A county public health official on Cape Cod in Massachusetts has a vision for better tracking of operations and maintenance of alternative onsite systems throughout his state and beyond, wherever waterways or public health are threatened by failing wastewater systems.

Brian Baumgaertel devised and administers a tracking database for innovative/alternative onsite systems in 14 towns on the Cape. He’s hopeful this online project will expand from town to town, providing a means to ensure ever-improving decentralized wastewater technology reaches its full treatment potential over the long haul.

A NEW TECH TOOL

Baumgaertel, environmental project assistant for the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment, responded to my November 2015 column about the State of Minnesota laying a mile-long sewer pipe and spending $1.3 million to provide a bathroom at a remote boat launch. He agreed that decision-makers often jump to the conclusion that the big pipe is the answer to any wastewater challenge. But he said improved routine performance checks of onsite systems could change a pro-sewer perception.

Since it was started in 2005, the Barnstable County database (septic.barnstablecountyhealth.org) has helped improve onsite system performance by 10 percent by keeping track of O & M contracts, Baumgaertel contends. It automatically alerts health department mandated system inspections and monitoring, allowing service providers to make adjustments for
optimal performance.

Too many health departments require O & M contracts for only up to two years, then leave future maintenance of these complex systems up to the discretion of the homeowner, Baumgaertel says.

“We have to abandon the ‘bury-it-and-forget-it’ mentality. There has to be both an educational and a regulatory component in areas where onsite systems are installed to ensure not only that they are protecting the public health and the environment, but that they are performing to their highest potential,” he says. “Unfortunately, there are areas of the country right now that seem to be willing to require folks to install an alternative system but not require that they maintain it. That seems to be an incredible waste of time and money.”

Started with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant, the Barnstable County project identifies alternative systems and tracks necessary inspections and maintenance as spelled out by each of the participating towns. Each type of system requires different monitoring and sampling, and the service providers log on and report results. The county handles all correspondence regarding systems that are no longer under service contracts or are not performing well. Daily updates red flag systems that are missing scheduled sampling.

COMPLAINTS ARE FEW

The Barnstable County project started with 500 to 600 systems, and now tracks about 2,000. Its 17,000 sample reports and 124,000 influent and effluent sample parameter results represent one of the largest data sets regarding advanced system performance in the country, Baumgaertel says. The local health departments appreciate that they don’t have to do the tedious tracking work, and compliance has been good for the most part, he says.

Complaints have been few and are limited to those homeowners most resistant to paying for ongoing maintenance that the towns determine is necessary, he says. O & M contracts can vary in cost between $200 to $300 for annual visits and $1,400 to $1,600 to cover quarterly inspections and monitoring for large sampling parameters, he says.

“We make a lot of the data we collect public on our website so that homeowners, designers and regulatory officials can make good decisions on the best technology to use, and so manufacturers can see how their systems compare to others in our area,” Baumgaertel says. “In the very near future, we will begin offering database access to system owners so they can check on their system performance, and also set up email and text alerts for when their contracts come due or when their inspections and samples indicate problems. We’ll also be providing them with educational materials to help them understand not only why their system was installed, but also the importance of properly maintaining their system.’’

THE BENEFICIARIES

Homeowners may feel the sting of onsite maintenance costs, but the O & M tracking is really doing them a favor in helping them get the most life out of a costly system. Paying a little every year to ensure an onsite system performs properly is a wise investment.  

For service providers, the tracking ensures more scheduled maintenance work and helps avoid emergency calls prompted by failure of poorly maintained systems during periods of heavy loading. Homeowners added to the database are given a list of qualified contractors in their area to set up O & M contracts, bringing more work directly to the inspectors/maintainers.

The entire onsite industry benefits from an organized and efficient O & M tracking program. Properly maintained systems last longer, perform better and lead to a general improved perception of decentralized wastewater treatment as a strong, viable alternative to municipal sewer systems. As onsite technology gets its due, industry manufacturers continue to meet new and tougher treatment challenges that expand options for economic development.

And don’t forget the environment. Nitrogen in groundwater and sensitive waterways is a big problem. Keeping tabs on advanced systems will minimize nitrogen loading, protecting drinking water and recreational fishing, boating and swimming for generations to come.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Baumgaertel has been reaching out to communities beyond Barnstable County, including some towns in the tourist haven island of Martha’s Vineyard. There have been some preliminary discussions at the state level. He sees the potential to use the tracking system anywhere alternative systems are specified to protect water resources. Installers or regulators interested in learning more are invited to reach out to Baumgaertel at bbaumgaertel@barnstablecounty.org.

I hope the industry will take Baumgaertel up on his offer to share what Barnstable County has learned. Installers should advocate for long-term O & M requirements for advanced systems and convenient reporting of results on a database shared with system owners, service providers and regulators. It’s the best way to breed confidence and respect for onsite technologies — and maybe discourage a sewer-everywhere mentality.