MORGANTOWN, WV, Dec. 10, 2002 --The Fall 2002 issue of the Small Flows Quarterly magazine can now be read on the National Small Flows Clearinghouse's (NSFC) Web site at www.nsfc.wvu.edu.
Small Flows Quarterly offers readers information about wastewater systems, regulations, products, technologies, and health, finance, and management issues relevant to America's small communities (fewer than 10,000 people). Some articles from the Fall issue include:
"Flushing Out the Straight Pipes"
By Nikki Stiles
Many streams, rivers, and oceans are being polluted with raw sewage that runs out of straight pipes from residential homes into watersheds. This sewage may contain disease-causing bacteria and viruses. According to the 1990 U.S. Census, more than 1.1 million households nationwide lack public sewerage, a septic tank, or a cesspool. This problem has persisted for many years either because of lack of regulations, lack of land, or lack of knowledge. No matter the reason, North Carolina is stepping up to the plate and beginning to eliminate the problem, one straight pipe at a time.
"Wastewater Treatment Plants Reap Benefits From EPA's Technical Assistance Program"
By Nikki Stiles
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Onsite Technical Assistance Program provides financial, technical, and operational and maintenance assistance to small, municipal wastewater treatment plants through direct onsite operator training. This article tells how the program works and presents two examples.
"RCAP Specialists Help Communities in Many Ways"
By Nikki Stiles
The Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP) provides assistance at no charge to small, rural communities through a network of nonprofit affiliates in six regions. It serves all 50 states, amounting to approximately 2,000 projects a year. This article uses two examples to show how.
"Onsite Wastewater Training Centers Break New Ground"
By Cathleen Falvey
Quality onsite wastewater system training used to be hard to find. Now, several states have centers devoted to onsite wastewater education, and new training programs are popping up all over the country. As well as offering continuing professional training to health department officials, onsite regulators, pumper/haulers, and system designers and installers, some training centers also target other small community environmental issues and additional audiences, such as homeowners, public officials, and college students. This article profiles training centers in Arizona, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Juried Paper: "Surface Failure Rates of Chamber and Traditional Aggregate-Laden Trenches in Oregon"
By Larry D. King, Ph.D., NCLSS; Michael T. Hoover, Ph.D., NCLSS; Thomas H. Hinson, RS, NCLSS, NCPG; Richard L. Polson, CPSS; Roger W. Everett, RS
A methodology for conducting failure-rate studies of onsite systems was demonstrated by comparing the field performance of aggregate-free chamber systems (the treatment) with traditional aggregate-laden, rock-filled trench systems (the experimental control) in Oregon. A two-week field assessment of a random, stratified sample of 389 treatment and control systems was conducted to determine failure rates under the same weather conditions for both technologies.
Q&A: Landscaping Septic Systems
This issue's Q&A is a fact sheet published by the University of Minnesota about the various techniques and plants used to landscape near and around septic systems.
The NSFC assists small communities by collecting, developing, and providing timely information relevant to wastewater issues. Established in 1977, the NSFC is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is located at West Virginia University.
Anyone interested in protecting the environment and providing effective sewage treatment for small communities can benefit from the NSFC's services, which include more than 386 free and low-cost educational products, a toll-free technical assistance hotline, five computer databases, and two free publications.
To subscribe to Small Flows Quarterly, contact the NSFC at (800) 624-8301, (304) 293-4191, e-mail [email protected] or write to PO Box 6064, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506-6064.
