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Public Facilities Action Plan
Local governments traditionally are responsible for providing a variety of services to residents, including drinking water, stormwater controls, and wastewater treatment. In many states, they are also responsible for overseeing the use of on-site septic systems. These tasks are important for protecting human health and the environment.
Septic Systems and Wastewater Treatment
Drinking Water (Surface Water and Groundwater)
Municipal Landfills, Incinerators and Material Recovery
Facilities
Septic Systems and Wastewater Treatment
On-site septic systems are common in rural and suburbanizing areas where centralized systems are not available. They can be effective ways of treating wastewater if properly sited and maintained. In some cases, alternative systems are preferable. Urban and many suburban areas have centralized wastewater treatment systems. The choice of treatment system will affect human health and community finances. Plan carefully.
Policy and Planning Tools
- Septic
Systems: What you need to know!
- Diagram
of a septic system
- The Septic Information
Website:
- EPA's Office of Wastewater Management
- The Virginia Cooperative Extension Service provides information on
individual
and small community wastewater treatment and disposal options. Additional
information for small communities is also provided.
- Septic
tank news you can use is part of the National Small Flows Clearinghouse.
Regulatory Tools
- Florida's Department of Health provides installation
codes and application forms.
- National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Program
Technical Tools
- Maintaining your septic system:
Special considerations for shoreline property .
- Do's and Don'ts of taking care of your septic system from the National
Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA).
- Alternatives
to conventional wastewater treatment
- Another alternative- greywater
re-use
- The Southeast Rural Community Assistance
Project, Inc. is one of six regional training and technical assistance
resource centers in the development of water and wastewater facilities
to serve low income residents. SE/R-CAP serves the states of DE, MD,
VA, NC, SC, & FL.
- A field study training program in Small
Wastewater System Operation and Maintenance.
- The Farm*A*Syst and Home*A*Syst programs, which are voluntary pollution
prevention programs, have information on household
wastewater: septic systems and other treatment methods.
Financial Tools
- Information on EPA's State revolving fund
- EPA's Financial Assistance for Wastewater Management
- And, information on US EPA's funding for watershed projects.
- And, US EPA's hardship grants for small, disadvantaged, rural communities [PDF, 9 pp., 60KB] to address wastewater treatment needs.
- The Pennsylvania
Infrastructure Investment Authority's PENNVEST program gives loans
and grants for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater projects.
Other Tools
- Quick
Tips for a healthy septic system.
- Frequently
Asked Questions About Septic Systems were provided to Colorado Water
Knowledge by the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment.
- Explore an ecological wastewater recycling system in Chatham County, NC.
- National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association, Inc. (NOWRA)
- Check out participating Green Community, the City of York, PA Wastewater
Treatment Plant web site.
- On-Site Wastewater
Information Sources and Links
Drinking Water (Surface Water and Groundwater)
Providing a clean, safe, reliable drinking water system requires both attention to the source, either groundwater or surface water, and an appropriate infrastructure.
Policy and Planning Tools
- Check out the tools at site EPA's Water Protection Program
- EPA's Drinking Water Contaminant Source Index
- Oxygenates in Water: Critical Information and Research Needs [PDF, 77 pp., 220KB]
- LWV
WaterWeb is a directory of water resource professionals, activists
and community leaders from the U.S. and Canada.
- The Local Drinking Water Information Page consists of a 'point and click' map of the United States which provides state and regional information to the county level or by water system name.
- The Water Resources Division
website of the U.S. Geological Survey
- Also, check out the American Water
Works Association site on drinking water.
- Drinking Water Consumers from the Office of Water.
- Protecting Local Ground Water Supply Through Wellhead Protection
Regulatory Tools
- Designation as a sole-source aquifer can protect groundwater used as a drinking-water source.
- Sample
Wellhead Protection Ordinance Provisions
Technical Tools
- Check out the tools at EPA's Water Protection Program site
- The Technical Resources Section
website of the U.S. Geological survey.
- Water Wiser, the Water Efficiency
Clearinghouse.
- Drinking Water Public Service Announcements
- Methods
for the Delineation of Wellhead Protection Areas (WHPA's)
Financial Tools
- The EPA's Drinking Water State Revolving Funds
- SRF's UP - A newsletter for the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Programs.
- The Small
Towns Environment Program offers financial assistance for water
and wastewater to towns of under 10,000 people.
- The US EPA offers grants for source water assessments.
- Pennsylvania'sTechnical
Assistance Center for Small Drinking Water Systems.
Other Tools
- Drop by Drop :
How to start a water conservation program.
- What Do I Need To Know To Protect My Private Drinking Water Supply?
- Private Drinking Water Wells
Municipal Landfills, Incinerators, and Material Recovery Facilities
One of the major costs incurred by a local government is getting rid of its municipal wastes, with most wastes in the US ending up in landfills. Here are some tools to help you along, with direct links to web sites.
Policy and Planning Tools
- Looking for ways to reduce the amount of waste produced in your community?
- How about a Pay as you Throw program?
- EPA has a variety of Pollution Prevention programs and resouces. Check out this site for ways to reduce pollution and solid waste.
- "A Policy
Statement on the Incineration of Municipal Waste" [PDF, 36 pp., 4.8MB] from the
International Air Quality Advisory Board.
- Click here for information on the Materials
Efficiency Success Stories.
Regulatory Tools
- This site provides information on RCRA Subtitle D, federal regulations that deal with solid waste.
- EPA's Project XL for Communities gives the regulated community the opportunity to demonstrate Excellence and Leadership.
- Visit this EPA site for Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources and Standards of Performance for New Sources: Large Municipal Waste Combustion (MCW) Units.
- For more information on the Municipal Waste Combustion (MCW) Unit Rule, read these other related documents.
- At Hazmat Safety, the Department
of Transportation has made available information on hazardous materials
rules and regulations, training schedules. enforcement guidelines, and
a wide variety of other publications and reports.
Technical Tools
- Want to know what the federal regulations are on landfill design ?
- This solid waste landfill design
course from the University of Wisconsin .
- Recycling is one way to reduce municipal waste. Check out this site for more information.
- The best way to reduce the need for landfills and other disposal methods is to prevent waste.
Financial Tools
- Do you really know how much your waste costs you? Click here to find out about full-cost accounting .
- Should your community charge citizens by the amount of waste they put out on the curb? Here's information on pay-as-you-throw.
- Looking for federal funding for an innovative way to deal with your waste? Check here for federal grant programs.
- To look for foundation grants, check out the Foundation
Center .
Other Tools
- This site gives information on how school
districts can prevent waste .
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