This report provides an overview of the current public perception and public acceptance of biosolids recycling in North America. It provides conceptual models for understanding the development of current public perceptions, including the influence of many factors, technical issues, typical human responses, communications, information, politics, and social context. The report includes an annotated bibliography and narrative review of recent literature regarding public perceptions and public acceptance of biosolids recycling. Fourteen succinct case studies provide more detailed information on...

The objectives of this project are to document the performance and whole-life costs of Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS). These two terms refer to stormwater practices implemented in the U.S. and UK to reduce the impact of urbanization.
The study was undertaken for a number of reasons, including:

• The lack of data on operational performance (in connection with both water quantity and quality management)
• A need to better understand future financial liabilities associated with the widespread adoption of these facilities
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Accurate prediction of wastewater pipe structural and functional deterioration plays an essential role in the utility asset management process and capital investment planning. The key to implementing an asset management strategy is a comprehensive understanding and prediction of asset condition and performance.
The primary objective of this research is therefore to develop protocols and methods for predicting the remaining economic life of wastewater pipe assets. The limits of deterioration prediction capabilities are not in mathematical models or statistical analysis methods, but in...

The emission rates of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from individual onsite septic systems used for the management of domestic wastewater were determined in this study. A static flux chamber method was used to determine the emission rates of methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide gases from eight septic tanks and two soil dispersal systems. A technique developed for the measurement of gas flow and concentration at clean-out ports was used to determine the mass flow of gases moving through the household drainage and vent system. There was general agreement in the methane emission rates for the...

The long-term viability and sustainability of biosolids land application is dependent on continuously earning stakeholder confidence, trust and support. This requires ongoing and effective engagement and communication with key stakeholders about the beneficial use of biosolids in their communities. The goal of the risk communications research was to develop processes, tools and materials to help biosolids managers conduct effective outreach and dialogue with key stakeholders in the communities where they operate, first on biosolids land application and its beneficial use, then on specific...

This study focuses on sustainability impacts as wastewater treatment plants implement treatment technologies to meet increasingly stringent nutrient limits. The objective is to determine if a point of "diminishing returns" is reached where the sustainability impacts of increased levels of nutrient removal outweigh the benefits of better water quality.
Five different hypothetical treatment trains at a nominal 10 mgd flow were developed to meet treatment targets that ranged from cBOD mode (Level 1) to four different nutrient removal targets. The nutrient removal targets ranged from 8 mg...

With the recent advent of improved analytical and biomarker detection capabilities, a variety of organic chemicals have been found in trace amounts (Trace Organic Chemicals, TOrCs) in surface waters and fish tissue. TOrCs include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, surfactants, pesticides, flame retardants, and other organic chemicals, some with unknown modes of action or effects. Identifying or predicting ecological effects of TOrCs in typical aquatic multi-stressor situations is challenging, requiring a variety of epidemiological tools that together, can diagnose effects at multiple...

Recent research has shown that the concentrations of microbial indicator organisms (e.g., fecal coliforms) in stormwater may be quite high. However, studies have not clearly established relationships between the concentrations of indicator organisms and microbial pathogens in stormwater, or between stormwater indicator organism concentrations and illness. Thus, it is difficult to interpret indicator data collected by local public agencies in the context of potential risk to human health.
The primary objective of this investigation was to generate guidance to enable more accurate and...