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11 APPLETON ST ao � Please-call with questions/concerns ° We appreciate your business Septic System Functio1n Checkand 1Pumping Report Property Owner's Name: �G I tl KCUY 1Ce Property Address: 1A Date of Pump/Function Check Routine: 1A Emergency: ❑ CESSPOOL SYSTEM *YES indicates there is a problem, NO indicates there is no roblem YES NO Tank structure Breakout or ponding Liquid level above inlet invert Liquid level above outlet invert Tee or Baffles missingor broken inlet Tee or Baffles missing or broken outlet FILTER PRESENT ❑ Yes �No TYPE: Condition: ❑Cleaned ❑Replaced ❑Installed TANK LEVELS AND MEASUREMENTS Size of tank 35 00 Actual amount pumped 35o p AUG 14 2006 Scum layer a (-!T" �F Sludge depth (q tt BOARS 0'r r LALTH Liquid level OVERFLOW TANK PRESENT EI-Yes No Size of tank Actual amount pumped Liquid level Condition COMMENTS: t � 0ooNORWALK WASTEiLE NT COMPANY 220 Repubfc Sheet _ Nomalk,OH 44857-1156 Phone(419)668-4471 Fax(419)663-5440 w nor eco.com , November 18, 2005 Ms. Virginia Moustakis ZDDS 120 Washington St FI 4 DEC 0 S Salem, MA 01970-3523 CITY OF SALEM Dear Ms. Moustakis: BOARD OF HEATH Onsite system failure and the resulting threat to public health is becoming a bigger issue everyday. Federal and state regulators, rigorously enforcing the Clean Water Act, are putting pressure on local health departments, designers and contractors to solve this public health problem. Many onsite professionals have found a permanent answer to the questions that are all too familiar. Will the solution work? Does it have proven performance? Can it be managed and serviced? Can the homeowner afford it? Who else has tried this? The BK 2000 is used throughout the country to upgrade failing systems and to prevent premature system failure. Many areas, just like yours, with the same basic problems, have discovered that the Bio-Kinetic® wastewater management system provides the answers with: • Improved treatment performance through proven processes • Equalized flow up to 50% • Pathogen elimination • No electrical connections required • Compact size for on-lot size restrictions • Affordable for the homeowner • NSF Standard 46 listing For additional product information or an individual consultation on how the BK 2000 can help your area, please return the postage-paid response card, give us a call at (419) 668-4471, fax to (419) 663-5440, email bk2000@norweco.com or visit us at www.norweco.com/bk2000. Sincerely, NORWECO, INC. 4k 0-'*4IV � Shelly L. Wybensinger Sales Manager Enclosures: (3) BK 2000 Articles Response Card PROGRESS THROUGH SERVICE SINCE 1906 "For restaurants,facilities 3 with food preparation, and other producers of high organic wastewaters, the Gyreayse designers must evaluate s he ®, sod alternative pretreatment �L The ® schemes that can reduce the excess organics..." When planning for a new Synagogue to be built, needed to use an (USEPA Onsite Wastewater the Baltimore County Health Department knew they onsite treatment and Treatment Systems Manual) had to require more than conventional treatment disposal system. to manage the fats,oils and grease that would be The new grounds generated by the social hall. High strength waste included enough room for a large, multi-tank septic surging out of the grease trap during busy times system and leaching tile field. The major issue could cause plumbing blockages and complete would be the disposal of food and grease from system failure. Previous experience had taught that beautiful new kitchen area. Fats, oils and them to prevent the problem before it occurred, grease, not properly treated,will create significant rather than repair it afterwards. The temple's 500 problems in an onsite system.- Hydraulic surges families now rely on a method of advanced from dishwashers and appliances push grease pretreatment that serves as faithfully as they do. downstream and keep it in suspension. If the grease reaches the disposal bed,the piping and Background Information soil within the bed will become clogged: Based on their own experience, and national research The City of Owings showing the increased failure rate associated with Mills is located grease disposal in onsite systems, Baltimore fourteen miles from the * County required additional treatment to protect the city of Baltimore. It is home Har Sinai congregation. to the Har Sinai congregation. Baltimore County Har Sinai is the oldest Reform Regulatory Requirements Jewish congregation in the United States. During its early Baltimore County and regulatory agencies across days, the congregation met the country have adopted guidelines to address regularly at the homes of various `` the removal of