Household Wastewater Treatment

Transcription

1 Worksheet #6 Household Wastewater Treatment Why should I be concerned? 4 c Virtuall all farmsteads use a septic system or similar onsite wastewater treatment system. While x ese systems are generally economical and safe, household wastewater can contain contaminants that degrade water quality for such uses as drinking, stock watering, food preparation and cleaning. A properly designed, installed, and maintained system minimizes the impact of that system on groundwater and surface water. Potential contaminants in household wastewater include disease-causing bacteria, infectious viruses, household chemicals and excess nutrients. Viruses can infect the liver, causing hepatitis. They can also infect the lining of the intestine, causing gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea). If coliform organisms (a group of indicator bacteria) are found in your well water, they show that the water is potentially dangerous for drinking and food preparation. Your septic system is one potential source of contaminants, along with livestock yards and other sources. The quantity of wastewater entering our septic system can also present an environmental concern. Too much water entering Xe system reduces its efficiency and can shorten its life. Your drinking water is least likely to be contaminated if you follow appropriate management procedures or dispose of wastewater in any location that is oflthe fann site. However, proper off-site disposal practices are essential to avoid risking contamination that could affect water supplies and the health of others. The goal of FLORIDA FarmOAOSyst is to help you protect your drinking water supply. How will this worksheet help me protect my drinking water? It takes you step-by-step through your household wastewater treatment practices. It ranks your activities according to how they might affect the groundwater that provides your drinking water supplies. It provides you with easy-to-understand rankings that help you analyze the "risk level" of your household wastewater treatment practices. It helps you determine which of your practices are reasonably safe and effective, and which practices might require modification to better protect your drinking water. How do I complete the worksheet? Follow the directions at the top of the chart on page 3. It should take you about minutes to complete this worksheet and figure out your ranking. The definitions on the next page may help you complete Worksheet #6. This project has been funded wholly or in part by!he United States Environmental Protection Agency through the Nonpoint Source Management Program Section 319 grant IO the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

2 Glossarv Household Wastewater Treatment Absorption field: The system for the final treatment of the septic tank effluent and return of the treated wastewater to the hydrologic cycle. The drainfield system includes the lateral lines or sewage disposal line, the perforated pipes, the rock or aggregate material and the drainfield trenches or bed. Drainfield: See absorption field. Effluent: Liquid discharged from a septic tank or other treatment tank. Scum: The accumulated floating material, including grease and other light solids, in a septic tank. Sentic tank: A single tank or series of tanks in which two processes take place: settling of the solids and the digestion of some of the accumulated solids. Sewage: Any liquid wastes containing animal or vegetable matter in suspension or solution, including liquid wastes from toilets, kitchen sinks, lavatories, washing machines, and other plumbing fixtures. 2

3 Directions 1. Use a pencil. You may want to make changes. 2, For each category listed on the left that is appropriate to your farmstead, read across to the right and circle the statement that best describes your situation. (Skip and leave blank any categories that don't apply.) Worksheet #6 Household Wastewater. Treatment 3. Look above the description you circled to find your "rank number" (4, 3, 2, or 1) and enter that number in the blank under "your rank. " 4. Directions on overall scoring appear at the end of the worksheet. 5. Allow about minutes to complete the worksheet and figure out your risk ranking. LOW RISK LOW-MOD RISK MOD-HIGH RISK HIGH RISK YOUR (rank 4) (rank 3) (rank 2) (rank 1) RANK SYSTEM LOCATION In relation to well System is down- Tank at grade or Tank downgradient Tank at grade or gradient more than 75 upgradient more than less than 75 feet from upgradient less than feet from well. 75 feet from well. well. 75 feet from well. In relation to trees No trees within 50 Big trees within 25 to Big trees within 10 to Trees or shrubs feet of absorption 50 feet of absorption 25 feet of absorption within 10 feet of field. field. field. absorption field. In relation to soils Medium- or fine- Medium- to coarse- Coarse sand, gravel. Limerock. under absorption textured soils - sandy textured soils - sandy field trenches clay loam, sandy loams, loamy sands, clay. (Clay not al- sand, fine sand, very lowed in the 42" fine sand. below drainfield). SYSTEM MAINTENANCE Pumping out septic Check scum and Check scum and More than 6 years Don't know if ever tank sludge levels each sludge levels every 2 between pumpouts. pumped out or don't year or pump out years or pump out remember the year it every 3-5 years. every 4 to 6 years. was done. Traffic over system Never driven vehicles Only occasionally Frequently drive over Routinely drive over or farm equipment drive light vehicles system with light system with heavy over system. over system but never vehicles or occasion- farm equipment. heavy farm equip- ally with heavy farm ment. equipment. 3

