Commercial / Community Wastewater Treatment
Information is available from a wide range of sources to help communities better understand community wastewater treatment, including decentralized and onsite solutions. These resources highlight key considerations such as system benefits, operational responsibilities, regulatory requirements, and funding opportunities. Together, they provide a starting point for communities exploring sustainable wastewater management approaches that protect public health, support long-term infrastructure planning, and ensure compliance with environmental standards.
National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association NOWRA)
- Does Your Community Need a Sewer? (PDF)
- Restaurant Dos and Don’ts for Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (PDF) - High-strength wastewater
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheets:
The four documents below offer brief but compelling reasons why communities should consider decentralized wastewater treatment solutions when making water infrastructure decisions.
- Introduction to Decentralized Wastewater Treatment: A Sensible Solution (PDF)
- Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Can Be Cost Effective and Economical (PDF)
- Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Can Be Green and Sustainable (PDF)
- Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Can Protect the Environment, Public Health, and Water Quality (PDF)
Manuals & Guidelines:
- Voluntary National Guidelines for Management of Onsite and Clustered (Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems (PDF) - Guide to help communities establish comprehensive management programs to ensure that their decentralized systems function properly.
- Guidelines Factsheet (PDF)
- Presentation: Understanding the Decentralized Management Guidelines (PDF)
- Handbook for Managing Onsite and Clustered (Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems (PDF) - A "how-to" guide for implementing EPA's Voluntary National Guidelines for Management of Onsite and Clustered (Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems. The guide describes a step-by-step approach for the development of a community management program for decentralized wastewater systems.
- Handbook Factsheet (PDF)
- It's Your Choice: A Guidebook for Local Officials on Small Community Wastewater Management Options (PDF) - Booklet that describes wastewater management systems for communities serving populations fewer than 10,000 people.
- Programs Related to Septic Systems
- Tribal Management of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (PDF)
- Planning for Septic Systems: Use of Online Decentralized Systems in Developing Areas (PDF) - Provides information for homeowners and community officials on the realities of septic systems, the benefits of an onsite wastewater management plan, the steps in developing a plan, and resources for more information.
- The Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN) is a "first-stop shop" providing environmental management, planning, funding, and regulatory information for local government elected and appointed officials, managers, and staff.
- Case Studies and Demonstration Projects
- Decentralized Background and Technology (PDF) - This presentation talks about the pros and cons of centralized sewers and septic systems. It also discusses different septic system technologies.
- Distributed Systems Overview Fact Sheet (PDF)
- Large-Capacity Septic Systems
National Environmental Services Center (NESC)
- Rural and Small Systems Guidebook to Sustainable Utility ...
- Septic Systems: A Practical Alternative for Small Communities (PDF) - Pipeline newsletter, Summer 2004 - When properly designed, installed, and maintained, septic systems can be the most cost-effective and efficient method of wastewater treatment a homeowner can choose.
- Why and How to Educate the Homeowner about Septic Systems (PDF)
Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF)
- Performance and Costs for Decentralized Unit Processes
- Modeling Onsite Wastewater Systems at the Watershed Scale: A User’s Guide
- When to Consider Distributed Systems in an Urban and Suburban Context
- Guidance for Establishing Successful Responsible Management Entities
- Analysis of Existing Community-Sized Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems
- Guidance for Evaluation of Potential Groundwater Mounding Associated with Cluster and High-Density Wastewater Soil Absorption System
- Integration: A New Framework and Strategy for Water Management in Cities and Towns
- Sustainable Water Resources Management Volume 1: Executive Summary
- Sustainable Water Resources Management Volume 2: Green Building Case Studies
- Sustainable Water Resources Management Volume 3: Case Studies on New Water Paradigm
- Decentralized Wastewater System Reliability Analysis Handbook
- New Approaches in Decentralized Water Infrastructure
- Wastewater Planning Handbook: Mapping Onsite Treatment Needs, Pollution Risks, and Management Options Using GIS
- Methods for Comparison of Wastewater Treatment Options
- Application of a Risk-Based Approach to Community Wastewater Management: Tisbury, Massachusetts
- Overcoming Barriers to Evaluation and Use of Decentralized Wastewater Technologies and Management
- Quantifying Site-Scale Processes and Watershed-Scale Cumulative Effects of Decentralized Wastewater Systems
- Creative Community Design and Wastewater Management
- A Status of Tools and Support for Community Decentralized Wastewater Solutions
- Smart, Clean, and Green: 21st Century Sustainable Water Infrastructure
- Expanding Communication in Communities Addressing Wastewater Needs
- Cluster Wastewater Systems Planning Handbook
- Assessment of Grease Interceptor Performance - High-strength wastewater