B-6171 10-08

Onsite treatment systems

Figure 1: A and soil absorption field system. Homeowner's guide to evaluating service contracts

Bruce J. Lesikar, Courtney O'Neill, Nancy Deal, George Loomis, David Gustafson and David Lindbo Professor and Extension Agricultural Engineer, Extension Assistant, The Texas A&M System Extension Associate, North Carolina State University Extension Soil Scientist, University of Rhode Island Assistant Extension Specialist, University of Minnesota Associate Professor, North Carolina State University

roper maintenance of your system is critical for its ✔✔ Your desired level of involvement performance and important for you, the owner. Your wastewater treatment in servicing the system. If you P system protects the health of the people living on and near your property; choose to perform some of the it helps safeguard your property values; and it helps preserve the environment. tasks yourself, make sure you un- derstand clearly who is responsi- All wastewater treatment systems they often don’t know what services ble for the different actions—you require service. To maintain your are necessary for their system. As an or your service provider. system properly, you can periodically onsite wastewater treatment system ✔✔ Exactly what services you are arrange for your wastewater system owner, you need to know: paying for. Homeowners need to to be serviced yourself, or you can ✔✔ The definitions of terms used know what is included in the base contract with a service provider to do in discussing onsite wastewater price of the contract. In many it for you. treatment system service con- cases, the fees for these mainte- Homeowners seeking services tracts. nance agreements are comparable from maintenance providers want ✔ ✔ The components of your waste- to or less than those charged for proper service for a fair price, but water treatment system and how centralized sewer service. they work. ✔✔ The kinds of contracts that may Common terms system, including replacement of be available. A basic monitoring pumps, filters, aerator lines, valves, or Knowing the following terms contract just meets the state’s electrical components. and definitions can help you select minimum requirement but and work effectively with an opera- Monitoring: The action of veri- requires more activity by the tion and maintenance (O&M) service fying performance requirements for a homeowner. Other contracts provider. regulatory authority. Monitoring may offer more service and limit the include collecting water samples and Service: The action of perform- homeowners' involvement in measuring flow rates. ing activities such as, but not limited the operation, maintenance, and A disinfection component should monitoring of their systems. to, inspection, assessment, and main- tenance of system components. be evaluated to assess its perfor- Homeowners who choose not to mance. To assess this component’s Acceptable: The condition in contract with service providers for performance, the water leaving the which a component is performing its regular maintenance should keep a system is tested for total chlorine re- intended purpose and is considered record reminding them of when the sidual or for the presence of fecal coli- to be operable. Another term used to service should be performed and form bacteria. If an ultraviolet light describe a component that is operat- what local service providers can assist disinfection component is used, a fe- ing as expected is operational. in performing the different types of cal coliform test should be performed activities. Some tasks should be left Unacceptable: A condition in to evaluate proper disinfection. which a component is not operational to professionals to make sure the job Reporting: The submission of a or performing as expected. This con- is performed correctly and that the detailed account of service activities dition indicates the need for mainte- homeowners are not subjecting their performed on a system. The report nance, upgrades, repairs, or further families to undue health risks. could be sent to the permitting au- investigation. Another term used thority, homeowner and/or the facil- to describe a component that is not Advantages of service ity owner. It can serve as documenta- operating as expected is inoperable. contracts tion of the activities being performed Inspection: The process of iden- and as an assessment of the current A good service contract guaran- tifying the current status of system tees that your system is getting the status of the onsite wastewater treat- performance, for reporting purposes ment system. attention it needs. It can save you to state authorities. Inspections may Replacement: The process of time, eliminate the inconvenience be performed for many reasons, exchanging a component with an of maintaining the system yourself, including monitoring, operation, equivalent component. The new com- and spare you the cost of replacing troubleshooting, or point-of-sale ponent should be the proper equip- a system prematurely because it was evaluation. not properly maintained. ment for the treatment system. Operation: The action of assess- Examples include the aerator Even though you may choose to ing whether each component of the in an aerobic treatment unit being maintain your own system, contract- system is functioning properly. Each replaced with the same model aerator, ing with a maintenance provider component must be operational if the an effluent pump being replaced with also saves you the time and expense system as a whole is to achieve the a pump having the same operating of completing the required train- desired performance. ing courses as as the need to file characteristics, or a riser cover being For example, a properly op- periodic reports to various agencies replaced with the same type of riser erating septic tank will have three yourself. cover. distinct layers. The presence of these Repair: The action of fixing or These service providers are layers demonstrates that solids are replacing substandard or damaged professionals trained in the