Effective, long-term wastewater management solutions incorporating onsite treatment are saving municipalities and taxpayers significant costs compared with large, regional sewer construction programs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Congress spurred acceptance of these solutions in 1997 by officially recognizing onsite wastewater treatment systems as “a potentially viable, low-cost, long-term, decentralized approach to wastewater treatment if they are planned, designed, installed, operated, and maintained properly.” Today, public health and environmental officials acknowledge that onsite systems are not just temporary solutions to be replaced eventually by centralized sewage treatment services, but are permanent wastewater treatment approaches, resulting in the release and reuse of water in the environment. Regional sewers remain an effective solution for metropolitan areas. but extending service to suburban and rural areas is not the only solution.
