Soil-based Wastewater Treatment

Our book addresses the needs of practitioners, engineers, scientists, regulators, resource managers, planners, and others with a need to know about septic systems. It arose after discussions about the need for a text that integrated current understanding of the hydrologic, physical, chemical, and biological processes involved in the treatment of wastewater using soil. In our experience, people working with septic systems – ourselves included – have a fragmented understanding of what these systems are, how they function, how wastewater moves through soil, how and which pollutants are removed, and how these systems impact the environment and public health. The relevant information is scattered across disciplines, information sources and audiences. This book is an attempt to collect and integrate this information in one place, and provide a scientific framework for understanding soil-based wastewater treatment.

Foreword v

Preface vii

Chapter 1. Introduction 1

Chapter 2. Wastewater Treatment Technologies 19

Chapter 3. Characteristics of Wastewater 53

Chapter 4. The Soil Environment 93

Chapter 5. Water in the Soil Treatment Area 133

Chapter 6. Transformations of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus 159

Chapter 7. Removal and Inactivation of Pathogens 193

Chapter 8. Fate of Emerging Pollutants 231

Chapter 9. Impact on the Environment 271

Chapter 10. The Future of Soil-based Wastewater Treatment 305

Jose A. Amador is a professor of soil science and microbial ecology at the Universiy of Rhode Island.

George Loomis is a research and extension soil scientist at the University of Rhode Island.