Waste-Water Systems

During 1996 through 1999, six different full-scale on-lot treatment technologies were constructed and then evaluated on the campus of Delaware Valley College. The PA Department of Environmental Protection funded this research conducted under the guidance of Larry Hepner.

The six system technologies, consisting of various primary treatment components, secondary treatment components and soil-based components, were chosen for study using a pre-selection process.  These full-scale systems are capable of handling 400 gallons of flow per day and consist of the following sites:

Technology A- Wetland Construction










Technology B - Denitrification system coupled with at grade soil absorption

 

Technology C - Evaluation of four different types of sand filters

 

 

 

Technology D - Intermittent sand filter with time dosed soil distribution

 

 

 

 

Technology E - Intermittent sand filter with trickle irrigation













Technology F - septic tank effluent

These proposed technologies have the potential to provide cost-competitive or less expensive options to existing systems for 21 million acres in Pennsylvania as well as provide an alternative on 1 million acres where current technologies are not available. From a land-use-planning perspective, development often occurs on prime agricultural soils, because these are the only soils that currently are permitted for on-lot wastewater systems. Instead, the technologies under study offer the potential for communities to utilize non-prime agricultural soils for on-lot wastewater systems. 

Analysis of effluent quality was conducted from March 1997 – August 1999.