fats, oils and grease. Baltimore members. After several years of humble County's guidelines now include the use of a gatherings,their first temple was erected in 1849. commercial grease trap filter for all food service Over the course of a century, the group called facilities utilizing an onsite treatment system. several small temples home. In 2000,they were Problems occur with the high strength waste when able to begin building anew temple which included the grease is liquefied by warmer temperatures a school, social hall, and kitchen to prepare food or commercial detergents used for sanitation. The for gatherings. Due to its location outside the liquefied grease is usually pushed-out of the facility reaches of municipal sewer, the new structure by hydraulic surges. Later,the grease solidifies I in sewer collection lines or enters the pores of the build-up in collection system piping. The California soil-based receiving environment. EPA can also fine the city up to $3,000 per violation. New York city's sewer system is No matter which type of final treatment is used, operated by the Department of Environmental municipal oronsite, most agencies require only_a Protection. They have enacted stringent small in-kitchen grease interceptor or conventional legislation to fine food establishments as much in-groundgreasetrap. Grease as$1,000 per day for violations interceptors are small and fill of their fat and grease discharge quickly. Therefore,they require requirements. cleaning more frequently than "Roots, debris and conventional grease traps. Why Municipalities Struggle Grease interceptor cleaning is grease build-ups a messy job accompanied by Municipalities spend millions of foul odors. I Once full, flow are the most dollars on an annual basis for continues past the interceptor sewer repairs and upgrades. carrying outeverything thatgoes frequent causes of Grease can create large scale into the system. problems for municipal I pipeline blockages collection and treatment Conventional grease traps are systems. As grease hardens, intended to hold the flow for a and overflows, it clings to the inside of sewer minimum of twenty-four hours collection lines. As layer upon to insure grease retention. accounting for layer hardens, the pipe Often the tank volume does not eventually becomes completely account for peak flow periods 71% of.manhole blocked. These blockages can that are common in food service create problems for an entire applications! The problems overflows." community. A blocked sewer occur when traps are not line causes sewage to back up cleaned regularly and surge into homes or businesses and flows allow"the warmer incoming liquid to may even cause manholes to overflow, creating resuspend the grease already in the trap. A a public health hazard. University of Wisconsin study found that grease traps are only capable of removing up to 60%of USEPA statistics show that nearly 75% of our the fats, oils and grease typically found in nation's municipal sewers are only working at half restaurant waste. capacity due to grease related build-up. Baltimore ICounty, Maryland reports that roots, debris and Regulatory agencies are increasingly holding grease build-ups are the most frequent causes of treatment system owners and operators pipeline blockages and overflows, accounting for responsible for water pollution stemming from 71%of manhole overflows. grease related problems. The USEPA has filed numerous lawsuits over the past decade for Problems for Onsite Treatment Systems sewage spills related to grease blockages. The City of Baltimore agreed to a$600,000 civil penalty Regulators agree that grease does not belong in for hundreds of unpermitted sewage discharges, an onsite system. Agencies recommend that with one of the primary causes being grease homeowners avoid disposing of the small blockages. The settlement also included $940 amounts of grease created by a single residence million worthof treatment system and sewer line in their onsite treatment system. Wastewater renovations over fourteen years. The City of Los- strength from restaurants or food service can be Angeles was sued for allowing over 2,000 sewage up to twenty times stronger than that produced by overflows in Ave year period. Approximately 41% a single family residence, so it is imperative that of those spills were blamed on excess grease grease is prevented from reaching the onsite Ir -2- treatment or disposal system. Hydraulic surges Baltimore County officials to make sure the system produced by periods of peak usage can force met all regulatory requirements and would provide liquefied grease through the grease trap and reliable long-term treatment. Harms&Associates, treatment