On-Demand Course
Learn more and register

View Important Policies and System Requirements for this course

Interested in registering 5 or more engineers for a course? Contact us for information and rates.

INSTRUCTOR: 
Dennis F. Hallahan, P.E. - Licensed Professional Engineer with thirty plus years of experience in the design and construction of large, decentralized wastewater treatment systems. Published author and skilled presenter.

Purpose and Background

Decentralized wastewater treatment systems also known as septic systems and small community systems used to only be implemented if there was no possible way to connect to a centralized sewer line. However, there is no longer “one solution" in wastewater treatment. Many aspects of wastewater treatment including collection, treatment, disposal, and operation and maintenance are very similar between decentralized and centralized wastewater treatment. This 4-hour webinar will provide you with an overview of decentralized wastewater systems. It will:

  1. Explore those similarities and review details on decentralized treatment projects, both residential and commercial, with daily design flows that would have been thought to only be treatable via centralized wastewater treatment. This presentation will also explore the positive impact of decentralized systems on the environment and how they contribute to groundwater recharge.
  2. Review how many aspects of wastewater treatment including collection, treatment, disposal, and operation and maintenance are very similar between decentralized and centralized wastewater treatment. This presentation will explore active and passive treatment methods for decentralized systems.
  3. Examine how high strength waste is a challenge for any type of wastewater treatment system. Each facility type has unique wastewater characteristics for the designer to consider. Therefore, the more information the designer can obtain, the better the designer can account for distinct conditions. This may include sampling, water meter records or usage patterns. The designer should review the costs and benefits of the additional design features with the owner and then it becomes an owner decision. This presentation will review a list of best practices when designing with high strength waste streams.
  4. Explore onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems (OSTS) that are a part of the nation’s Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure and play a large role in protecting public health and the environment. These systems have come a long way with the associated professionals, regulatory programs, and manufacturers. But where are OSTS’s going? What are the next items on the horizon which our industry will face? There are advancements in technology from contractor’s equipment to new advanced wastewater treatment technology and the implementation of regulations which require higher treatment levels. There will be new items to address such phosphorus and Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs), which are chemicals and toxics that have been found in waterbodies that may cause ecological or human health impacts and are not currently regulated. This presentation will discuss the potential future pathways where decentralized systems can face the next generation of challenges.

Benefits and Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

  • Describe Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs)
  • Explain key factors that must be taken into account when designing decentralized systems
  • List environmental benefits of decentralized systems (Green and sustainable)
  • Explain Active vs. Passive Treatment and difference in Technologies
  • Explain the best treatment design management practices for decentralized systems
  • Explain Influent characteristics and how they affect system performance
  • Explain decentralized systems and high strength waste
  • Apply best design management practices decentralized systems and high strength waste
  • Apply sustainable design principles for decentralized systems
  • Implement decentralized strategies to address future regulatory limits
  • Explain the life cycle of water and the role decentralized systems play in groundwater recharge

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

Who Should Attend?

  • Civil Engineers
  • Environmental and wastewater engineers
  • Design Engineers
  • Designers
  • Regulators
  • Operators and O&M Providers

Outline

Passive Onsite vs Centralized Wastewater Treatment Systems

  1. Introduction
    1. Centralized and Decentralized Wastewater review of the two models
    2. Brief history of wastewater treatment in the US
    3. Centralized Wastewater Treatment Specifics
    4. Decentralized/Onsite Wastewater Treatment Background
  2. Carbon Footprint Study
    1. Operation and Maintenance
    2. Sustainability
    3. Definition of embodied Carbon and embodied energy
  3. Results
    1. Review of Treatment Costs
    2. Average treatment costs per Connection
  4. Benefits of Decentralized (10 minutes)
    1. Benefits of Decentralized
    2. USEPA Short Papers
    3. System Examples

Active and Passive Treatment Options for Decentralized Systems

  1. Introduction
    1. Onsite decentralized wastewater treatment systems (residential, community and commercial) treatment overview
    2. Treatment requirements, benefits, needs and regulations (NSF, 10 state standards, NPDES)
    3. What is active treatment
    4. What is passive treatment
  2. Passive Treatment - Combined Treatment and Dispersal
    1. Overview of Combined Treatment and Dispersal (sand-based treatment systems)
    2. Definition of Passive Treatment
    3. Applications, treatment and case studies
    4. System Sand Specification and Testing
  3. Active Treatment - Advanced Treatment Units (ATU’s and Package Plants) (15 minutes)
    1. What is active treatment (Aerobic treatment)
    2. O&M Requirements

High Strength Waste Treatment for Decentralized Systems

  1. Introduction High Strength Waste
    1. HSW in Onsite Codes
    2. Wastewater influent characteristics
    3. High Strength Waste definitions
  2. Influent characteristics
    1. Influent Resources
    2. Facility type and influent characteristics (restaurant, library, convenience store, etc.)
    3. Design considerations and case studies
    4. HSW best practices
  3. High Strength Waste
    1. What is high strength waste?
    2. How codes deal with high strength waste (prescriptive)
    3. High strength waste facility types review

What the future holds for Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems

  1. Introduction and History of Decentralized Wastewater Treatment (15 minutes)
    1. Timeline of Decentralized Wastewater Treatment
      1. Cuyahoga River Watershed Event
      2. 1972 Clean Water Act
  2. Decentralized Wastewater Treatment, where we are and what the future holds (40 minutes)
    1. Where we are, status of the decentralized industry.
    2. How we all work together to implement change (Engineers, Contractors and Regulators).
    3. Future changes to Protect Public Health and the Environment
      1. Where are OSTS’s going?
      2. Next items on the horizon
      3. Advancements in installation equipment to wastewater treatment technology.
      4. Addressing nutrients and Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs)
      5. Future Pathways and Challenges

How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs

This webinar is worth 0.4 CEU/4 PDHs. To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short post-test in class and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 365 days of purchase.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]