Does it cost more than a centralized wastewater collection and treatment system?
There is no simple answer to this question, either one way or the other. However, onsite or decentralized wastewater systems tend to be used where development densities are lower, that is, where there is more land space which is available for land-based (“non-discharge”) wastewater treatment systems. As development density levels decrease, onsite (decentralized) wastewater systems tend to become more cost-effective than a centralized system. This cost effectiveness over a centralized system is due to the fact that with fewer customers connected to a centralized system, per length of pipe, there would need to be higher user charges and capital recovery fees to pay for the system.