system. When grease reaches disposal Inc.specified that"immediately following the outlet system piping it will quickly cool and solidify as it of the grease trap,shall be installed one Baltimore disperses. As the grease reaches the soil County approved commercial sewage effluent absorption system it can clog soil pores, filter. The filter shall be a Bio-Kinetic preventing water absorption. The Model BK2000,as manufactured by ultimate result is the failure of the soil IMS►" Norweco, Norwalk, Ohio. The filter absorption system. Effluent eventuallyshall provide filtration, settling, seeps out of the disposal bed and equalization and solids retention in ponds on the surface of the ground. one compact unit." Preventative Pretreatment The Har Sinai temple's problems were solved at an approximate If an onsite treatment system installed cost of$1,500. To insure following a restaurant or high use that grease would not reach the kitchen is to provide permanent disposal system, a Bio-Kinetic treatment, it must be designed wastewater management system, to accommodate the higher ' ' Model BK 2000, was installed waste strengths and hydraulic ( following the grease trap, surges associated with food upstream of the septic tanks. preparation. Baltimore County < The BK 2000 makes grease requires the use of a commercial filter traps work better because it following the grease trap for all food a equalizes the flow and filters service facilities utilizing an onsite - - ` ` grease before field lines become treatment system. With the clogged. The BK 2000 provides requirement of commercial filtration, -� demand use, non-mechanical flow the system is self-regulating. Ifthe filter "`"' equalization through the grease trap, is not serviced, it will ultimately plug allowing the trap to achieve design and no longer pass liquids. The filter retention time to collect more grease media will then need to be cleaned and organics. With flow equalization, before the kitchen area can be used turbulence within the trap was again. It prevents the entire collection eliminated. Flow equalization is at or disposal system from costly r its maximum at the exact point in time renovations or repairs. Options for " when it is needed most, when the flow corrective action are typically limited and rate is at its highest. That is what is meant very expensive. In most cases, drain field by demand use flow equalization. renovation costs compare directly to the estimated $15,000 price tag of a new onsite system. The settling and retention areas of the BK 2000 allow the fats,oils,grease and solids to be trapped Harms & Associates, Inc., a civil engineering for removal during routine service. If the BK 2000 company in Pasadena, Maryland was chosen to is not serviced regularly,the kitchen area will begin head the project. The engineers designing the experiencing sluggish drains. Even with a system were familiar with the additional filtration complete lack of service, flow could not bypass and pretreatment requirements following food the filter. Flow would eventually back-up to the service facilities. A grease interceptor or grease grease trap and grease would not escape to the trap wouldn't be enough to handle thejob,because treatment or disposal system. Some alternative the system would be subject to surge flows during design options include the use of an additional social events. The engineers worked closely with BK 2000 following the septic tank. -3- SYSTEM INSTALLATION 1000 GALLON 1000 GALLON SEPTIC TANK SEPTIC TANK SANITARY SEWER LINE BIO-KINETIC WASTEWATER O O O MANAGE M ENT SYSTEM 500 GALLON EFFLUENT LINE GREASE TRAP TO DISPOSAL FIELD T-0"WIDE TRENCH(TYPICAL) KITCHEN WASTE LINE 4'-O"WIDE TRENCH SEPARATION(TYPICAL) FACILITY O � 96-1)"TRENCH(TYPICAL) I I I I I I I to f I I I I I II I Prevention Insures Long-Term Success designers must evaluate alternative pretreatment schemes that can reduce the excess organics." The adoption of additional measures to prevent The development of advanced onsite treatment grease from reaching municipal collection or technologies,such as the Bio-Kinetic wastewater onsite treatment and disposal systems must be management system, provides regulators, evaluated to meet local regulatory needs. The engineers and citizens options for dealing with Baltimore County Health Department and Harms environmental challenges. &Associates recognized that prevention is always the best policy to insure long-term success. The For additional information on the BK 2000 or solution to Har Sinai's problem supports the Norweco's full line of advanced onsite treatment directive of the USEPA which stated "For technologies please call: (419)668-4471, send a restaurants,facilities with food preparation, and fax: (419)663-5440,email:email@norweco.com other producers of high organic wastewaters,the or visit us on the web at www.norweco.com. DISTRIBUTED LOCALLY BY: � ° UlE�oo NORWALK WASTEWATER EQUIPMENT COMPANY 220 REPUBLIC STREET NORWALK,OHIO,USA 44657-1156 TELEPHONE (419)668-4471 FAX (419) 663-5440 www.norweco.com ©MMV NORWECO,INC. h 'q 3L 31 ra > 1� t3, '' nann88d�$ '� bfl YF +•'f. pI p r� y a fro —}Fw >2.