Subsurface Alternatives for On-Site Wastewater Disposal in the Alabama

Black Belt Soil Area

Jiajie He, Grad. Student, Biosystems Engin., Auburn Univ.Mark Dougherty, Asst. Prof., Biosystems Engin., Auburn Univ.

Barrett Vaughan, Asst. Prof., College of Agric. & Engin., Tuskegee Univ.Teferi Tsegaye, Assoc. Prof., Dept. of Plant & Soil Sci., Alabama A&M Univ.David Mays, Adjunct Prof., Dept. of Plant & Soil Sci., Alabama A&M Univ.

Project background On-site waste water disposal in Black Belt Environmental challenges with

conventional on-site waste water disposal

Subsurface alternatives Combined drip irrigation/plant uptake

systems

Subsurface Alternatives for On-site Wastewater Disposal in the Alabama Black Belt Soil Area

Project GoalProject Goal

To increase the hydraulic disposal rate of septic tank effluent on selected Blackland Prairie soils

MethodsMethods

Delineate Black Belt soil study area Classify county soils data (SSURGO)

for septic systems Analyze demographics of the study

area Test combined drip irrigation/plant

uptake systems

Study Area DelineationStudy Area Delineation

Soil Rating System for On-Site Septic Soil Rating System for On-Site Septic SystemSystem

Soil suitability for conventional septic

systems

Percolation rate Distance to Restrictive layers

Suitable (green) 5 to 90 min./in 36 inches or deeper

Marginally suitable (yellow)

91 to 120 min./in. 36 inches or deeper

Unsuitable (Red) >120 min./in. within 36 inches of the surface

Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Administrative Code, March 2005 (Draft).

Suitable 104,749 Acres

Marginal Suitable 302,331 Acres

Unsuitable 1,422,533 Acres

Water Body 30,463 Acres

Total Population 393,953

Rural Population 152,870

Urban Population 241,083

Potential study sites

Drip Irrigation EquipmentDrip Irrigation Equipment

Virtual image of study site:Combined drip irrigation/plant uptake treatment system

Planned installation: Summer 2006, Dallas Co., AL

AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgments

Alabama Agriculture Land Grant Alliance Auburn University, Biosystem Engineering

Department & Civil Engineering Department Tuskegee University Alabama A&M University