operation settling to the bottom and scum is components of an onsite wastewa- and maintenance of onsite wastewater rising to the surface, allowing a clear ter treatment system. In Texas, the treatment technologies. zone in the middle to develop. replacement of tanks or drain fields Routine service and proper Another example is that in maintenance can help you identify is considered a repair and requires a chlorinating systems, the availability permit for the entire onsite wastewa- problems early and prevent malfunc- of chlorine must be checked, because tions. Early detection makes it pos- ter treatment system. At the time of chlorine must be present in a chlori- the repair, the new or repaired system sible to take remedial action before nator for it to be operating properly. your system becomes a public health must comply with current state regu- Maintenance: The action of con- hazard, a detriment to the environ- lations. ducting required or routine perfor- ment, a problem for you and your Upgrade: The action of creating a mance checks, examinations, upkeep, family, or a liability with respect to better system by adding a component cleaning or mechanical adjustments your property values. or increasing the effectiveness of an to an onsite wastewater treatment existing component. Upgrades do not and service provider. The service Frequency of service necessarily change the performance contract should list: activities of a system, but they can make it ✔✔ Frequency of service visits All onsite wastewater treatment easier to maintain or increase the ✔✔ Services included in the base systems require regular maintenance. robustness of the process. price Four factors affect the frequency of Examples of upgrades include ✔✔ Services requiring an extra activities: adding effluent screens in the outlet charge ✔✔ Regulations baffle of a septic tank, adding risers ✔✔ Maintenance parts included in ✔✔ Site conditions and population to frequently accessed components, the base price installing additional sensors to the density ✔✔ Maintenance activities outside system, adding remote monitoring, ✔✔ Technology the scope of the contract and changing the type of disinfection ✔✔ Wastewater source or use ✔✔ Facility owner responsibilities component. regarding use of the onsite waste- Regulations take into consid- Troubleshooting: The act of water treatment system. eration environmental risk, public finding and eliminating sources of health risks, and population density ✔✔ Timeframe for responding to problems in the wastewater system. complaints when defining frequency of monitor- The service provider or other profes- ing activities. Regulatory authorities ✔✔ Responsibility for maintaining sional must evaluate the system to are established primarily to protect the disinfection device determine why it is not performing public and environmental health. well. Management: A collective They determine: term describing all the steps needed Troubleshooting requires that ✔✔ Which wastewater treatment sys- to conduct operational services, the service provider have in-depth tems require scheduled service maintenance, monitoring, and com- knowledge of treatment processes and visits and reporting of service pensation. All of these activities are the reactions of treatment compo- activities essential for keeping an onsite waste- nents to various possible wastewater ✔✔ How well those systems must constituents. A service provider who water treatment system performing properly. perform can conduct troubleshooting is a ✔ Malfunctioning OSSF: An ✔ How often the systems must be specialist in this field. monitored for performance Mitigation: The act of fixing onsite facility that is causing a nuisance or is not operating in com- The performance of an onsite a system that is malfunctioning. wastewater treatment system is mea- Before the system is repaired, all of pliance with the regulations. Nuisance: (1) Sewage, human sured by field or laboratory tests of its components (source, collection, the water leaving the system. pretreatment, and final treatment excreta, or other organic waste In Texas, residential onsite and dispersal) should be evaluated to discharged or exposed in a manner wastewater treatment systems must determine all the reasons for nonper- that makes it a potential instrument be monitored every 4 months, or formance. or medium in the transmission of disease to or between people; (2) an three times a year. This requirement Compensation: The action of overflow from a septic tank or similar directly relates to the technologies receiving a fair price for a proper device, including surface discharge providing advance treatment and service. Compensation is critical from or groundwater contamination dispersal. The number of service to making the whole management by a component of an onsite sewage visits can be increased by the local process function. Compensation is facility; (3) a blatant discharge from permitting authority or the designer generally received in the form of a an onsite sewage facility. of the system. base contract fee. Fees may cover the The permitting authority can costs of repairs, replacement parts, Maintenance provider: A person increase the number of service visits maintenance, and the labor required who maintains onsite sewage facili- based on the amount of waste treated to provide the additional service. ties for compensation. This person is licensed through the Texas Com- or on public and environmental risks. The homeowner must clearly un- mission on Environmental Quality The designer can specify more service derstand what is included in the base (TCEQ), the state regulatory author- visits if a specific configuration of price and what is considered an extra ity. treatment components and wastewa- charge. Also, you need to understand Maintenance technician: A ter loading requires additional service clearly how authorization is given to visits to keep the system operating allow extra charges to be accrued. person who holds a valid registration issued by the executive director of properly. Contract (service