On-site sewage systems, such as septic tank-absorption trenches, are used by approximately 20 000 people who live within the catchments that supply Sydney??s drinking water. These systems discharge sewage, treated to varying degrees depending on the system type and level of maintenance, to the environment. This can result in contamination of drinking water supplies if systems are not designed or managed appropriately. The aim of the project was to develop a methodology to define appropriate buffer distances between on-site sewage systems and waterways in Sydney??s drinking water catchments, to ensure the protection of drinking water quality. Specific objectives included: identifying the current status of on-site sewage management; assessing the effluent quality and treatment performance of septic tanks, aerated wastewater treatment systems (AWTS) with disinfection and an amended material sand mound; and development of an appropriate methodology for delineating buffer distances and assessing development applications. Viruses were used as a focus for delineating the buffer distances due to their mobility and robustness in the environment, and the potential health consequences of their presence in drinking water. A Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) model was developed to calculate the cumulative impact of the on-site sewage systems in the Warragamba catchment based on data from literature and experiments, with consideration of virus loads from sewage treatment plants within the catchments. The model enabled consideration of what was a tolerable impact in terms of the resulting infections within the community. The QMRA the tolerable loads of viruses from the Warragamba catchment were 108 viruses per year in raw water and 104 viruses per year in treated water. A log reduction method was developed to facilitate individual site development assessments. This method was compared to other management approaches to development assessment: fixed minimum buffer distances of 100m, reducing failure rates to zero, and the use of a preferred system. Each of these methods had a limit for how much they could reduce virus loads to the catchment due to either failure or short buffer distances at some sites. While the log reduction method is limited by the failure rates, the method provides a quantitative measure of risk by which maintenance inspections can be prioritised.

The frequency of on-site systems for treatment of domestic wastewater is increasing with new residential development in both rural and low-density suburban areas. Subsurface flow constructed wetlands (SFCW) have emerged as a viable option to achieve advanced or secondary treatment of domestic wastewater. The pollutant removal efficiency in SFCW depends on design parameters. Many of these factors have been investigated while others such as aspect ratio, design of water inlet structure and method of dosing the wetland have yet to be fully examined. This study examined the effect of aspect ratio and header design on BOD5 removal efficiency as well as the impact of flow rate on flow distribution in a SFCW. An aspect ratio of 4:1 achieved 10% greater removal of organic matter than a 1:1 ratio. Tracer studies demonstrated that wetlands loaded at a constant rate of 3.8 L/min and 7.6 L/min experienced preferential flow. In addition, tracer studies showed wetlands with leaching chambers as headers failed to achieve equal flow distribution. An improvement in effluent water quality was achieved by replacing the leaching chamber for a perforated manifold as the inlet structure. This study demonstrated the importance of the careful selection of aspect ratio and means by which water is introduced to the wetland in the design of SFCW.

On-site sewage systems, such as septic tank-absorption trenches, are used by approximately 20 000 people who live within the catchments that supply Sydney??s drinking water. These systems discharge sewage, treated to varying degrees depending on the system type and level of maintenance, to the environment. This can result in contamination of drinking water supplies if systems are not designed or managed appropriately. The aim of the project was to develop a methodology to define appropriate buffer distances between on-site sewage systems and waterways in Sydney??s drinking water catchments, to ensure the protection of drinking water quality. Specific objectives included: identifying the current status of on-site sewage management; assessing the effluent quality and treatment performance of septic tanks, aerated wastewater treatment systems (AWTS) with disinfection and an amended material sand mound; and development of an appropriate methodology for delineating buffer distances and assessing development applications. Viruses were used as a focus for delineating the buffer distances due to their mobility and robustness in the environment, and the potential health consequences of their presence in drinking water. A Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) model was developed to calculate the cumulative impact of the on-site sewage systems in the Warragamba catchment based on data from literature and experiments, with consideration of virus loads from sewage treatment plants within the catchments. The model enabled consideration of what was a tolerable impact in terms of the resulting infections within the community. The QMRA the tolerable loads of viruses from the Warragamba catchment were 108 viruses per year in raw water and 104 viruses per year in treated water. A log reduction method was developed to facilitate individual site development assessments. This method was compared to other management approaches to development assessment: fixed minimum buffer distances of 100m, reducing failure rates to zero, and the use of a preferred system. Each of these methods had a limit for how much they could reduce virus loads to the catchment due to either failure or short buffer distances at some sites. While the log reduction method is limited by the failure rates, the method provides a quantitative measure of risk by which maintenance inspections can be prioritised.

