Small Community Wastewater Alternatives

1. Small Community Wastewater Alternatives Section VI Problem Characterization and Moving to Action

2. Source Water Protection Plan • Wastewater threats • Subset of Contaminant ID/ Inventory • Prioritize vulnerability of source: • Proximity • Severity of threat • Likelihood of contamination (transport) • Potency of contaminant • Other • Specific management strategy

3. Overview • Elements of a Management Plan • Getting there • Funding • Long-term planning • Stakeholder tips

4. Elements of a Management Plan • Introduction • Assessment of Existing Conditions • Evaluation of Management Alternatives • Selected Management Approach • Outline of Project Implementation Plan

5. Elements of a Management Plan (cont.) 1. Introduction • Goals and Objectives • Framework/ Context • Participants and Roles • Relevant Background • Acknowledgements

6. Elements of a Management Plan (cont.) 2. Assessment of Existing Conditions • Methodology • Conducting inventory • Assessing risk • Summary of findings • Supporting data

7. Elements of a Management Plan (cont.) 3. Evaluation of Management Alternatives • Summary of alternatives • Criteria for selection 4. Selected Management Approach • How selected alternative meets criteria • Cost Estimate • Funding options

8. Elements of a Management Plan (cont.) 5. Outline of Project Implementation Plan • Roles and responsibilities • Project planning steps • Timeline

9. Getting There • Set Goals and Objectives • Organize Steering Committee/ Stakeholder Group • Assess and Analyze Existing Conditions • Identify Management Alternatives • Select a Management Approach • Outline Implementation Plan • Maintain communication

10. Getting There • Set Goals and Objectives (sample) • Goals: • Formalize strategy to protect drinking water source (s) from wastewater contamination, particularly onsite septic systems • Generate community-wide support for protecting water supplies by managing wastewater through education and relationship building • Objectives • Develop a source water protection strategy for wastewater • Establish a framework for implementing the strategy • Encourage community participation throughout the planning process

11. Getting There • Organize Steering Committee/ Stakeholder Group • Be inclusive – be groupers not splitters • Identify backgrounds and expertise • Select leader and secretary • Preliminary determination of roles – roles may shift as project progresses • Set a timeline • Identify and assign tasks:

12. Getting There Steering Committee Tasks: • Conduct preliminary information gathering • Confirm the delineation of the source water protection area • Complete an inventory of individual, commercial, industrial and community wastewater systems • Establish priority ranking system based on severity of threat • Identify and make management recommendations • Help identify funding options • Identify potential sites (if appropriate) for community or clustered wastewater treatment • Make the routine decisions that guide the project.

13. Possible Team Members • County sanitarians, water and wastewater operators, elected officials, city/county health officials, county extension agents, city/county planners • Code enforcement officers/ building inspectors • Resource conservation and development agencies • Watershed planning groups • Service organizations, senior citizen groups, youth groups and school personnel • General community • Bankers/ realtors

14. Getting There 3. Assess and Analyze Existing Conditions • Preliminary information gathering • Delineate protection area • Conduct contaminant inventory • Assess public health risk

15. Getting There • Assess and Analyze Existing Conditions • Preliminary information gathering • Identify sources of upfront information: maps, assessment records, existing wastewater surveys or contaminant inventories by others, 911 records, others • Identify regulatory powers and management authority • Identify and involve technical assistance resources • Identify obvious obstacles

16. Getting There 3. Assess and Analyze Existing Conditions • Delineate protection area • Zones of influence • Groundwater source • Surface water source

17. Getting There 3. Assess and Analyze Existing Conditions • Conduct contaminant inventory • Include individual, commercial, schools, hospitals, group homes, elder care facilities, residential developments, offices, industrial, public or private non-profit corporations • Map system locations – water system staff, code enforcement officers, building and zoning inspectors, health department staff, highway department

18. Getting There 3. Assess and Analyze Existing Conditions • Conduct contaminant inventory • Collect additional information • System type and condition • Known problems and action taken • Unusual strength waste (type and volume generated) • Non-residential flow volumes • Data collection methodology • Visual survey • Wastewater surveys • Site inspections • Owner interviews

