Grinder Pump Sewer System Saves Beach Property

The Puget Sound area in western Washington has hundreds of miles of private saltwater and lakefront property. When the Bremerton-Kitsap County Health District (Health District) began sanitary survey tests along a six-mile stretch of coastline known as Beach Drive in 1993, the results revealed that 2...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water engineering & management 1999-09, Vol.146 (9), p.12-15
Main Authors: Mayhew, C, Fitzwater, R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Capital costs
Committees
Construction costs
Cost estimates
Design
Health hazards
High density polyethylenes
Landowners
Maintenance costs
Preventive maintenance
Public health
Pumps
Repair & maintenance
Sewer systems
Stainless steel
USA, Washington, Puget Sound
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Summary:The Puget Sound area in western Washington has hundreds of miles of private saltwater and lakefront property. When the Bremerton-Kitsap County Health District (Health District) began sanitary survey tests along a six-mile stretch of coastline known as Beach Drive in 1993, the results revealed that 21 percent of the 271 homes had failing septic systems. Some homes did not even have a septic tank or drain field, so the homeowner's sewage discharged directly into the bay. Compared to the typical failure rate of five percent for areas served by septic systems, the Beach Drive area's failure rate constituted a public health emergency. This high failure percentage was attributed to a number of factors. The average age of the septic systems along Beach Drive was about 50 years. While some systems had been rehabilitated and newer homes typically had more elaborate, pumped systems, most of the septics had never been improved. The geographic and topographic conditions along Beach Drive also are not conducive to adequate treatment by traditional septic systems.
ISSN:0273-2238