DECENTRALIZED WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLANNING:USE OF LOT-BY-LOT ANALYSIS TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITYWASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLANS

摘要

Decentralized wastewater management provides significant environmental and economicrnopportunities to many growing communities. Frequently, the existing wastewater infrastructurernof on-site septic systems can be an attractive, sustainable, long-term solution for most areas of arncommunity. However, the necessary planning process poses a multidisciplinary array ofrnchallenges that can deter communities from embarking down this path or derail their planningrnefforts. The advent in recent years of computerized Geographic Information Systems (GIS)rntechnology and the increasing availability of GIS information has made a highly detailed, lot-bylotrndecentralized planning approach an economically viable and attractive option to manyrncommunities. The analytical framework discussed herein provides a robust development andrnimplementation strategy that maximizes the potential for a successful decentralized managementrnplan. This framework provides community officials with a very powerful wastewater planningrnand management tool that has received overwhelming community validation and approval.rnThis lot-by-lot analytical framework coupled with GIS technology enables communities to reaprnboth the short and long term benefits offered by decentralized wastewater management to arndegree that was only possible with manual technologies in the past.