Decentralized Wastewater System Resolves EPA Concerns
Problem
The smell of sewage was becoming harder to ignore in Christiansburg, Ohio, especially following a rainstorm. The village was plagued with failing onsite septic systems, and nearby West Fork Honey Creek had tested high for bacteria. With the Ohio EPA becoming concerned, village leaders began to explore wastewater management options.
Solution
Because Christiansburg is a community of roughly 500 residents with a median household income of just $34,282 (2013),1 village leaders needed an affordable solution. For collection, they chose an Orenco® Effluent Sewer System, which includes individual 1,000-gallon (3.8-m3) tanks for residences and 1,500- (5.7-m3) or 2,000-gallon (7.6-m3) tanks for businesses. All tanks contain an Orenco septic tank effluent pump (STEP) package. The collection system conveys primary-treated effluent through small-diameter mainlines, without manholes or lift stations, to a two-stage AdvanTex® AX-Max™ treatment facility. Disinfected effluent from the AdvanTex system is then discharged to West Fork Honey Creek under the authority of an NPDES permit with strict ammonia limits.