contract): A the TCEQ to maintain onsite sewage Site conditions also affect the legal document that describes the re- facilities and work under a mainte- frequency of service activities needed lationship between the facility owner nance provider. to prevent environmental and public health problems. Environmental risk service visits. All wastewater treat- with additional components, such relates to the sensitivity of your site to ment systems are designed to treat as a flow equalization tank and a acceptance of wastewater. a specific capacity of wastewater timer. This flow equalization tank A site with deep, well-drained based on both water quantity and the and timer will help limit the risk of soil will have an excellent ability to strength of the wastewater. hydraulically overloading the fol- accept and treat wastewater. This site Water quantity is an estimate of lowing treatment components. Any will also have a low environmental the number of gallons of wastewater treatment components before the flow risk. On the other hand, a site with a that a system can accept and treat equalization tank will need upsizing heavy clay soil, shallow soil overly- every day. Wastewater strength is to accept and treat the peak hydraulic ing rock or hard caliche, a rocky soil, measured by its biochemical oxygen loading rate. a seasonally saturated soil, or poor demand (BOD5) and by its concentra- The organic loading is based on surface drainage has a limited ability tion of solids, fats, oils, and grease. the number of people living in the to accept or treat wastewater. The strength of the wastewater house. If the organic loading rate Wastewater treatment systems is directly related to the number of exceeds the design value, the service located on these tougher sites pose people living in the residence and activities will need to be performed greater risks to the environment. their tendency to put additional waste more often. Treatment systems located near material into the system, such as such as lakes, rivers, through the use of a garbage disposal. Understanding your or wetlands are also a greater risk to An onsite wastewater treat- onsite wastewater public health and the environment, ment system is designed to treat the treatment system because the constituents in the waste- wastewater from a specific number of To select a service provider, water have a greater chance of human people. In Texas, that is generally homeowners need to know the com- contact. estimated by the number of bedrooms ponents of their onsite wastewater Population density affects the in the facility plus one. Therefore, a treatment system and understand risk of harm that a system poses to three-bedroom home is expected to how they work. These systems can public health. As population density have a maximum of four people liv- be divided into four components: increases, wastewater treatment sys- ing in the home. wastewater source or use, wastewater tems are placed on smaller lots. This If a system is loaded at a rate collection, pretreatment, and final brings a greater risk of disease-caus- lower than the design rate, some of treatment and dispersal (Fig. 2). ing organisms, or pathogens, leaving the service activities may need to be The wastewater source or use is malfunctioning systems and reaching performed less often than expected. actually the type of facility that the the neighbors. Likewise, if a system is loaded at wastewater treatment system is serv- In many areas, a higher popula- or higher than the design rate, the ing; it can be a residence or a com- tion also means an increase in the service activities may need to be per- mercial operation. number of water , which also formed more frequently than normal. The wastewater collection carries a greater risk of wastewater Generally, an onsite wastewater system is generally the contamination. treatment system is assumed not be that conveys the wastewater to the Wastewater treatment technolo- loaded at a rate more than 70 percent pretreatment component. gies have specific service activities of the design flow rate. If the load based on their treatment processes. averages more than 70 percent, the The pretreatment component All treatment processes require some treatment system can be augmented varies based on your site conditions level of service to keep them func- tioning. In general, advanced treatment technologies are more complex than is standard technology and therefore 1. Source Well require more frequent service visits. 4. Final treatment and dispersal The manufacturer of each technology should have set service guidelines 2. Collection to ensure proper operation of the and storage systems. 3. Pretreatment The wastewater source or use and its associated wastewater loading Groundwater to the onsite wastewater treatment system also affect the frequency of Figure 2. The components of an on-site wastewater treatment system. and the type of final treatment and service of your particular technology and matched to develop a complete dispersal component being used. This is available from the Texas AgriLife onsite wastewater treatment system. component removes the necessary Extension Service's onsite wastewater The use of other technologies, contaminants from the wastewater to treatment fact sheet series. It can be such as a septic tank, may not require obtain an effluent that can be accept- accessed from the Web at http://ossf. a contract or reporting of service ed and treated by the final treatment tamu.edu. activities, but long-term performance and dispersal component. can be improved by having a long- A pretreatment component can How do you know term relationship with a service consist of a septic tank(s), aerobic what service is needed provider. treatment unit, media filter, con- for your system? Generally, a service contract is structed wetland and/or disinfection obtained by the homeowner to have Most technologies come with unit. the required service performed and suggested maintenance activities The final treatment and disper- the required reporting submitted. from the manufacturer. They