^ • ,.. 3 „t, i x^ "Many existing, � y ; management programs are inadequate or too narrow m focus, allowing premature Thinking Outside system failures to occur." (USEPA Voluntary National Guidelines The Box for Ma DecentralizzeeddWastewater""ater' I When the third set of results came back from the general permit must Treatment Systems) I lab, sanitarians in three Iowa county health be maintained by a departments knew they had a problem. Effluent county authorized service provider. In addition, samples from the box-like sand filters were the effluent from each system must be routinely significantly out of compliance. The standard sampled and analyzed by a state approved approach was to replace the failed sand filterwith laboratory to establish permit compliance. In the a new one, even though it was obvious the same early Spring of 2000, Kathy Witkovski, an problem would occur in a few years. To find a Environmental Health Specialist with Dallas County permanent solution, itwas apparentto everyone Environmental Health, began receiving involved that they must find a new approach. unacceptable performance data from a number of onsite wastewater treatment systems. Dallas Background Information County and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources conducted a study to pinpoint the Dallas, Polk andD se of the problem. Their study included a Warren Countiesmplete review of maintenance and service encompass a largeecords and visual inspections. Approximately portion of Iowa'sforty percent of the systems surveyed were farming community. failing. Sanitarians observed wastewater The majority of thisseeping out of the top of several single-pass rural farmland fallsand filters and ponding on the surface of the outside the reaches ofund. The sand filters, originally designed to municipal sewers, so h effluent,were being overloaded organically local residents must rely on innovative and and hydraulically. This condition caused the filters alternative technologies for sewage treatment and to overflow and bypass. Once Ms. Witkovski disposal. For generations, much of the area's consulted sanitarians from nearby Polk and livelihood has been dependent upon land use and Warren Counties, it became obvious that the conservation. To preserve this valuable resource problem wasn't limited to Dallas County. Polk and and protect public health,the Iowa Department of Warren County sanitarians were experiencing a Natural Resources instituted a general permit similar situation. Hundreds of sand filters were program. All onsite treatment systems installed malfunctioning and they knew something had to under the requirements of Iowa's statewide be done to protect the area's water quality. Iowa's Requirements the system owner that they are out of compliance with the Clean WaterAct and Iowa code. Failure Under Iowa's state code, Chapter 69, any to seek corrective action as outlined in the Notice wastewater discharge from onsite wastewater of Violation could result in steep monetary treatment and disposal systems is prohibited penalties. Legal fees and fines can reach $790 except under an NPDES general permit. Individual for each day the system owner is non-compliant. systems discharging effluent to the surface of the ground, into surface waters or into an underground Corrective Action drainage tile must adhere to the requirements of NPDES General Permit No. 4. This permit Each of the failing systems in Dallas, Polk and requires continuous monitoring Warren Counties had to be of each system's performance, analyzed to determine the exact including parameters for cause of failure before CBOD5 and TSS effluent "If three consecutive corrective action could begin. In concentrations. Neither result the past, the corrective action can exceed 25 mg/L. Sampling samples do not meet was to evaluate and service or must be conducted by a repair all existing system "qualified sampler,"defined as: the effluent limits, components. Sand filter media a member of the county was either replaced or a new environmental health staff, an corrective action sand filter was installed. Any Iowa certified wastewater filtration system, whether treatment plant operator or an must be taken to biological or physical, can individual who received training eventually become filled with approved by the Department of bring the system solids. In the case of the Iowa Natural Resources. single-pass sand filters, into compliance.