Innovative/Alternative Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Task Force Resources

The I/A OWTS Task Force works to accelerate new parcel and cluster level OWTS technologies into the market, targeting Nitrogen effluent levels of <10 mg/L. We are collaborating with US EPA Southeast New England Program (SNEP) which includes Rhode Island, the Massachusetts South Coast, and the islands of Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Block Island.  Ultimately, these systems will have applicability to all New England and beyond.

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Upcoming Events

Please refer to NEWEA’s Calendar for upcoming Innovation Events and to register.

Past Events/Recent Postings

• Barnstable Clean Water Coalition (BCWC) Open House Presentation, 6/29/25, Zee Crocker, Executive Director
• The Nature Conservancy TNC Cape Financial Modeling Tool Introduction, 4/2025, a town-oriented financial modeling tool with about 20 input variables that is currently in beta-site development. The plan is for this to be hosted by Barnstable County and available to town planners on the Cape and Islands.
• Cape Cod Commission (CCC) Freshwater Initiative and Pond Atlas, 2/2025
• NEWEA Annual Conference, 1/27/25. EIA Update with Speakers Notes, Bruce Walton and Scott Horsley
• Barnstable Clean Water Coalition (BCWC) Newsletter on Modeling, 1/27/25
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Septic Summit Summary, 12/2024, a readout of a stakeholder planning session hosted by TNC, laying out priorities for implementing the recent MADEP Title 5 and Watershed regulations
• Journal of Environmental Health article Toward Better Decentralized Wastewater Treatment about Shubael Pond EIA performance, 12/2024
• MADEP listing of currently Approved BANRT Systems. MA Department of Environmental Protection – Best Available Nitrogen Reducing Technology
• Distributed Water Infrastructure, Framework and Possibilities, Technical paper by WEF’s DWI Task Force (2024)
• MA Health Officer Association (MHOA) Annual Conference, Springfield, MA – 11/13-15/2025
  • Advanced Septic Update
    • Introduction – Alissa Cox                           1
    • EIA Performance – Laura Erban                    16
    • Case Studies – Scott Horsley                      30
    • Managing I/As: SUP –
      • David Iorio Izzo and Brian Baumgaertel      52
    • Financial Impact – Bruce Walton                   59
    • Closing Thoughts – Alissa Cox                      76
    • Contact Information                                83
  • IA Septic Systems: Partnership and Progress on Cape Cod, Zenas Crocker, Executive Director, Barnstable Clean Water Coalition (BCWC).
  • Lessons Learned from Long Island, Justin Jobin, Coastal Wastewater Solutions, LLC
• Water Champion Steven Hoch, 8/30/24
• Barnstable Clean Water Coalition (BCWC) Article: Subsidize to Equalize, 8/1/24
• EIA Update Presentations to the NEWEA Spring Meeting in Newport, RI, May 20, 2024.
  • Part One
  • Part Two
  • Graphic of Cost per KG Removed and Cost per KG Removed Calculations
• Septic Utility Program (SUP) – RME Update from MASSTC with Speakers Notes – 3/14/24
• EIA Update Presentations to NEWEA Innovation Pavilion 1/23/24 with backup.
  • • EIA Financial Impact with Speakers Notes
    • Cost Comparisons EIA to Sewering
    • Potential Impact of Half EIA for Barnstable
    • EIA Case Studies Wellfleet and Tisbury
    • Shubael Pond Partner Update – 7.26.23
• Title 5 Amendments and Watershed Permit Regulations for Nitrogen Sensitive Areas (NSAs), Promulgated 7/7/23 with comments and FAQs.
  • • 310 CMR 15.000: Septic Systems (“Title 5”)
    • 314 CMR 21.00: Watershed Permit Regulations
    • Example – Pleasant Bay Watershed Permit
    • Affected Area Map
    • NSA Online Viewer with Address Lookup
• Phosphorus – A challenge for freshwater ponds.
  • • What About Phosphorus – Tara Ny Lewis, Cape Cod Commission, 5/17/23
    • Septics Phosphorus and Ponds – John Keith, Brewster Ponds, 5/17/23
    • Fostering the Acceptance and Use of Phosphorus-Removing Septic Systems in Upstate New York – Justin Jobin, 3/6/23
• Innovation Pavilion Presentation with Speaker Notes, I/A Update, 1/24/23
• NEWEA Journal Article, January 2023 – I/A OWTS Task Force Update— Exercises in Collaboration
• I/A Septic Systems Funding and Financing Webinar, May 3, 2022 – Watch Video or View Presentations
• Annual Conference Charrette on I/A OWTS O,M&M (RME)
  • January 24, 2022 – Watch Video
    • View Attendee List
    • View Presentations:
      • MassDEP
      • Pleasant Bay Alliance
      • MASSTC
      • Coastal Wastewater Solutions, LLC (Long Island, NY)
      • Buzzards Bay Coalition
    • RME Charrette Readout
• I/A Onsite Wastewater Treatment Technology Webinars
  • January 11, 2022 – Orenco, BioMicrobics, JDL – Watch Video or View Presentations
  • December 14, 2021 – FujiClean, Hydro-Action, Verified Water (N sensor) – Watch Video or View Presentations
  • November 16, 2021 – Nitrex (Lombardo), Nitroe (KleanTu), Layercake – Watch Video or View Presentations
  • View Technology Comparison Chart for each company below:
    • NITREX.PDF
    • KleanTu.PDF
    • Fuji Clean.pdf
    • Hydro-Action.pdf
    • Orenco.PDF
    • JDL.PDF
    • BioMicrobics.PDF
• Update on a New Generation of Enhanced I/A Septic Systems Webinar, September 15, 2021 – Watch Video or View Presentations
• Distributed Nitrogen Removing Innovation/Alternative (I/A) Septic Systems Webinar, November 17, 2020 – Watch Video
• Consumer Primer Article – https://www.newea.org/2020/10/09/distributed-nitrogen-removing-i-a-septic-systems-a-2020-primer-for-cape-cod/
• See more past innovation events >>

