ASABE Technical Library - Abstract
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PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND INVENTORY SYSTEM FOR ONSITE/CLUSTER WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES
Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org
Citation: Paper number 701P0104, . (doi: 10.13031/2013.15770)Authors: R. J. Otis, C. D. Gilbertson, B. J. McCarthy, T. B. Barnett
Keywords: Onsite wastewater treatment, onsite system management, performance code, performance management, permit tracking database
A consortium of ten counties in northern Minnesota, the Iron Range Resources and
Rehabilitation Agency, the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota-
Duluth, MPCA, MDH, USEPA, and Ayres Associates have developed a performance-based code
for onsite wastewater treatment regulation. Development of this code was initiated because
existing regulatory ordinances were ineffective in regulating alternative technologies that are
needed in this region of Minnesota where traditional designs frequently are not suitable for the
site and soil conditions encountered. The code is built on the concept of performance
management which includes not only the treatment performance of systems themselves, but
also the performance of system owners, practitioners, and regulators, all of whom have defined
roles, responsibilities and performance expectations.
Administering a performance code requires system inventorying, permit tracking, design review,
compliance reporting, data logging, re-issuance of operating permits, reports of enforcement
actions, confirmation of practitioner certifications, and other record keeping tasks. Many of
these tasks are new tasks for the counties for which resources to support them may not exist. To
be successful, administrative tools are needed which will not increase the costs of administration
but will relieve counties of routine, time-consuming tasks and to ensure accuracy of records and
timely responses. These tools should eliminate routine office tasks as much as is practical so that
county staff have time to provide direct service to property owners and practitioners. This paper
will describe a web-based performance management and inventorying system based on Arc
View, MS Word, Excel, and Access software that includes site evaluation and design tools to
expedite permitting.