David E. Scheim, Ph.D.
3300 Old Farm Road      Blacksburg, VA 24060      540 552-8014 / -0507 fax      DavidS@naxs.net

I am David Scheim, living at 3300 Old Farm Road, Blacksburg.

Honorable Mayor Hedgepeth and members of Town Council.

I would like to update you on recent developments regarding wastewater disposal options for the Tom's Creek Basin.  Due to the lateness of the hour, I will be brief.

Recapping pertinent background, last Spring we learned of a new class of technologies called decentralized wastewater systems that are particularly suitable for fringe communities such as the Toms Creek Basin.  In a report to Congress, the EPA concluded:

Adequately managed, decentralized wastewater systems are a cost-effective and long-term option for meeting public health and water quality goals, especially in less densely populated areas."

Last month, four departments at Virginia Tech and the Town of Blacksburg cosponsored a full-day symposium on decentralized wastewater systems. Three experts from the Virginia Department of Health gave presentations, as did other national and regional experts in this field.

We learned, first of all, exactly what these systems do.   A decentralized wastewater system performs sewage treatment as done in a large central treatment plant, only in much smaller containers close to the disposal site.   By way of analogy, they are like personal computers, which perform the same office functions as the older, expensive mainframes.

For example, one decentralized system uses metal tanks each serving up to hundreds of homes, producing effluent purer than river water and almost to drinking water standards. Effluent from a decentralized wastewater system at Tech was displayed at the symposium that was also as clear as tap water.  This purified effluent is then returned to the local water table using, for example, a drip line in a field, a lawn, a farm, or a forest.

Several speakers noted the advantages of decentralized systems compared to the older technology of central sewer lines.  Decentralized systems return water back to the water table.  They return nitrates, a plant fertilizer, to the soil, rather than discharging them into the river as a cumulative contaminant. They put a Town's investment into treatment rather than expensive central sewer lines, which in the case of the Toms Creek Basin, would also be extremely damaging to Blacksburg's last natural wetland habitat.

Speakers from the Virginia Department of Health also noted that new State regulations facilitate the approval of decentralized wastewater systems.

We learned that decentralized systems cost roughly $6,000 to $8,000 and as little as $3,500 per unit.  In comparison, the proposed central sewer line for the TCB would cost $33 million, assuming funding by a 30-year bond at 5% interest, since the Town's DEQ loan was rejected last summer.   Dividing by 1,500, the Town's projected growth in the TCB over 30 years, yields a unit cost of $22,000 per new home.

I've included details in my written statement which show that a proper cost comparison does in fact yield a unit cost of $6,000 to $8,000 for a decentralized system versus $22,000 for the proposed TCB sewer line.*  Note, however, that the developer typically pays most or all of the cost of decentralized systems, in return saving substantial costs of installing connections to a central sewer line. Also note that the Town's current central sewer lines will ultimately require repairs costing millions of dollars, on top of the $33 million cost of the proposed TCB sewer line, whether or not a new TCB sewer system is built.

In summary, we learned from last month's symposium that for a small community such as the TCB, the newer technology of decentralized wastewater systems provides superior water resource management at a fraction of the cost of the older central systems.

Furthermore, statements during the panel discussion brought out a serious reliability problem of central sewer.   Central sewer systems in 30 states have a problem called "CSO"--combined system overflow--in which millions of gallons of raw sewage are dumped into the river during heavy rains.   CSOs can occur during any wet weather, in many cases more than 12 times per year.  The cities of Richmond and Lynchburg both have this problem, and are in fact spending $500 million total to fix it.   In the nearby Peppers Ferry Treatment plant, there is also a CSO problem in which during heavy rains, about 2-3 times per year, sewage flow is 14 to 15 million gallons per day, while treatment capacity is only 9 million gallons per day.

In conclusion, the old and expensive central sewer system approach is not appropriate for the TCB region.   As we enter a new millenium, it is appropriate for the Town of Blacksburg to make planning choices that reflect good engineering, good economics, and good environmental management.

David E. Scheim

*The proposed central sewer line for the TCB, phases I-III, would cost $17 million in principal plus $16 million in interest, with a 30-year bond at 5% interest.  Decentralized systems for new housing are installed development by development; with much or all of the cost paid by the developer; thus there are no interest charges to the Town.  The Town has projected a growth rate of 50 new homes per year in the TCB, yielding 1,500 over 30 years.  This is only a projected figure, and given recent school enrollment numbers, could in fact be high.  Note that construction of a TCB sewer line could delay some of the repair costs for the existing Blacksburg sewer system, but only in the short term.   Note also that the unit count for the proposed TCB sewer could be inflated by 3,500 projected homes in the vicinity of the existing sewer lines that could be served by those lines with required repairs.