On-site wastewater disposal in clay soils - the use of evapotranspiration systems and conventional methods

摘要

On-site disposal of wastewater in clay soils in Western Australia was investigated. Shire Councils in the Perth metropolitan area that had households on clay soil were approached and the methods used in overcoming site limitations investigated. Research into wastewater disposal using an evapotranspiration (ET) system developed by the Remote Area Developments Group (RADET system) was discussed. It was found that all shires were using a modified form of leach drain that was partially to fully inverted depending on the depth groundwater table. The role ET played in disposing of wastewater from these leach drains was not known. The RADET system differed from previous designs in that no piping was used to distribute wastewater in the trench and plants were grown adjacent to as well as on top of the system. A list of plants native to Western Australia for use in conjunction with the ET system is currently under development.