Are there special environmental and health considerations for land application of septage?
Yes, land application of septage comes under 40 CFR Part 503 regulations which define domestic septage as “either liquid or solid material removed from a septic tank, cesspool, portable toilet, Type III marine sanitation device, or similar treatment works that receive only domestic sewage? (USEPA, 1994). These regulations include methods of dealing with both environmental and health considerations to include potential pathogens, nutrients and contaminants such as some metals that are likely to be preferentially concentrated in septage solids. Under federal rules, septage can be applied to non-pubic contact sites, including agricultural fields, forest land and reclamation sites. To meet federal regulations to minimize attraction of vectors (such as flies and rats), land-applied septage must be treated by one of three means. It must be either 1) subsurface injected, 2) incorporated (surface applied and plowed under within six hours), or 3) alkali stabilized (pH raised to 12 or greater fo