may sal component accepts the effluent However, homeowners who wish to include a specific frequency of service from the pretreatment component, maintain their systems must accept activities or an estimate of the hours completes the treatment process, and responsibility for conducting the required for maintaining the sys- disperses the effluent into the receiv- service. tem. The manufacturer should also ing environment. provide an estimate of the types of Once homeowners learn what Final treatment and dispersal parts that need to be replaced and the is required to service their onsite components include media-filled frequency of their replacement. wastewater treatment systems, many trenches, gravel-less trench technolo- choose to contract for the service If no information on your system gy, low-pressure pipe drainfields, drip with service providers. Ultimately, is available, check similar technolo- distribution fields, or spray distribu- homeowners are responsible for the gies or seek advice from a profession- tion fields. operation of their onsite wastewater al or your local regulator. Also check treatment system. The designer of your system with the regulatory agencies for any selects and sizes the components to guidelines or regulations that may What types of service build a system that can accept the be in place in your area for certain wastewater from your facility and technologies. contracts are available? disperse clean water back into the Several types of service contracts environment. Who is required to have are available. A common mistake There are many kinds of onsite a service contract and by many homeowners is to compare wastewater treatment systems avail- report service activities? initial prices for service contracts able. Knowing the type of system on but not compare the services offered. your property will help you deter- Texas has established its contract Homeowners need to know the actual mine your service needs. You’ll need and reporting requirement based on service they will receive for the given to know: technology. Technologically, pretreat- contract they are signing. As the ✔✔ Where is the onsite wastewater ment components that are designed amount of service increases, the costs treatment system located on the to meet stan- will also rise to cover the additional property? dards (advanced organic matter and activities. ✔✔ What pretreatment and final solids removal) require monitoring. A monitoring contract is a treatment and dispersal technol- Texas regulations allow hom- contract for monitoring (testing) the ogies are assembled to treat the eowners to service their own systems onsite wastewater treatment system wastewater generated there? without meeting reporting require- performance. The service provider ✔✔ What are the basic activities as- ments. Some individual jurisdictions will only collect samples and deliver sociated with the service of your require a service contract and reports the required information for report- technology? on the system status. These jurisdic- ing to you and to the permitting ✔✔ Are there any special laws or tions may require homeowners to be authority. Other actions typically add regulations regarding the service trained if they wish to maintain their costs. of your onsite wastewater treat- systems. An operating contract is a ment system? These pretreatment systems contract for assessing whether the This publication describes the include aerobic treatment units, components are operable. The service general service activities associated sand filters, media filters, trickling provider will evaluate each compo- with onsite wastewater treatment filters, and disinfection technologies. nent of the system and document its systems. More information on the Pretreatment and final treatment and current operating condition. Under dispersal components can be mixed this contract, the service provider wastewater constituents that they are ✔✔ How will troubleshooting and will identify the components needing adding to their systems. subsequent repairs be handled maintenance or repair but will not Currently, only a few service pro- when a system needs extra ser- perform these services. viders offer management contracts. vice? A maintenance contract is a Most service contracts are a combi- ✔✔ What are the homeowner’s or contract for conducting the routine nation of the previously described facility owner’s responsibilities activities associated with keeping service contracts. regarding the operation of the the components operating properly. For example, the minimum level system? The service provider will perform of service contract should be a com- ✔✔ What activities will you perform the manufacturer-recommended bination of operating and monitor- yourself? actions to keep the onsite wastewater ing contracts. Therefore, the service ✔✔ Are you required to use this treatment system functioning. This provider should conduct required service provider to replace parts contract may not include less frequent performance testing of the effluent to or conduct maintenance? activities, such as the removal of meet requirements and assess the op- ✔✔ How long will it take for the residuals from the treatment compo- erational status of the system compo- provider to respond to an alarm nents. nents. The service provider may offer condition? Most service contracts are actu- other services such as maintenance In addition to evaluating the ally a combination of the various and repairs on a fee basis. contract, you should also evaluate the contracts outlined above. A service service provider: contract may cover both monitoring How do I compare ✔✔ What is the firm’s record with the and operation, or it may include mon- service contracts? Better Business Bureau? itoring, operation, and maintenance The homeowner or facility owner ✔ (MOM). ✔ What do references say regarding must compare not only the price, but the firm’s work? A MOM contract is the mini- also what is included in the base price ✔ mum level of service recommended, ✔ How many onsite wastewater of the contract. You