The role of soils in purifying wastewater effluents
Answers
Almost one million homes in Ohio are beyond the reach of community sewage treatment systems. Communities that provide sewage services for homes must treat the wastewater to remove pollutants before discharging the effluent into Ohio’s environment. Unfortunately, for decades, households established in rural areas were not held to a similar standard and were often able to dispose of wastewater without providing treatment. As a result, Ohio has some of the most polluted swimming beaches in the nation, and rural neighbors have been sickened with waterborne diseases from contaminated wells.
Soil is the best medium to treat and disperse wastewater to protect the health of families, neighbors and visitors as well as the environment. Ohio has wonderfully diverse soil resources. Most of Ohio’s soils are best suited for growing food and supporting Ohio’s largest industry: agriculture.
The soil’s ability to purify wastewater has been recognized for decades. The goals in any sewage treatment system are to 1) remove pollutants that cause disease before they contaminate drinking and recreational waters, and 2) remove pollutants that kill fish and aquatic life before they reach a lake or stream. Naturally occurring soils have varying capacity to accomplish pollutant removal. Three properties are recognized as most important in ensuring effective wastewater treatment:
- Soil must be unsaturated to promote aerobic conditions.
- Soil must be deep enough to remove all of the pollutants.
- Soil must be permeable to air and water.
Answer:
The role of soils in purifying wastewater effluents