National Community Decentralized Wastewater Demonstration Project for the City of Skaneateles Lake, New York

The Skaneateles Lake Demonstration Project illustrates how the use of new, commercially available alternative onsite wastewater treatment technologies can adequately address the many shortfalls of conventional systems in challenging topographic areas. The Skaneateles Lake watershed, a critical source of drinking water for the City of Syracuse, is comprised of very steep slopes, shallow depth to groundwater / bedrock, and poor soils for biological treatment. Alternative OWTS were installed to replace failing septic systems at lakefront sites that did not meet new construction standards. New Advanced Treatment Units (ATU's) applied to onsite systems, resulted in higher treatment levels and measurable reliability. The long term success of using ATU's is contingent upon having an oversight management program supported by regulatory enforcement. This project extends numerous proactive and ongoing measures to protect the Skaneateles Lake watershed, and is exemplary to local and national goals of proving, managing and transferring current and future OWTS technologies.