipality of Nordmaling, b) to suggest areas in which a higher level of protection would be required and c) to investigate which type of technological choice was appropriate for which type of soil. A survey was used to investigate the status of the household sewage systems. The status was judged mainly on the age and treatment of water. Protected areas, the ecological status and data for phosphorus and nitrogen were used to locate areas in need of a higher protection. Map data from the Geological Survey of Sweden was used to identify common soil types in Nordmaling. Subsequently, the map was complemented and verified with a field investigation. In a next step, characteristics of the soil types were compared to the requirements of four different sewage treatment technologies; infiltration, constructed infiltration, incinerator toilets and household sewage plants. The study shows that the household sewage systems in Nordmaling are in general not in a good condition. Almost 70 % of the sewage systems are older than 20 years and their function is likely not sufficient. The study suggests that the following areas should be included in the list of objects with high protection: Lögde- and Öre river, Kronören, Järnäs peninsula, waters with an ecological status below “good” and the protected water resources. Except for infiltration, all sewage treatment technologies were assumed to give appropriate results for all soil types.

Water is essential for our daily life. Despite this, much of our water has become polluted and nutrient-enriched. One main factor contributing to the problem are private sewers. In total, there are nearly 1 million private sewers in Sweden, which represent one of the largest point sources of nitrogen and phosphorus. A survey was carried out to investigate the status of private sewers at Källsjön, Sollefteå municipality. In addition, four municipalities around Sollefteå have been interviewed about the implementation of legislation concerning private sewers. The study shows that sewers around Källsjön are seemingly in relatively good condition. However, 36% of the polled property owners have drains that are over 20 years old, and the function of these drains can be questioned. Interestingly, many of the surveyed property owners do not even know how old their drains are and what type of facility they have. Three of four interviewed municipalities are currently not performing any active control of private sewers. All municipalities provided information to property owners regarding current legislation. The study suggests that municipalities should act proactively to establish comprehensive inventories, a first step towards raising the standard of the individual sewers.