// wastewater was bypassing the The NPDES General Permit filtration process and being requires the system owner to discharged directly into the sign and file a Notice of Intent environment. To correct these which certifies that the owner agrees to comply malfunctioning sand filters, it is required that the with the terms and conditions of the permit. Under media is removed and properly disposed of before those terms and conditions, all systems must be replacement media is installed. In many parts of sampled at least twice per year to insure they are North America, the proper disposal of this functioning properly and effluent quality is meeting contaminated media is a costly problem because permit limits. The system owner is responsible sanitary landfills or wastewater treatment plants for making sure all required test results are on file will not accept it. The cost of removing,disposing with the Department of Natural Resources, the and replacing contaminated media often exceeds local administrative authority and the authorized the cost of installing a new onsite treatment service provider. system. If an individual test result exceeds the general In central Iowa, an extensive list of difficult site permit limits, an investigation into the causes of conditions made renovating the sand filters nearly the problem must be conducted. Within thirty impossible. Roots from nearby trees had days, an additional sample must be taken and penetrated the box-like housings for many of the analyzed. If three consecutive test results exceed filters, rendering them useless. Numerous home permit limits, corrective action must be taken to sites lacked enough usable area to install a bring the system into compliance. If at any time replacement filter. Even if the lots had been large the system does not comply, the local enough for the installation of a new filter, the Environmental Health Specialist has the authority organic or hydraulic overloading problems would to issue a Notice of Violation. This notice alerts not have been addressed. -2 - i After careful consideration,the health departments removal during routine service. Unlike sand filters, were convinced they needed to find a more the BK 2000 cannot be bypassed. If the filter is i manageable method of treatment to solve their not serviced regularly,the homeownerwill begin problems. Their priorities were to meet general experiencing sluggish drainage from sinks and permit limits, provide long-term treatment and not toilets, indicating service is necessary. Acomplete create a hardship for system owners. lack of service would eventually cause flow to backup into the facility and not allow R It Just Makes Sense - overflow onto the ground surface. fly►. During service, solids are Capital City Septic, a Des Moines automatically returned to the primary based service and monitoring treatment system. Off site disposal company,was familiar with the sand of contaminated filter media is f filter problems. They had been eliminated. directly involved in the installation, ` maintenance and effluent sampling for Treatment Efficiency hundreds of systems in the three county area. They offered the health The agencies issued county level departments an alternative a variances allowing Capital City solution, which included a Sepic toupgrade the systems. The means to treat and polish failed sand filters were filled and effluent. The critical abandoned because the existing component proposed to replace the media posed a health hazard. sand filters was Norweco's Bio-Kinetic t System piping was rearranged wastewater management system to bypass the failed filter and (Model BK 2000). The counties r redirected to the Bio-Kinetic accepted the solution and worked with ( ' - ' " wastewater management system. Capital City Septic to develop a plan '' The sand filter problem,which usually for each system's upgrade. cost homeowners as much as $15,000 to solve,was eliminated at Capital City Septic contacted the an installed cost of only$3,000 per system owners to arrange for system by using the BK 2000. j maintenance on the primary treatment tank to insure all components were in Environmental conditions in the three proper working order. Additional county area have significantly treatment tank capacity was added + improved as a result of the upgrades. { where necessary. - ° The systems are now in compliance with the Iowa Department of Natural The next step was to install a Bio-Kinetic Resources'general permit requirements. Effluent wastewater management system. Requiringonly