Impact/Purpose:

During June 25th-27th, 2002 representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4, the Kentucky Division of Water, and the Kentucky Health Department conducted site evaluations of various communities in Harlan, Martin, and Bath counties in eastern and central Kentucky to assess the extent of unpermitted sewage discharges from 'straight pipes' and determine if an alternative wastewater demonstration project was feasible in addressing the water pollution issues.

Description:

The poor sanitary conditions and water pollution problems EPA observed in the Kentucky counties of Harlan, Martin, Bath, and Montgomery were of the highest concern. The widespread scale of both the straight pipe issues as well as package plant wastewater problems present an environmental crisis which deserves attention from all levels of government. These conditions are unprecedented in the United States and in many cases are comparable to the water pollution problems that were prevalent in the 1950s and 1960s, prior to the Clean Water Act. At the current rate of investment in the solutions to these problems, many more generations of Kentucky citizens will continue to live under the same conditions that face many developing countries. The Commonwealth of Kentucky, however, is to be complimented on their recognition of the problem and the solutions they are currently implementing, which are outlined in this report. Concerning the overall wastewater treatment problems, it was apparent that more than one general solution should be considered in order to meet the wastewater needs of the region. These solutions can be broken down into three categories. They are: (1) connection to an existing wastewater plant that has the capacity; (2) cluster systems; and (3) on site systems. Additionally, Kentucky should continue to investigate all sources of funding, implement reliable and proven low-tech wastewater systems as opposed to package plants, and investigate the most cost-effective means of sewering communities where needed. EPA involvement is crucial as the estimated total cost to address this wide scale problem is over $3 billion dollars (based on The States 1994 NEEDS Survey). The original purpose of this project was to select a community for a pilot project which would demonstrate concepts presented in EPA's "decentralized wastewater systems" initiative. EPA believes that the Preston community in Bath County is an excellent location for a demonstration project. A strong owner/manager was present (electric coop), land is available for treatment, and the community is fairly compact. Dr. Richard Otis, a recognized national expert had been retained for his technical knowledge. The City has already purchased the land for construction of a wastewater treatment system and raised more than $150,000 towards project costs. The project has also secured $235,000 from EPA's 319 program, and an additional Regional Geographic Initiative grant proposal has been submitted to Region 4 for $75,000. A contract for design of the collection system has been awarded to a local engineering firm, and development is underway. A design-build contract for the 30,000 gallon/day treatment/disposal system will be advertised and awarded by February 2003. Completion of the entire system is slated for late 2003. Efforts to develop a program for promoting the demonstration project and facilitating technology transfer to neighboring communities and local engineering firms have been initiated by East Kentucky Power Company and other partners, and will be ongoing for the next two to three years.

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