Keeping it Local

Individual and neighborhood wastewater treatment systems. Rain gardens and green roofs. Water-efficient appliances and landscaping. These are examples of decentralized water technologies in action. These systems can beautify cities and towns, enhance water supply, recover energy and nutrients, provide local reuse opportunities, and improve health and the environment.

The Decentralized Water Resources Collaborative (DWRC) conducts research and provides outreach to improve science, technology, economics, and management to help ensure these systems meet critical environmental and public health challenges.

Featured Projects:

» Influent Constituent Characteristics of the Modern Waste Stream from Single Sources

» New Approaches in Decentralized Water Infrastructure

» Guidance for Establishing Successful Responsible Management Entities

» Hydrologic Bioretention Performance and Design Criteria for Cold Climates

What Are Decentralized Systems?

Decentralized Wastewater Systems are used for collection, treatment, and dispersal/reuse of wastewater from individual homes, clusters of homes, isolated communities, industries, or institutional facilities, at or near the point of waste generation (CIDWT Glossary, 2007). Individual septic systems and neighborhood cluster systems are included among the types of treatment practices utilized.

Decentralized Stormwater Systems are used to treat, store, infiltrate, evapotranspirate, filter, and reuse water at or near the point of runoff generation for management of stormwater quality and quantity. Green roofs, vegetated swales, pocket wetlands, cisterns, rain gardens, and other practices are among the techniques utilized. These techniques are also referred to as low impact development (LID) techniques.