quality samples collected as part of the monitoring a 31/2 foot diameter, 6 foot deep excavation, the requirement indicate an average CBOD5 BK 2000 was easy to install on small lots with concentration of 4.4 mg/L and an average TSS of limited space available. The non-mechanical flow 9.6 mg/L. equalization provided by the BK 2000 allows the upstream tank to achieve design retention time Iowa Department of Natural Resources and and settle more solids. Flow equalization University of Iowa have also sponsored additional eliminates tank turbulence, even during periods testing to determine the long-term effectiveness of peak hydraulic loading. of the BK 2000 as a corrective option. The study's collection of effluent quality samples show a The settling and retention zones within the CBOD5 average concentration of 5.8 mg/L and a BK 2000 allow BOD and solids to be trapped for TSS average concentration of 15.6 mg/L. -3- l Effluent Sample Analysis Summary 50.00 Ili=CEOD, TSS 45.00 40.00 35.00 30.00 J Iowa DNR Class A Limits E 25.00 —————————————— —— E 20.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 0.00 .,���.°`.r`,•`e�°E"r`'.°.�:•"dd':.€•e sne.,°` ee,�,s,° eee'<,�o�o�°� a` e¢e ea:a�.te°`.a°�•`.,.°•a�a °� ° s,es�,°-r°e°.vssd`domcr'mC•<•'mC•a°ae 8ee8a"��,s'��m9+°�* °�`°��° °i°oFo*a'�' °�°m�• �t�3°'• e z°gserszs act`i Installation Site - A Solution for Long-Term Success existing management programs are inadequate or too narrow in focus,allowing premature system The decision to utilize alternative technologies for failures to occur." The development of advanced onsite treatment and disposal must be evaluated onsite treatment technologies, such as the on an individual basis. Sanitarians with the Dallas, Bio-Kinetic wastewater management system, Polk and Warren County Environmental Health provides regulators and citizens with the tools they Departments and the Iowa Department of Natural need to solve environmental problems. Resources recognized that there isn't always a single solution for every problem. Their willingness For additional information on the BK 2000 or to think outside the box and expand their treatment Norweco's full line of advanced onsite treatment options allowed them to overcome one of the technologies please call: (419)668-4471, send a primary problems identified by the USEPAin the fax: (419)663-5440,email:email@norweco.com Voluntary National Guidelines,which states"many or visit us on the web at www.norweco.com. 11AE%I DISTRIBUTED LOCALLY BY: _NORWALK MENT COMPANY 220 REPUBLIC STREET NORWALK,OHIO,USA 448 57-11 56 TELEPHONE (419)668-4471 FAX (419) 663.5440 www.norweco.com ©MMV NORWECO,INC. PROGRESS THROUGH SERVICE SINCE 1906 .>pN, 1 R YAW 3 � w _ "Adequately managed decentralized systems p v, can protect public health and the environment Charmed, I'm Sure! as g ell as provide lon term solutions for the nation's . . When Charm,Ohiowas introduced to EPAorders of fecal coliform wastewater needs." demanding the construction of a central sewer indicated a violation (USEPA Response system, the reception was less than cordial. of the secondary to Congress) Sampling for Phase 11 Stormwater compliance had contact water revealed dangerously high fecal coliform levels in quality standard. the local watershed. The orders required the The Notice of Violation also requested the Holmes creation of an entirely new public infrastructure, County Commissioners provide the EPA "with a including a collection system and treatment works, schedule of improvements and costs for providing and the abandonment of all existing septic tanks. sanitary sewer service to the Unincorporated Much less charming was how this small farming Village of Charm." Altera door-to-door survey was village of 86 people could afford the estimated conducted by EPA officials, Ohio Department of $3 million price tag. Health representatives and Holmes County sanitarians,they realized that onsite treatment did Background Information not exist in many cases. Visual inspections led the survey team creek-side,where they discovered Located within Holmes straight pipe discharges saturating the area with County in northeast sewage and household waste. Nearly thirty of the Ohio, the Village of small community's homes and businesses were Charm is home to * discharging raw sewage td nearby ditches and restaurants, bakeries CharmtributariesofDoughty Creek. and quaint gift shops. In the heart of Amish Centralized vs.Decentralized Country, Charm has become a popular tourist `` In the spring of 1999,the Charm SewageAdvisory attraction. On August 7, 1998, Committee was formed. The committee was representatives from the Ohio EPA sampled comprised of business owners and residents the surface water