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Performance, Environmental Impacts and Cost of Wastewater System Compliance in Rural Small Communities - Denmark
Citation:
Morelli, B., J. Miller, S. Rath, S. Arden, Cissy Ma, B. Demeke, S. Cashman, S. Nepal, AND G. Azevedo. Performance, Environmental Impacts and Cost of Wastewater System Compliance in Rural Small Communities - Denmark. SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) Conference and Workshops, AarhusD, June 26 - 30, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
This multi-benefit research will explore the feasibility of a framework to support market-based strategies to maximize environmental outcomes with lowest overall cost. This research sheds some light in helping small system facilities to optimize, upgrade, and adapt to the more stringent permit requirement while addressing multiple environmental challenges.
Description:
The rising tide of nutrient variance has been applied by small wastewater treatment plants across the country, especially in the rural areas. This study investigated the potential for small, rural municipalities in Kickapoo watershed located in Southwest Wisconsin to comply with water quality requirements by applying regionalization and integrated watershed approaches to address nutrient requirements while also providing other water quality benefits at the watershed scale (sediments, habitat, flow, aquifer recharge). This multi-benefit research will explore the feasibility of a framework to support market-based strategies to maximize environmental outcomes with lowest overall cost by targeting 1) point source compliance (water quality), 2) non-point source (Agricultural fields) runoff reduction (water quality), 3) flood risk mitigation (water quantity) and 4) enhance aquafer recharge (water quantity). This presentation shares the preliminary results of nutrient trading. It provides the comprehensive performance, environmental impacts and cost comparison of mechanical upgrades required for compliance and market-based approach (water quality trading) by providing pollution reduction credits of various ecological services use such as converting corn/soybean field to prairie grass. To estimate nutrient credits and soil and phosphorus runoff losses from agricultural fields Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and SnapPlus (Wisconsin’s nutrient management planning software) are used. The SWAT modeling provides additional analysis of the ecological impacts associated with water quality trading and land use changes, both at the field level and the watershed scale. This research sheds some light in helping small system facilities to optimize, upgrade, and adapt to the more stringent permit requirement while addressing multiple environmental challenges. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this presentation are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of this presentation. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. Links to non-EPA websites do not imply any official EPA endorsement of or a responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data, or products presented at those locations or guarantee the validity of the information provided. Links to non-EPA servers are provided solely as a pointer to information that might be useful to EPA staff and the public.