Affluent Effluent Film

AFFLUENT Affluent Effluent looks at 17 communities across America. In each case, the decision makers in these communities developed and implemented practical and creative wastewater treatment options that best fit their needs. Many of these communities are treating wastewater as an asset. It is paying off. Starting with just practical modifications to conventional systems, new approaches are saving money, energy and water resources.

EFFLUENT

A Film about New Choices in Wastewater Treatment

WA T E R F I L M S (c) 1980 Lyle Brecht - Producer

AFFLUENT EFFLUENT Sometimes selecting a wastewater management system is one of the most important and costly investment decisions that a community makes. The success of this investment decision can affect the community’s ability to grow, its credit rating, the taxes its citizens must pay, utility rates, and the effectiveness of treatment.

Introducing a 40-minute film about new choices for wastewater treatment

Communities across the United States are facing urgent and conflicting demands by government regulatory bodies, the public, developers, and industry concerning growing needs for wastewater

C O M M U N I T Y D E C I S I O N M A K E R S One of the most difficult and time consuming activities surrounding a multi-million dollar decision for new wastewater treatment facilities or an upgrade to existing facilities is often to get citizens of the community on the same page. Using a multimedia approach where vocabulary and ideas can be presented in a visual and unbiased form is often important to reduce conflict, and potentially more considered discussion of the issues.

Conventional wastewater treatment plant

Use of cattails ponds for treating wastewater effluent.

Overland flow schematic.

Spray irrigation wastewater treatment

Effluent can be treated and harvested for reuse

Mound system on a residential lot

treatment.Unfortunately, decision makers and their consulting engineers are often not aware of or familiar with the available options for treatment of wastewater and the total costs for each option, including capital costs for new infrastructure and operating and maintenance (O&M) costs that sometimes can equal or exceed original capital costs in 20-30 years. Also, water reuse is becoming

C O N S U LT I N G E N G I N E E R S You are an expert regarding wastewater treatment technology options available for a community. Sometimes the time consuming aspect of your job is to communicate with individuals in the community who believe they know better than you concerning a solution or, alternatively, you are dealing with a public that knows little about what you are talking about. A visual means to present options is often helpful in these situations.

a growing issue as new water supplies become ever more scarce and expensive to access for a growing community or communities that find their existing water supply may be inadequate due to climate changes and increased demands for water use. Today, wastewater effluent is increasingly becoming a potentially valuable asset, that with proper treatment, a new source of supply.

G O V E R N M E N T R E G U L A T O R S Sometimes neither a community’s decision makers nor their consulting engineers are asking hard questions concerning the potential costs of the wastewater project under discussion: “Is this project affordable by the community?” What is often helpful in these cases to introduce a sense of financial realism into the planning process is to see how another community has successfully navigated paying for both capital and O&M costs.