No description available.

L'assainissement a de tout temps été une préoccupation majeure pour des questions d'hygiène et de santé publique. Une installation d'assainissement non collectif (ANC) assure la collecte, le transport, le traitement et l'évacuation des eaux usées domestiques. En France, l’ANC représente 20 % des installations de traitement des eaux usées domestiques. Cela concerne une population de 12 millions d'habitants, soit environ cinq millions d'installations en zones rurales. Parmi les technologies utilisées dans l’ANC, les systèmes de filtration biologique utilisant un milieu filtrant sont souvent mis en oeuvre. Le traitement des eaux usées (élimination des matières en suspension et de la matière organique) est effectué par les actions conjointes de filtration, et de biodégradation par des bactéries se développant au sein du milieu filtrant. Historiquement, des matériaux comme le sable et la tourbe sont les plus utilisés, et plus récemment des milieux à base de copeaux de coco venus remplacer la tourbe dont l’extraction est interdite, sont en développement croissant. Cependant, l’empreinte carbone produite par l'importation depuis l'étranger de matériaux tels que ce dernier est très importante. Dès lors l’utilisation de sousproduits agro-industriels locaux pourrait la diminuer et rendre l’utilisation de ces nouveaux milieux filtrants plus compatible avec des critères environnementaux. Le premier objectif de cette thèse est de déterminer le degré de fiabilité en conditions réelles d’un milieu filtrant innovant d’origine végétale ayant fait ses preuves en conditions de laboratoire. L’étude est basée sur la mise en parallèle de résultats obtenus en laboratoire et sur le terrain. Au laboratoire, une approche hydraulique a permis de caractériser le fonctionnement du lit filtrant. Sur le terrain, l’évaluation d’un filtre compact qui fonctionne de façon continue depuis plus de quatre ans et de cinq autres installations a été réalisée. Pour l’ensemble des installations, le milieu filtrant testé permet d’obtenir une qualité des eaux rejetées en accord avec la règlementation en vigueur. Les pourcentages moyens de réduction estimés de la DCO, de la DBO5 et des MES sont respectivement de plus de 79 %, 98 % et 88 %, confirmant ainsi la forte dégradation de la matière carbonée et de la pollution particulaire. Le second objectif de cette thèse consiste à établir un jeu de paramètres physicochimiques permettant de guider le choix de nouveaux matériaux potentiellement utilisables en ANC. Pour ce faire, la caractérisation des paramètres physicochimiques clés de nouveaux matériaux et des paramètres hydrauliques des lits filtrants correspondants a été effectuée. Une analyse statistique a permis d’étudier les corrélations entre ces paramètres et les performances épuratoires des matériaux. Au final, une méthodologie de sélection a été proposée. / Sanitation has always been a major concern for hygiene and public health issues. An on-site sewage facility (OSSF) ensures the collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of domestic wastewater. In France, the OSSF represents 20% of domestic wastewater treatment facilities. This represents a population of 12 million or about five million rural settlements. Among the technologies used in the OSSF, biological filtration systems using a filter media are often implemented. The treatment of wastewater (removal of suspended solids and organic matter) is carried out by the joint actions of filtration, and biodegradation by bacteria developing within the filter media. Historically, materials such as sand and peat are the most used. More recently coconut-based media to replace peat, the extraction of which is prohibited, are in increasing development. However, the carbon footprint of foreign imports of materials such as coconut is very important. Therefore, the use of local agro-industrial by-products could reduce the carbon footprint and make the use of these new filter media more compatible with environmental criteria. The first objective of this PhD thesis is to determine the degree of reliability under real conditions of an innovative filtering medium of lignocellulosic origin that has been proven successful in laboratory conditions. The study is based on the comparison of results obtained in the laboratory and in the field. In the laboratory, a hydraulic approach allowed the characterisation of the filter bed operation. In the field, the evaluation of a compact filter that has been running continuously for more than four years and five other installations has been completed. For all installations, the filter media tested allowed a quality of the discharged water in accordance with the current regulations. The estimated average reduction percentages of COD, BOD5 and TSS, are respectively over 79%, 98% and 88%, thus confirming the important degradation of the organic matter and particulate pollution. The second objective of this PhD thesis is to establish a set of physicochemical parameters to guide the choice of new materials potentially usable in OSSF. To do this, the characterisation of the key physicochemical parameters of new materials and the hydraulic parameters of the corresponding filter beds were carried out. Statistical analysis made it possible to study the correlations between these parameters and the purification performances of the materials. In the end, a selection methodology has been proposed.