need to evaluate treatment systems does the firm because the service provider would the contract thoroughly to determine: conduct the performance monitoring service in a day? It takes time to ✔✔ What services are included in the required by the permitting author- provide service on a system. base price? You need to know the answers ity, evaluate the operational status of ✔ the components, and provide rou- ✔ What services are available for an to all of these questions to help you tine maintenance activities. MOM additional fee? make an informed decision regard- ✔ contracts may or may not include less ✔ What is the hourly rate for per- ing the selection of a service contract frequent activities such as removing forming additional services? and provider. The least expensive base residuals. ✔✔ When do additional charges service contract may not be the best A repair contract is a contract begin to accrue? deal. It is important to know what for replacement of components as ✔✔ How are the additional service is included in the base price, which they break or fail to operate as ap- and associated fee approved? services will require an additional fee, propriate. Be sure to evaluate the ✔✔ What are the homeowner's re- and how those additional fees will be contract to determine what is covered quired activities associated with approved and calculated. regarding labor associated with the operation of the system? How do I find a local replacement of components and the ✔✔ When is payment due for the replacement parts themselves. services being performed? service provider? A management contract is an ✔✔ What information will you, the There are three approaches to lo- all-inclusive plan. This contract could homeowner, receive to let you cating a service provider. The first ap- be equivalent to being served by a know what base service was per- proach is to contact the TCEQ and ask centralized sewer system. The service formed and when? for a list of people who are licensed provider performs all the required ✔✔ How will you know when some- and are potential service providers. activities for monitoring, operation, one will arrive to conduct the The TCEQ has a Web site that maintenance, and repair. service? can help you find professionals in Management contracts are fairly ✔✔ How should you contact the your area: http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/ new, and a few providers are even in- service provider when an alarm compliance_support/data/ossf_search. cluding mitigation of a malfunction- has sounded indicating that the html. You will need to search the site ing system as a part of the contract. system needs service? How is the for individuals with a maintenance This does not relieve the homeowners charge calculated for that extra provider license and then contact of their responsibilities regarding service call? them. The second approach is to con- Several different types of service can perform the different types of tact the local permitting authority to contracts are available to the home- activities. Some tasks should be left obtain a list of the professionals in owner. The basic monitoring contract to professionals to make sure that the your area. meets only the minimum require- job is performed correctly and that The third approach is to ask the ment. But this contract requires more you are not subjecting yourself and manufacturer of your onsite wastewa- activity by the homeowner. Addition- your family to undue health risks. ter treatment system components for al components of contracts can offer A good service contract guaran- a listing of service providers in your more service and limit the homeown- tees that your system is getting the area. er’s involvement in the operation, proper attention it needs, and it can maintenance, and monitoring of the save you time, the hassle of maintain- Summary wastewater treatment systems. ing the system yourself, and the cost Wastewater will continue to When evaluating all contract of replacing a system prematurely be generated as a part of our daily options, make sure you clearly un- because of simply not taking care of activities. Effective management of derstand who is responsible for the the system. wastewater is critical to protecting different actions—you or your service public health, environmental health provider—and what is included in the Acknowledgment and property values. base price of the contract. This material is based upon work All wastewater treatment tech- Homeowners who choose not supported by the Cooperative State nologies require service. However, the to contract for these services should Research, Education, and Extension type and frequency depends on the keep maintenance records that Service, U.S. Department of Agricul- specific technologies used to assemble remind them of when service should ture under Agreement No. 2005- the wastewater treatment system on be performed. They should also keep 45049-03209. your site and how you use water. a list of local service providers who The Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems series of publications is a result of collaborative efforts of various agencies, organizations and funding sources. We would like to acknowledge the following collaborators: Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board USEPA 319(h) Program Texas On-Site Wastewater Treatment Research Council Texas AgriLife Extension Service Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Texas AgriLife Research Consortium of Institutes for Decentralized Wastewater Treatment USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

All publications in the On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems series can be downloaded from the World Wide Web at: http://AgriLifeExtension.tamu.edu.

Produced by AgriLife Communications and Marketing, The Texas A&M System Extension publications can be found on the Web at: http://AgriLifeBookstore.org. Visit Texas AgriLife Extension Service at http://AgriLifeExtension.tamu.edu.

Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. 10M, Revision