Rainfall effects on inflow and infiltration in wastewater treatment systems in a coastal plain region

Aging wastewater collection and treatment systems have not received as much attention as other forms of infrastructure, even though they are vital to public health, economic growth, and environmental quality. Inflow and infiltration (I&I) are among potentially widespread problems facing central...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water science and technology 2017-04, Vol.75 (7-8), p.1909-1921
Main Authors: Cahoon, Lawrence B, Hanke, Marc H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ageing
Climate change
Coastal plains
Coastal zone
Collection
Earthquakes
Economic development
Economic growth
Environmental management
Environmental Monitoring
Environmental protection
Environmental quality
Groundwater
Groundwater table
Hydrology
Infiltration
Inflow
Infrastructure
Intergovernmental relations
North Carolina
Public health
R&D
Rain
Rain - chemistry
Rainfall
Regression analysis
Research & development
Runoff
Science
Seismic engineering
Sewage
Sewage - chemistry
Sewer systems
Soil conservation
Statistical analysis
Storm runoff
Storms
Stormwater
Stormwater management
Studies
Thermal pollution
Waste Water - chemistry
Wastewater
Wastewater collection
Wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment plants
Water Movements
Water Quality
Water table
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Summary:Aging wastewater collection and treatment systems have not received as much attention as other forms of infrastructure, even though they are vital to public health, economic growth, and environmental quality. Inflow and infiltration (I&I) are among potentially widespread problems facing central sewage collection and treatment systems, posing risks of sanitary system overflows (SSOs), system degradation, and water quality impairment, but remain poorly quantified. Whole-system analyses of I&I were conducted by regression analyses of system flow responses to rainfall and temperature for 93 wastewater treatment plants in 23 counties in eastern North Carolina, USA, a coastal plain region with high water tables and generally higher rainfalls than the continental interior. Statistically significant flow responses to rainfall were found in 92% of these systems, with 2-year average I&I values exceeding 10% of rainless system flow in over 40% of them. The effects of rainfall, which can be intense in this coastal region, have region-wide implications for sewer system performance and environmental management. The positive association between rainfall and excessive I&I parallels the effects of storm water runoff on water quality, in that excessive I&I can also drive SSOs, thus confounding water quality protection efforts.
ISSN:0273-1223
1996-9732
DOI:10.2166/wst.2017.072