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The Impact of Household Sewage Treatment Systems
(HSTS)on
Storm Water PollutionNorthwest Community Meeting
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Welcome and Introductions
Joe Durham, Attorney at LawEastman & Smith, LTD.
Overview of theNational Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
Storm Water Permitfor Franklin County and the
Townships
Jennifer Fish, DirectorFranklin Soil and Water Conservation District
Storm Water DefinedWater Quantity
Storm Water DefinedWater Quality
Purpose of Franklin County and Township Storm Water Program• Compliance with Ohio Environmental
Protection Agency NPDES municipal storm water permit.
• Share resources and expertise by co-permitting.
• Water quality and stream corridor protection.
Franklin County and Township Storm Water Program
Participants• Franklin County Townships• Franklin County Drainage Engineer• Franklin County Economic Development and Planning• Franklin County Sanitary Engineer• Franklin County Public Health• Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District• Residents and businesses in unincorporated Franklin
County• Developers , contractors and consultants working in
unincorporated Franklin County
Franklin County and Township Storm Water Community
Benefits• Public health• Drinking water• Recreation• Wildlife• Reduced infrastructure costs• Quality of life
• Public education
• Public involvement
• Construction site runoff
• Post construction site management
• Good housekeeping/pollution prevention
• Illicit discharge detection and elimination
Storm Water Permit Requirements
Storm Water Program Highlights
• Storm water education efforts.• Mapping of storm sewers to be added to existing
drainage and stream resource maps. • Enhanced county regulations for construction
site and post-construction management.• Participation of county and townships in
pollution prevention programs.• Continued resolution of illicit discharges
including failing HSTS.
Report Pollution!
• Failing Household Sewage Treatment SystemsFranklin County Public Health
(614) 525-HSTS (4787) or [email protected]
• Report Emergency Spills Ohio EPA 24-Hour Emergency Hotline
1 (800) 282-9378
• Report any other water pollution related complaint or concern to:
Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District (614) 486-9613
General Overview of the
Storm Water Permit Terminology
Jennifer Fish, DirectorFranklin Soil and Water Conservation District
Current Townships and ‘Urbanized
Areas’
Definitions
• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
• Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4)
• Household Sewage Treatment Systems (HSTS)
• Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE)
Storm Water and Sanitary Sewers
Questions?
Overview of Illicit Discharge and
Elimination (IDDE)
Paul Rosile, Director of Environmental Health & Assistant Health Commissioner
Franklin County Public Health
IDDE Topics Include
• Explanation of public health risks
• Requirements of homeowners with HSTS
• Identify and eliminate failing HSTS
• Where are the public health risks
• When to expect these requirements
What are the Public Health Risks?
• Untreated or improperly treated sewage can contaminate:– drinking water supply– drainage ditches– streams, rivers and lakes
• When household sewage treatment systems fail, untreated sewage is discharged into the environment.
What are the Public Health Risks?
• Contact with human waste can pose health risks because it can carry disease-causing organisms.
• Health risks are directly tied to exposure and ingestion of untreated sewage.
• The young, the old and those with chronic conditions are at higher risk.
Avoid Exposure
• Do not allow kids and pets to play in water that looks and smells like sewage.
• Do not swallow or get water from ditches or streams in your mouth or nose.
• If you are in those types of areas, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water.
The aeration system was invented in the 1970’s as a treatment option for
households not connected to the sanitary sewer
Human Fecal Pollution
Failed aeration system
Discharge pipe
Untreated sewage
Discharge pipe with untreated human waste
Untreated sewage in catch basin storm sewer
Untreated sewage
Storm sewer
Questions?
Requirements of Homeowners with Household Sewage Treatment Systems
Paul Rosile, Director of Environmental Health & Assistant Health Commissioner
Franklin County Public Health
Old Aeration System
Aeration chamber
Maintaining Aeration Systems
• Annual inspection by Franklin County Public Health (FCPH) or a maintenance contract.
• Properly operating motor.• Properly operating air intake.• Tank pumped based on manufacturers
recommendations.
Septic Tank and Leach Field Systems
Maintaining Septic and Leach Field Systems
• Tank pumped based on manufacturers recommendations.
• Functional baffles.• Check for sewage or ponding in your
yard.• Ensure leach field is not connected into a
farm tile, ditch or storm sewer.
Why HSTS Fail
• Aeration, septic and leach systems fail because: – Unsuitable soil conditions– Improper design and installation– Inadequate maintenance– Age of the system– Amount of water use
Septic and Leach Field System Failures
Identify and Eliminate Failing HSTS
Paul Rosile, Director of Environmental Health & Assistant Health Commissioner
Franklin County Public Health
Priority 1
• If sanitary sewer is available and accessible, homeowners will be ordered to abandon their HSTS and connect.
– Whether the system is operating correctly or not, the homeowner will be required to connect.
– Required by FCPH regulations and state law.
Priority 2
• Identify discharging HSTS not issued permits by FCPH.
• Removal of those systems will be required. This may include:– Replacing with a soil absorption system.– If that is not feasible, replace with a new
system covered under an Ohio EPA general NPDES permit.
Norweco Best Available Technology (BAT) meets OEPA
NPDES permit for discharge standards
Jet BAT meets OEPA NPDES permit for discharge standards
Priority 3 and 4
• Identify HSTS discharges causing “obvious” or “suspicious” pollution.– Verified evidence that sewage pollution is
causing a public health nuisance.– Identified conditions that could have been
caused by contamination.
• FCPH will determine if a failed HSTS is causing a nuisance.
Definition of a Public Health Nuisance
1) HSTS cause a public health nuisance when any of the following situations occur:
a) Not operating properly due to a missing component.
b) Incorrect settings.c) Mechanical or electrical failure (motor not
running).