4 LOW RISK LOW-MOD RISK MOD-HIGH RISK HIGH RISK YOUR (rank 4) (rank 3) (rank 2) (rank 1) RANK SYSTEM MAINTENANCE (cont.) Roots plugging lines Never had a problem Have had one experi- Have had occasional Have had frequent with roots in system ence with roots plug- experiences with experiences with lines. ging lines. roots plugging lines. roots plugging lines. HOUSEHOLD PRACTICES Water use Have water-saving Have some water- No water- sav ing No water-saving fixtures, ood mainte- saving fixtures fair fixtures, poor mainte- fixtures, poor maintenance of B ixture maintenance of fix- nance of fixture nance of fixture Wastes going into septic system leaks, and follow ture leaks, and follow leaks, but follow leaks, and don t most water conserva- some water conserva- some water conserva- follow any water tion recommenda- tion recommenda- tion recommenda- conservation recomtions. tions. tions. mendations. Garbage disposal Don t use. Minimum use 1-2 Medium use (3-5 Daily use. times per week \. times per week). Kitchen sink No disposal of Minimum disposal of Moderate dis osal of Extensive disposal of grease, oil, fat or grease, oil, fat or grease, oil, at or grease, oil, fat or coffee grounds. coffee grounds (1 coffee grounds (2-3 coffee grounds time per week). times per week). (almost daily). P Toxic substances Never dis ose of paints, so P vents, pesticides, etc., in system. Disposal of paints, solvents, pesticides, etc., in system 1-3 times er ear IllegaPin b ka. Toilet No disposal of paper Occasionally dispose Frequently dispose of Disposal of paper towels sanitar nap- of paper towels, paper towels, sanitary towels sanitary napkins, disposab Y e sanitary napkins, napkins, disposable kins, disposab e diapers, cigarette disposable diapers, diapers, cigarette diapers, cigarette butts, etc. cigarette butts, etc. butts, etc. (3-4 times butts, etc., in toilet (1-3 times per per month). more than 4 times per month). month. 4

5 LOW RISK LOW-MOD RISK MOD-HIGH RISK HIGH RISK YOUR (rank 4) (rank 3) (rank 2) (rank 1) RANK CONCERNS Septic system age Less than 10 years old years old years old. Over 30 years old. Sewer backup into house Never. Sometimes - once per year or less. Occasionally - 1 to 3 times per year. Frequently - more than 3 times per year. Sink, tub, shower, Goes into the main Piped to an outlet Piped to an outlet Piped to an outlet and wash water household septic downgradient and 100 upgradient and great- up radient from and disposal system or into its feet from any water er than 100 feet from wi t in 100 feet of a own septic system.* source. Illegal in an water source. water source. Illegal Florida. 11; egal in Florida. in FloMa. Surfacing of sewage Never notice. Notice 1 or 2 times Notice more than 2 Green grass, septic per year. times per year. smell, and wet soil conditions exist around abso tion field nearly 'p a 1 the time. # OF AREAS RANKED (15 if ranked all) n RANKINGS TOTAL Use this total to calculate risk ranking on the next page. * All domestic sewage from household should be disposed of in septic system. 5

