A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DECENTRALIZED WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS

The US Environmental Protection Agency defines 'Decentralized Wastewater Systems' as “managed individual onsite or clustered wastewater systems used to collect, treat, and disperse or reclaim wastewater form individual dwellings, businesses, or small communities or service areas” (USEPA, 2003). In many states, the day-to-day oversight of these systems falls to the city/town or county level, dependent on the state regulations. With the EPA's recognition of decentralized wastewater systems as a viable component of the Nation's wastewater infrastructure, the concept of decentralized wastewater management has become an emerging issue for these local government agencies. These agencies, usually local public health departments, are faced with a series of challenges in the implementation of decentralized management concepts.