AND, timely repairs of these situations are not made after notice to the property owner by the Board of Health.
Definition of a Public Health Nuisance
2) There is a blockage in a known sewage treatment system component or pipe that causes a backup of sewage or effluent affecting the treatment process or inhibiting proper plumbing drainage.
Definition of a Public Health Nuisance
3) There is ponding or bleeding of liquid onto the surface of the ground or into surface water. The liquid has a distinct sewage odor, a black or grey coloration, or the presence of organic matter and any of the following:
a) a dye test identifying effluent from an HSTSb) samples show fecal coliform at a level that is equal or greater
than five thousand colonies per one hundred milliliters of liquid
c) samples show more than one thousand thirty e.coli counts per one hundred milliliters of liquid
Current Annual Inspection Program
• We inspect individual aeration system for a nuisance:
- if the system is not operating properly due to a missing component, incorrect settings, or a mechanical or electrical failure.
- if there is a blockage in a known sewage treatment system pipe that causes a backup of sewage or inhibits drainage.
New Stormwater Pollution Investigations
• FCPH will inspect storm sewer outfalls for the presence of sewage during our dry weather screening.
– If there are "obvious" or “suspicious” signs of sewage pollution, FCPH will investigate the aeration or septic systems connected to the storm sewer for nuisance conditions, and will abate the nuisance if found.
Priority 3 and 4, continued
• If the system is causing a nuisance, homeowners will be required to abate the nuisance. This may include:– Replacing with a soil absorption system.– Repairing existing system.– If that is not feasible, replace with a new system
covered under an Ohio EPA general NPDES permit.
• If there is no nuisance, no further action is needed.
Where are the Public Health Risks?
• Every township in Franklin County.
• In urban areas.
• In rural areas.
• Along roadways.
• Along streams.
How Do We Know the Risks Exist?
• Nuisance and pollution complaints.
• Maintenance reports by HSTS owners.
• Annual inspections performed by FCPH.
• Observation during roadway
construction.
• Dry Weather Screening for NPDES
permit.
What is Dry Weather Screening?•In-field evaluation of MS4 components.
Man-Made FeaturesNatural Features
Channels: Flowing & Non-Flowing Pipes: No Flow
Pipes: FlowingPoint Generics – Features of Interest
Dry Weather ScreeningFeatures Evaluated:
Flowing pipes
Non-flowing pipes
Flowing channels
Non-flowing channels
Catch basins
Manholes
Point generics
What is Dry Weather Screening?•G.P.S. used for location and data
collectionQualitative Observations:
Feature typeFlow conditionMaterialSizeOdorsColorsTurbidityFloatablesPool quality
How We Summarized Health Risks?
• Use of existing records.
• Use of existing data sets.
• Development of new data sets.
• Extensive use of G.I.S.
GIS: (Geographic Information System)
GIS is a computer-based technology developed around geo-spatial information
(having a location on the earth's surface). GIS allows for data development,
management, and analysis as well as the presentation of the data in a variety of
visual formats including maps, database tables and charts.
How We Summarized Health Risks?Franklin County Public Health and Franklin
Soil and Water Conservation District have created a ranked list of “Identified Areas of Concern.”
The following metrics were used within a GIS to identify and rank these Areas of Concern.- Dry Weather Screening
Results
- Locations of HSTS
- Population/Building
Density
Dry Weather Screening Density
Variable
Dry Weather Screening Density
Variable
- ENLARGEMENT -
Population / Building Density
Variable
HSTS Density Variable
Summarizing Variables
DWS Density
HSTS Density
Population / Housing Density
0
4
6
5
3
2
1
Numerical values assigned to density layers. Typical for each layer produced
Highest Ranking Areas Extracted /
Highlighted
3 Variables Summarized
Areas of Concern (AOC)
• delineated by parcel boundaries
How Long Will It Take For FCPH To Identify and Eliminate Failing HSTS Causing Public Health Nuisances?
Paul Rosile, Director of Environmental Health & Assistant Health Commissioner
Franklin County Public Health
How Long Will It Take?
• It will take years.
• FCPH will begin investigations in the first quarter of 2012.
– Start with the highest ranked identified areas of concern.
– Work through to the lowest ranked area.– Use the prioritized approach in each area.
What Will It Cost?
• Repair - $2,000 – $8,000.
• Replace - $15,000 - $20,000, depending on the type of system.
• Tap into sanitary sewer - $5,000 - $10,000, depending on the distance from the home to the tap and other constriction costs.
Financial Resources Available to Qualified Residents
• HUD Community Development Block Grant
– Grant provided by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners.
– $100,000 total, deferred lien.– For repairing or replacing HSTS or connecting to
sanitary sewer.– Contact the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning
Commission (MORPC) at (614) 233-4171.
Financial Resources Available to Qualified Residents
• Ohio EPA Grant
– Grant provided through the Franklin County Board of Commissioners.
– $160,000 total grant.– For repairing or replacing HSTS.– Contact Franklin County Public Health at (614)
525-4261.
Financial Resources Available to Qualified Residents
• Ohio EPA
– Potential grant through the Franklin County Board of Commissioners.
– Application in process: requested $1.5 million linked deposit low interest loan.
– For connecting to sanitary sewer.– Contact Franklin County Public Health at
(614)525-4261.
Comments on IDDE Plan
• Complete plan is available for review at www.myfcph.org.
• Plan is open for a public comment period that will end at the close of business on October 28, 2011.
• Comments will be accepted in writing, and by phone or by email to:– FCPH, Attention: Paul Rosile
280 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43215– Phone: (614) 525-4787– Email: [email protected]
Additional Information
• Interactive maps of the Identified Areas of Concern are available at www.myfcph.org.
• Follow-up questions?– Phone: (614) 525-4787– Email:
Questionsand
Wrap-Up?