within, and downstream of, affected by the EPA orders. They set out to LI e village. On September 9, 1998, a Notice of determine the "scope of the problem" and the Violation was issued to the Holmes County financial feasibility of a central sewer system. The Commissioners citing, "The unnamed tributary Committee agreed that the Holmes County of Doughty Creek which runs through the Village Environmental Management Districtwould act as was found to contain fecal coliform in excess of advisors for the project. After lengthy meetings the 5,000 per 100 milliliters." The concentrations with all parties, the Management District l responded to the Ohio EPA with a statement that shall abandon their on-lot sewage disposal "the threat of enforcement action and fines has systems and connect to the sanitary sewer." created an environment of panic that is interfering with Charm's ability to reach an organized, Immediate action needed to be taken to address affordable solution that involves community the unsanitary conditions in Doughty Creek. The participation and understanding." Holmes County General Health District issued letters to property owners A feasibility study was „ lac king adequate treatment or conducted to determine the poorly treated disposal. The letters required service area, number of users, compliance with the current total discharge volumes and and raw sewage sanitary code by upgrading, various funding options. As a repairing or installing new onsite result of the study, the is being discharged treatment and disposal Holmes County Environmental systems. These systems Management District from failing and would need to remain in use determined that "the until funding could be secured construction of a public inadequate home for a central sewer system. collection and treatment system will be a substantial sewage disposal The Commissioners and Health financial burden on this Department faced an extensive community." Final feasibility systems in Charm list of difficult site conditions that studies determined that a made the installation of central sewer system for and many residences conventional onsite systems Charm, or connecting lines to impossible. Dr. Mullet stated, the nearby Berlin Publicly have no disposal "The problem is putting an Owned Treatment Works, acceptable treatment system would cost the community system at all" on these small lots. I'm not sure $2.8-$3 million. The limited it's going to be possible." numberof connections resulted in an estimated access fee of$12,568 per home. The Health Department began the search for With no hope of state or federal funding, Holmes alternative methods that met environmental County Health Commissioner Dr. Maurice Mullet protection needs and allowed for affordable announced, "Sewering Charm doesn't make long-term usage. economic sense." Why the Push to Sewer? On September 28 and October 17,2000 the Ohio EPA conducted another round of water quality The Clean WaterAct of 1972 paved the way for sampling and found fecal coliform levels in the many of our current water quality and tributary to be as high as 590,700 CFU/100 mL. environmental laws, including the USEPA Phase They again attributed the poor water quality to the I I Storm Water Regulations. These regulations fact that"poorly treated and raw sewage is being place significant focus on non-point source discharged from failing and inadequate home discharges, including home sewage treatment sewage disposal systems in Charm and many systems. Inadequately treated wastewater not residences have no disposal system at all." They only creates a public nuisance, but significant also determined that"because of small lot sizes health risks. As a result of these risks, guidelines and poor soils,failed or inadequate home sewage have been established to calculate the maximum disposal systems can not be replaced or repaired. amount of a pollutant a waterbody can receive and Public sewers are the clear alternative to abating still meet water quality standards. One parameter this environmental and public health problem." of water quality that is closely scrutinized is fecal The community received orders that "residents coliform. According to studies tabulated by the -2- USEPA, pathogens are one of the top causes of needed,the homes had new septictanks installed waterbody impairment. If it is found that the for primary treatment. The tanks are concrete waterbody does not meet the established criteria, and multi-chambered with baffles and an outlet it is placed on the"303(d) list." The Walhonding filter. Often properties had been subdivided so watershed,which incorporates the Doughty Creek many times that standard sized effluent disposal tributaries