Click on “Download PDF” for the PDF version or on the title for the HTML version.

If you are not an ASABE member or if your employer has not arranged for access to the full-text, Click here for options.

Onsite and decentralized systems will continue to play a critical role in providing cost-effective wastewater infrastructure while enabling water reuse and resource recovery in the U.S. and abroad. For these systems to realize their full potential, the design process needs to become more rational and made more uniform across practitioners and regulatory jurisdictions. In contrast to an empirical design process based largely on local experiences embodied in guidance prescribed in regulatory codes that have persisted for decades, rational design guidance would be built on clear and compelling science and engineering underpinnings. This paper outlines a potential design process and selected guidance for design of soil treatment units as a unit operation within an onsite or decentralized wastewater system.