19. Getting There 3. Assess and Analyze Existing Conditions • Conduct contaminant inventory • Record data • Use a proven database if possible • Easy-to-share format • Consider sharing cost of database development • Provide for an update mechanism

20. Getting There 3. Assess and Analyze Existing Conditions • Assess public health risk • Determine ranking criteria based on severity of threat • proximity • degree of failure • type of contaminants • effectiveness of existing strategies • Prioritize (rank) systems • Chart results simply and clearly

21. Getting There 4. Identify Management Alternatives • Identify level of protection required • Identify and rank potential protection strategies • Differentiate between short-term and long-term strategies • Research and review favored options

22. Getting There 4. Identify Management Alternatives • Identify level of protection required • Different zones may have different requirements • Identify and rank potential protection strategies: • Existing systems • New systems • Likelihood of community or cluster system needs • Identify training needs

23. Getting There 4. Identify Management Alternatives • Identify and rank potential protection strategies: • Existing systems • Inspection and monitoring (identify and prevent malfunctions) • Repair and replacement • New systems • Enhanced site and soil evaluation requirements • Enhanced design professional requirements • Enhanced system performance requirements • Increased setback or slope requirements • Likelihood of community or cluster system needs • Identify training needs

24. Getting There • Identify Management Alternatives • Differentiate between short-term and long-term strategies • Short-term: public/homeowner education, voluntary activities to work towards a management district, coordinate health dept. inspections, cost-share programs to replace septic systems, other things that can be done with little money • Long-term: management district, clusters, sewer system • Research and review favored options

25. Getting There 5. Select a Management Approach • Review alternatives with Steering Committee, community, regulators, funders, and technical assistance providers • Consider funding availability • Recommend alternative (s)

26. Getting There 6. Outline Implementation Plan • Outline planning steps • Develop a realistic timeline • Public meetings: involve the public early • Solicit design professional • Obtain preliminary cost estimate • Secure funding

27. Getting There 7. Maintain Communication • Steering Committee • Water System Management • Municipality • Property owners • Community • Regulators • Design Professional • Funding sources

28. Stakeholder Meeting Organizing Tips • Have food • Meet at local venues where others might overhear and get drawn in • Face-to-face, one-on-one interactions are extremely effective • Piggy back onto other events • Use humor

29. Courtesy of Pace U. Land Use Training Identifying Stakeholders • Ask key members of the community who think they will be interested in the issues • Identify: • organized groups and individuals who might be interested in the potential acts that have been identified • any groups that may be hard to reach • groups and individuals that may not typically be thought of as being part of the public • groups and individuals that may not typically be thought of as being part of the public

30. Funding Individual System assistance • USDA Rural Development • Section 504 Home Repair Loan and Grant Program • Grants up to $7,500 for very low income homeowners 62 and older • 1% interest loans up to $20,000 for other low-income families and individuals

31. Funding Individual System assistance • USDA Rural Development • Section 502 Direct Home Loan Program • Elderly: Income < 80% Area Median Income • Other: Income < 50% Area Median Income • Terms up to 33 years • Can be used to repair or prepare home site

32. Funding Municipal system assistance • USDA Rural Development Water/Wastewater Infrastructure Funding Program • 38 year loan terms • Poverty, Intermediate and Market rates • Limited grant available • State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) • U.S. Department of HUD

33. Long-Term Planning • Community Profile • Needs Assessment • Identifying Interests • Confirming Community Support • Survey Instruments • Project Planning Tips

34. Community Profile/ Needs Assessment • Evaluate natural conditions and environmentally sensitive areas • Water supply • Land use • Demographics • Wastewater flows and loading • Existing treatment facilities/systems • Future growth and economic development • Identifying / prioritizing areas of concern*

35. Identifying Needs and Interests • Confirming community support for a project: • Need • Interest • Willingness to pay • Ability to pay

36. Needs Surveys • Interest surveys • Drinking water surveys • Wastewater surveys • Income surveys

37. Wastewater Planning Tips • Community Steering Committee • Begin planning now • Exercise administrative will • Take advantage of technical assistance • Think critically. Be discriminating in hiring a consultant • Evaluate / document funding eligibility • Involve regulators early • Make O&M a priority • Keep community/customers informed