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Onsite sewage treatment alternatives

PIs: James Anderson, WRC Co-Director, Water Resources Center; Dave Gustafson, Onsite Sewage Treatment Program; Sara Heger-Christopherson, Onsite Sewage Treatment Program, Rich Axler, Sr. Research Associate, and Barb McCarthy, Research Fellow, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota

Funding Source: Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources, WRC (CAIWQ), Met Council

Project Duration: 07/01/99 - 06/30/06

A progress report is available for this project. (pdf file, 171 KB)

Two research sites were established in the summer of 1996 near Mankato and Duluth. The components of the research sites include two recirculating sand filters, four sand filters, four peat filters, and four constructed wetlands; an aerobic treatment unit; and a drip distribution system. These systems are being evaluated as pretreatment devices for their ability to remove contaminants, in particular, biochemical oxygen demand, nitrogen, phosphorus, total suspended solids, and fecal coliform bacteria. Monitoring will continue for the duration of the study. Sampling occurs bimonthly, and data analysis began in the fall of 1996. In addition, research trenches were constructed to determine the long-term acceptance rate for different qualities of wastewater.