Constructing a New Sewage Treatment System

There are over 300 million people in America. Imagine if 1/5 of us (about 60 million) who depend on septic systems to treat our wastewater all of a sudden started experiencing backups and malfunctions.

This clean toilet wouldn't look or smell so clean. We would have a lot more feces in places it shouldn't be and paying a heavy amount in both external and internal costs. This is why it is important for homeowners to maintain a proper care system year-round. If it's too late and you need an entire new treatment system (or if you're constructing one for a new home), lucky for you I know just how to do it. First, you need to make sure you contact your local health district about STS (sewage treatment systems) permits or when you start to develop a land development plan. The staff will come to the site for evaluation. Also, review the Know How to Select a Home Site fact sheet. Next, to determine how much usable soil is present and where it is located, a complete evaluation of the soil on the property is needed, so obtain a site and soil evaluation. Then you may begin to work with an STS designer to analyze the different types of systems available for your land. More than one system may be suitable so before you make your final decision, be sure to carefully evaluate all system costs. After that, get quotes and bids from registered STS contractors. Always make sure you have a written contract and have fully discussed all steps of the construction process and services the contractor will provide. Once you have chosen a contractor and construction has begun, try to watch as much of the construction as possible, even documenting the installation with pictures. The local health district will then perform a final inspection and either approve or disapprove of the installation. Work with the system contractor and your local health district if problems occur (it's their job to protect you and the public health). Finally, keep up with proper operations and maintenance to ensure optimal usage. If you have any further questions, please visit the Ohio Department of Health's Sewage Treatment Systems Program page. As always, may your life be like toilet paper, long and useful!

Water Quality- Total Coliform bacteria

The Ohio Department of Health requires that drinking water provided from private water systems in Ohio such as wells, springs, and hauled water be tested for total coliform bacteria, E. coli, and nitrates upon completion, alteration, or other activities of those systems. Most of us have heard about E. coli (Chipotle is currently having an issue with this bacteria) and nitrates in the news, but today, I will be talking about total coliform bacteria. This 16-species collection of relatively harmless microorganisms (which includes E. coli and other fecal coliform bacteria) help with food digestion and are found in soil, plants, and warm- and cold-blooded animals' intestines, including humans and our waste. Total coliform bacteria are indicators that other disease-causing organisms could be present, along with their health risks such as cramps and diarrhea, especially with fecal-contaminated water. The benefits of testing water for total coliform bacteria instead of all of the pathogens that may or may not also be in the water include saving time and money because they are usually present in large numbers.

How can we prevent coliform contamination? All water sources should be constructed properly and cleaned by a professional if the bacteria is found. It is recommended (according to the New York State Department of Health) to test your water once a year in late spring or early summer, To remove total coliform bacteria, homeowners should use treatments devices to disinfect and filter the water (I take extra precautionary measures and also use my Brita filter, pictured above). If the bacteria is still present, then the treatment is not working properly. If total coliform bacteria is found in a Washington water system, homeowners additionally add chlorine for a short period of time. More work needs to be done if fecal coliform or E. coli is found because they impose immediate health risks. Officials have to notify everyone who uses the water within 24 hours that they need to boil any water before using it until the problem is resolved.

Air Quality

Imagine if there were so many solid particles in the air that we would either have to wear high quality masks in order to go outside, or be forced to stay inside because we wouldn't be able to breathe. Unfortunately, this is the situation in Beijing. Exhaust emissions from vehicles and the burning of coal in industrial plants are the major contributors. Thankfully, this is not the case in the United States, but it is just a matter of time before we start seeing issues with our air quality. The Clean Air Act was established in 1970 with a couple of revisions that is designed to eliminate problems such as smog, acid rain, and damage to the ozone layer, yet it still happens. You can see what the air quality is like in any state, such as Ohio, by visiting the EPA's map portals. Here, you can compare different cities like Cleveland and Cincinnati. For the most part, it looks like Cleveland's air is surprisingly a little bit cleaner than Cincinnati's right now (Northeastern Ohio has had some history of being one of the worst areas for particle pollution in the country, despite improvements). Cleveland and the surrounding area's particulate matter is low, but most of the ozone quality indexes are in the 30s. Cincinnati and the surrounding area's particulate matter is a little higher, as are the ozone quality indexes (Cincinnati alone having a reading of 43, 7 points away from moderate health concerns).

What do these index numbers tell us? The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a range that tells us how clean or polluted the air is (as seen above). The best air quality levels are in the green region, with an index below 50 and no health concerns, the worst being anywhere between 301 and 500 in the maroon region with serious health effects. "Hazardous" is where Beijing is now with little hope to return to smog-free levels within the next 20 years. Let us learn from our mistakes now so that we may not have to close all industrial plants and live a life indoors.