The objective of this study was to investigate the need for domestic wastewater to receive secondary treatment when being applied to the soil by subsurface drip irrigation (SDI). SDI uniformly distributes wastewater into the soil, which optimizes the soil’s chemical, physical, and biological capacity to remove waste constituents. Because of these advantages, many regulatory jurisdictions are allowing SDI at sites that previously were prohibited from using conventional trench-based soil application systems because of shallow soil restrictions. However, most of these regulatory agencies also require that the wastewater receives secondary treatment (dissolved organic carbon reduction) before the SDI system. At issue is whether the enhanced soil-based renovation provided by SDI should eliminate the necessity for secondary treatment before SDI. Two SDI systems were installed and monitored at two sites in Tennessee. These locations were residential developments served by a septic tank effluent pump (STEP) collection system, a recirculating media filter (fine gravel media), and SDI dispersal. At both locations, SDI plots were established to receive primary treated (septic tank effluent) and secondary treated (recirculating media filter effluent) wastewater. In close proximity to randomly selected SDI emitters, soil samples were extracted. Soil cores were analyzed to determine saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), and pore water samples were analyzed for nitrate, total nitrogen, total carbon, and total phosphorus. Results indicate that the primary-treated sites had lower Ksat values, higher nitrate and higher total nitrogen levels than the secondary-treated side and the background soil. Interestingly, the primary treated side had less total carbon and the background phosphorus concentration was twice that of the primary and secondary treated sides. Primary effluent showed a decrease in concentration for all constituents with increased depth. Secondary treatment does result in a higher quality effluent but is not needed when applying effluent with a SDIS.

Aquatic eutrophication is a serious environmental problem that occurs all over the world. To protect surface waters (in particular the Baltic Sea), the regulatory pressure on onsite wastewater treatment (OWT) systems have increased in Sweden. Stringent requirements have led to uncertainties regarding the capability of conventional treatment techniques (soil treatment systems (STS)) to remove phosphorus (P), but they have also stimulated the development and introduction of enhanced P treatment techniques. In this thesis the accumulation and mobility of P as well as the chemical P removal mechanisms were studied in soils and reactive filter media. This knowledge was then used in environmental systems analysis. A model based on life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was developed to evaluate the overall environmental performance of conventional and enhanced P treatment systems under various local conditions. The P accumulation in the studied STS varied (320-870 g m-3) and the accumulated P was rather mobile in some soils. Phosphorus compounds were identified in alkaline reactive filter media (calcium phosphates predominated) by means of X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES). In sandy soils from STS aluminium was found to be a key element for P removal, as evidenced by a strong relationship between oxalate-extractable P and Al. The LCA studies indicated that enhanced P treatment systems may be beneficial from an eutrophication and P recycling perspective but causes increased impacts in terms of global warming and acidification. Despite the drawbacks, enhanced P treatment techniques should be considered suitable substitutes to surface water discharge STS under most conditions. This is because the latter systems have such a strong eutrophication impact. On the other hand, under appropriate conditions, STS with groundwater discharge may be advantageous. These systems generally caused low environmental impacts except for the dispersion of P resources. / <p>QC 20130419</p>