Resource Links

Scientific American video article 2/12/24 – Cape Yellow Tide:  https://www.scientificamerican.com/video/cape-cod-faces-a-rising-yellow-tide/

University of Rhode Island Onsite Wastewater Resource Center – https://web.uri.edu/owt/

SNEP Workshop Website – https://www.epa.gov/snep/developing-evaluating-promising-technologies-pushing-ball-forward-ia-septic-systems

SNEP Workshop Article – https://www.epa.gov/snep/not-so-distant-future-pushing-ball-forward-ia-septic-systems-southeast-new-england

SNEP 5 Year Plan Input 1-18-21 – http://www.newea.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Input-to-SNEP-5-Year-Plan-1-18-21.pdf

Falmouth Report – http://www.falmouthmass.us/DocumentCenter/View/6948/NPC-Update-2019-Appendix-34-Innovative-and-Alternative-Septic-Systems

Barnstable County Septic Management Program (BCSMP) https://septic.barnstablecountyhealth.org/

MASSTC – https://www.masstc.org/

MassDEP – https://www.mass.gov/guides/approved-title-5-innovativealternative-technologies

EPA RME Guidelines – https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/20009NAM.PDF?Dockey=20009NAM.PDF

EPA Nitrogen Sensor Challenge:

Overview – https://www.epa.gov/innovation/advanced-septic-system-nitrogen-sensor-challenge-0

Test Completion Press release  https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/septic-nitrogen-sensor-successfully-completes-environmental-performance-testing

Verification Statement  https://www.verifiglobal.com/media/ximlsxwg/verifiglobal-verification-statement-for-stony-brook-nitrogen-sensor-2021-09-24-signed.pdf

Stony Brook University Center for Clean Water Technology – https://www.stonybrook.edu/cleanwater/

RIDEM – http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/water/owts/ or http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/water/permits/isds/pdfs/ialist.pdf

Suffolk County, Long Island, NY – https://reclaimourwater.info/SepticImprovementProgram.aspx  or https://reclaimourwater.info/technical.aspx