that run through Holmes County,was fields were not an option. Variances at a county placed on this list in 1998. level allowed the Health Department to design disposal systems that In Ohio alone, over500 communities` utilized as much of the existing soil have been required to evaluate and as possible. Amodified mound was eliminate sources of illicit wastewater used to provide additional absorption discharges under the Phase I I Storm area. To achieve the highest quality Water Regulations. The widespread effluent, Norweco Bio-Kinetic evaluation of individualwatersheds wastewater management systems and the push toward centralized (Model BK2000)were installed. The sewer systems has incited panic in BK 2000 provides non-mechanical the pocketbooks of local government. flow equalization through the septic With over 1 million home tank, allowing the tank to achieve sewage treatment systems in s design retention time and to settle use throughout Ohio, local " more solids. With flow equalization, regulatory agencies are the smaller disposal beds relying heavily on innovative will have additional time to technologies to manage the budget t further treat the effluent without crunch. being subject to surge flow conditions. Advanced Clearly, a Better Solution treatment is achieved without the use of electricity, which usually isn't Through the combined efforts of the installed in Amish homes. In cases Ohio EPA, Charm Sewage Advisory l ; ,_=�/ ' ' where onsite disposal wasn't Committee, Holmes County = possible,the effluent was disinfected Commissioners, Holmes County within the BK 2000 by an integral, Environmental Management District NSF Standard 46 listed,disinfection and Holmes County General Health device. District, it was decided that the problems of project funding and water • Treatment Efficiency quality could be solved by utilizing onsite treatment and disposal systems. On As a result of installing new septic tanks August 27, 2001, the County Commissioners and BK 2000's, environmental conditions in f issued the following statement to Ohio EPA: "After Holmes County are improving. Original test data considering all of the relevant information, the found concentrations of fecal coliform as high as Board of Commissioners respectfully declines to 590,700 CFU/100 mL.That is 118 times stronger be a party to the proposed findings and orders at than the USEPA secondary contact water quality this time. Instead,the Board believes that proper criteria. Four months of water quality studies enforcement of the sanitary code is sufficient conducted by the Holmes County General Health to address the remaining unsanitary condition District from May 25, 2004 through August 25, in the village and that such enforcement is 2004, indicate the average fecal coliform currently underway." concentration in Doughty Creek is 1,454 CFU/ 4 100 mL. Furthermore, not a single sample The Village of Charm's problems were solved at exceeded the EPA 5,000 CFU/100 mL limit. In an approximate cost of$2,000 per home. Where several samples the levels were<50 CFU/100 mL. 3 Fecal Coliform Concentrations Before and After System Upgrades 600,000 Before After ql 500,000 C, 400,000 I E E 300,000 - � it U 200,000 100,000 5,000-USEPA Secondary Limits 0 --------- -- -- -------- -- — _ __ ______ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Sampling Events A Solution for Long-Term Success systems can protect public health and the environment as well as provide long-term The decision to construct a collection system and solutions for the nation's wastewater needs." The treatment works or to use onsite treatment and development of advanced onsite treatment disposal must be evaluated on a community by technologies,such as the Bio-Kinetic wastewater community basis. The Ohio EPA now considers management system, provides regulators and the Village of Charm to"have no action pending," citizens options for dealing with environmental because the residents of Charm, the Holmes challenges. County Commissioners and the Ohio EPAworked togetherto reach a reliable, affordable solution to For additional information on the BK 2000 or their water quality problems. The solution to the Norweco's full line of advanced onsite treatment Village of Charm's problems has confirmed the technologies please call: (419)668-4471, send a accuracy of the USEPA Response to Congress fax: (419)663-5440,email: email@norweco.com which stated "Adequately managed decentralized or visit us on the web at www.norweco.com. DISTRIBUTED LOCALLY BY: o ° UlE�oo NORWALK WASTEWATER EQ111PMENT COMPANY 220 REPUBLIC STREET NORWALK,OHIO,USA 44857.1156 TELEPHONE (419)668.4471 FAX (419) 663-5440 www.norweco.com ©MMV NORWECO,INC. PROGRESS