The objective of this study was to investigate the need for domestic wastewater to receive secondary treatment when being applied to the soil by subsurface drip irrigation (SDI). SDI uniformly distributes wastewater into the soil, which optimizes the soil’s chemical, physical, and biological capacity to remove waste constituents. Because of these advantages, many regulatory jurisdictions are allowing SDI at sites that previously were prohibited from using conventional trench-based soil application systems because of shallow soil restrictions. However, most of these regulatory agencies also require that the wastewater receives secondary treatment (dissolved organic carbon reduction) before the SDI system. At issue is whether the enhanced soil-based renovation provided by SDI should eliminate the necessity for secondary treatment before SDI.Two SDI systems were installed and monitored at two sites in Tennessee. These locations were residential developments served by a septic tank effluent pump (STEP) collection system, a recirculating media filter (fine gravel media), and SDI dispersal. At both locations, SDI plots were established to receive primary treated (septic tank effluent) and secondary treated (recirculating media filter effluent) wastewater. In close proximity to randomly selected SDI emitters, soil samples were extracted. Soil cores were analyzed to determine saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), and pore water samples were analyzed for nitrate, total nitrogen, total carbon, and total phosphorus. Results indicate that the primary-treated sites had lower Ksat values, higher nitrate and higher total nitrogen levels than the secondary-treated side and the background soil. Interestingly, the primary treated side had less total carbon and the background phosphorus concentration was twice that of the primary and secondary treated sides. Primary effluent showed a decrease in concentration for all constituents with increased depth. Secondary treatment does result in a higher quality effluent but is not needed when applying effluent with a SDIS.

Sludge accumulation, treatment and disposal can represent a high percentage of the operating cost for a wastewater system. This is especially important for small-scale and onsite wastewater treatment systems, where sludge removal can be one of the few operating costs of the system. In 2000, as a result of a large number of septic system failures, the community of Wardsville installed a Clearford Industries Inc. Small Bore Sewer™ (SBS™) system which included two-chamber 3600 L tanks located on the properties of individual homes. The tanks were collectively attached to a small bore piping system to deliver the effluent from the tanks to a small community wastewater treatment system. During the summer of 2007, a field study was initiated with a community survey, followed by a review of candidate sites, leading to the selection of 29 sites for site investigation and sampling. Sampling involved the collection of samples for sludge characterization along with the measurements of the height of solids (scum and sludge) within the tank. The data were analyzed to determine the factors having a statistically significant impact on solids accumulation rates within each of the two chambers of the tank. Household water usage was found to be the variable having the strongest association with sludge and scum accumulation, and models were estimated relating solids accumulation to water usage in order predict pump out frequency. A second field sampling program was conducted in Wardsville during April 2008, involving only the first chamber of 13 primary clarifier tanks. Overall contributions have been made in understanding and quantifying solids accumulation rates and sludge characterization in onsite primary clarifier tanks. As well, the information gained from the analysis of the data collected provides a meaningful insight into the factors influencing solids accumulation within individual residential primary clarifier tanks, and points to future research directions for understanding the factors influencing solids accumulation. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-04-25 15:34:46.243

Sludge accumulation, treatment and disposal can represent a high percentage of the operating cost for a wastewater system. This is especially important for small-scale and onsite wastewater treatment systems, where sludge removal can be one of the few operating costs of the system. In 2000, as a result of a large number of septic system failures, the community of Wardsville installed a Clearford Industries Inc. Small Bore Sewer™ (SBS™) system which included two-chamber 3600 L tanks located on the properties of individual homes. The tanks were collectively attached to a small bore piping system to deliver the effluent from the tanks to a small community wastewater treatment system. During the summer of 2007, a field study was initiated with a community survey, followed by a review of candidate sites, leading to the selection of 29 sites for site investigation and sampling. Sampling involved the collection of samples for sludge characterization along with the measurements of the height of solids (scum and sludge) within the tank. The data were analyzed to determine the factors having a statistically significant impact on solids accumulation rates within each of the two chambers of the tank. Household water usage was found to be the variable having the strongest association with sludge and scum accumulation, and models were estimated relating solids accumulation to water usage in order predict pump out frequency. A second field sampling program was conducted in Wardsville during April 2008, involving only the first chamber of 13 primary clarifier tanks. Overall contributions have been made in understanding and quantifying solids accumulation rates and sludge characterization in onsite primary clarifier tanks. As well, the information gained from the analysis of the data collected provides a meaningful insight into the factors influencing solids accumulation within individual residential primary clarifier tanks, and points to future research directions for understanding the factors influencing solids accumulation. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-04-25 15:34:46.243