Strategies for Rural Development in Areas with Limited Public Infrastructure: Alternative Septic Systems

Clustered Septic Systems: Brownville, Maine

The Town of Brownville constructed 12 shared subsurface wastewater systems in 1989 to treat and disperse wastewater from residential and commercial properties in its two villages of Brownville and Brownville Junction.  Before these systems were constructed untreated wastewater discharged directly into the Pleasant River.  Correcting this problem with onsite septic systems were not a feasible option, due to the small lot sizes within the villages.

Take a tour of Brownville's wastewater treatment facility and community septic fields with Brownville Director of Operations Kevin Black:

(6 min. Video)

 

Multiple Smaller Systems - a Less Expensive Alternative

Brownville has an existing sewer system, however community subsurface disposal is more cost-effective for these properties than extending the public sewer lines and expanding the size of the treatment plant. Brownville’s community septic systems include one large community system (serving approximately 60 properties) and 11 smaller systems (typically serving 5-15 properties each).  All systems pump to a large community leach field complex where the effluent is distributed to multiple stone beds occupying about 12 acres of land, located above a sand and gravel aquifer that also serves as the drinking water supply for both villages.  The systems are completely town-owned and maintained, and system operators have deeded easements to permit access to septic tanks on individual lots.  The systems have licensed design flows ranging from 300 gallons per day to 65,000 gallons per day, and a total design flow of approximately 100,000 gallons per day.  All 12 systems are regulated under a single Waste Discharge License issued by the Maine DEP. The construction project was funded primarily by loans from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

Brownville’s systems are operated by its Water and Sewer Department. A chief operator maintains the systems, conducting visual inspections and collecting flow information from each system on a weekly basis. The systems are self-financed, with rates determined by operating costs and debt retirement for capital improvements.  All customers are currently charged a flat rate of $133.34 per quarter (about $31 per month).

Below: Kevin Black, Brownville Director of Operations, shares why clustered septic was the right choice for Brownville and may be for your town:

(5 min 28 sec Video)

 

Good Design and Regular Maintenance Extends Life of Septic Systems

The Brownville example shows that well-designed and well-maintained septic systems can stand the test of time, even at high daily flow rates.  After almost 25 years in operation, despite a typical design life of 15-20 years, all of the shared septic systems continue to function well.  Just as importantly, both the Pleasant River and the aquifer have maintained a high level of water quality, despite the proximity of the wastewater treatment systems.  In addition to following the standard preventive maintenance regimen of periodic system inspection and tank pumping, Brownville annually rotates the usage of the 12 available stone beds in the large community leach field complex, using just half of them for wastewater treatment and dispersal while letting the other half “rest” and recharge for a year.   Of note, during the catastrophic flooding in June 2012 that devastated much of Brownville’s local and state road infrastructure in the two villages, all 12 subsurface wastewater systems continued to function normally throughout the emergency;  in fact, only one simple repair was needed, for a force main that was slightly damaged when the road above it collapsed.   Nonetheless, town officials are aware that the entire system will soon need to be replaced, and they have been planning for that eventuality.

The only perceived disadvantage of the Brownville system is that industrial uses are currently not permitted in the villages, unless property owners can pre-treat their wastewater onsite to achieve residential wastewater quality or higher before discharging to one of the shared septic systems.  (See the Milbridge case study for more information about the use of wastewater pre-treatment for toxic or highly organic effluent.) There is some speculation that this requirement may have discouraged new industrial development within Brownville and Brownville Junction, since any prospective business owners must incur the extra cost of hiring an engineer and contractor to install a wastewater pre-treatment system before they can open a facility.   They may simply walk away, and instead set up shop in another town where they can tie into a public sewer line. 

Kevin Black, Brownville Director of Operations credits design, education & regular maintencance with longevity of Brownville's system:

( 4 min 37 sec Video)

For more information:  Kevin Black, Brownville Water and Sewer Department Superintendent, 965-2561

 

Related Work Plan Components

Workgroup Contacts

In Aroostook County: Jay Kamm, Ken Murchison, Joella Theriault

In Washington County: Judy East