6 What do I do with these rankings? Step 1: Begin by determining your overall household wastewater risk ranking. Total the rankings for the categories you completed and divide by the number of categories you ranked: divided by equals 'Carry your answer out to one decimal place. Rankings total number of risk ranking from previous categories ranked Example: page (15 if ranked all) = 2.67 i Use 2.7. This ranking gives you an idea of how your household wastewater practices, as a whole, might be affecting your drinking water. This ranking should serve only as a very general guide, not a precise diagnosis. Because it represents an averaging of many individual rankings, it can overlook any individual rankings (such as 1's or 2's) that should be of concern. (Step 2 will focus on individually ranked activities of concern.) Enter your boxed household wastewater risk ranking in the appropriate place in the table on the front of Worksheet #11. Later you will compare this risk ranking with other farmstead management rankings. Worksheet #10 will help you determine your farmstead's site conditions (soil type, soil depth, and bedrock characteristics), and Worksheet #11 will show you how these site conditions affect your risk rankings. Step 2: Look over your rankings for individual activities. 4's Best: low-risk practices 0 3's - Provide reasonable groundwater protection: low- to moderate-risk practices 2's Possibly inadequate protection: moderate- to high-risk practices 0 1's - Inadequate protection with relatively high groundwater contamination risk: high-risk practices Regardless of your overall risk ranking, any individual rankings of "1" call for immediate attention. You can take care of some of the concerns right away; others could be major or costly projects, requiring planning and prioritizing before you take action. Find any activities that you identified as 1's and list them under "High-Risk Activities" on Worksheet #11. Step 3: Read Fact Sheet #6, "Improving Household Wastewater- Treatment," and give some thought to how you might modify your farmstead practices to better protect your drinking water. 6

7 Florida Farm A Syst publications are revisions from the Wisconsin and Minnesota prototype versions, and Arkansas Farm A Syst materials, with support from the National Farmstead Assessment System Program. Revisor: Randall B. Brown, UF/IFAS Dept. of Soil and Water Science. Technical reviewers: David Hammonds, Fla. Dept. of Health and Rehabilitative Services; Bobby McKown, Fla. Citrus Mutual, Mike Olexa, UFlIFAS Food and Resource Economics Dept. and Patricia A. Sanzone, Fla. Dept. of Environmental Protectiod. Co-directors: Arthur G. Hornsby and Randall B. Brown; Coordinator: Susan W. Williams. Administered from the UF/IFAS Soil and Water Science Dept. (904) Steering Committee: Pat Cockrell, Fla. Farm Bureau; Art Darling, Dairy Farmers; Frankie Hall, Pork Improvement Group; Chip Hinton, Fla. Strawberry Growers Assoc.; Mike Joyner, Fla. Forestry Assoc.; Andy LaVigne, Fla. Fertilizer and Agrichemical Assoc.; Bobbie Lollis, Fla. Cattlemen s Assoc.; Charlie Matthews, Fla. Fruit and Vegetable Assoc.; Bobby McKown, Fla. Citrus Mutual; Amanda McKoy, Fla. Peanut Producers Assoc.; Chuck Smith, Fla. Poultry Federation; and Earl Wells, Fla. Nurserymen and Growers Assoc. Word processing: Sheila Baldree and Tarek Habib. Graphics: Dave Cantlin. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Cooperative Extension Service and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency jointly support Florida Farm A Syst. Revised 2/95. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE, UNlVERSlrY OF FLORIDA, INSTITUTE OF FOOD AN0 AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, John T. Woeste. Director, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture, publishes this information to further the purpose of the May 8 and June 30, 1914 Acts of Congress; and is authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap or national origin. Single copies of extension publications (excluding 4-H and youth publications) are available free to Florida residents from county extension offices. Information on bulk rates or copies for out-of-state purchasers is available from C. M. Hinton. Publications Distribution Center, IFAS Building 664, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida ~ Before publicizing this publication, editors should contact this address to determine availability. Printed February 1995.