As our population continues expansion, increasingly sensitive life systems and resources experience elevated pressure as development proceeds. Clean ground and surface water reside atop the life system pyramid and demand the upmost protective consideration as lands are utilized. This protection is essential to sustain each habitat and system that is supported by these water resources. Further, protection of these fragile resources is critical to ensure that public health is not adversely affected by developmental actions. As such, various regulatory mandates and treatment systems for residential and commercially generated wastewater have been developed and instituted. Critically important to the appropriate design and proper operation of any wastewater treatment system is: (a) a firm understanding the terrestrial and subsurface environments in which these systems will function, and (b) an understanding of the wastewater strength entering the treatment system that will ultimately be reintroduced into the environment. Comprehension and understanding of the geologic and soil forming processes of the proposed treatment sediments is the foundation upon which successful wastewater treatment depends. O.C. Reedy Associates’ (ORA’s) professional soil scientists have extensive experience in wastewater treatment system site investigation and wastewater treatment system design. ORA supports our client’s wastewater treatment requirements by providing the following services: treatment system site selection, soil characterization, functional assessments, wastewater treatment system design, site plan development and permitting.

  • Preliminary Wastewater Treatment System Site Selection – Upon project site selection, ORA’s professionals can perform preliminary soil and site investigative activities to determine the optimal location for the wastewater treatment system. These investigations typically include a limited assessment of the onsite soil conditions, a topographic assessment, identification of potentially sensitive environmental receptors, a hydrologic investigation, and a vegetative assessment. Information from the preliminary investigation is then used for final treatment system site selection and site plan development.
  • Soil Characterization – Soil texture, the depth to the seasonal high water table, percolation rate, and the presence of any unsuitable soil conditions (i.e., clay, spodic or ‘hard-pan’ horizon, muck) must be accurately determined for the proper sizing of any wastewater treatment system. ORA’s soil scientists complete these determinations in accordance with criteria and guidance set-forth by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service. Accurate soil characterization ensures proper treatment system design and functionality, maximizes usable project area, and provides for the most cost-effective treatment system for a given site.
  • Wastewater Treatment System Design – Soil and site conditions coupled with site-specific facility use information determines the size of the wastewater treatment system. ORA’s professional soil scientists have designed thousands of treatment systems for residential and commercial applications. Our scientists design conventional and mounded systems, provide site characterization information for aerobic treatment systems with drip irrigation and low pressure pipe (LPP) distribution systems for residential and commercial applications. Upon treatment system design, our specifications are easily incorporated into, or form the basis for, the overall project site plan. Our extensive experience in soil classification and treatment system design allows us to expediently and efficiently address our client’s wastewater treatment requirements.
  • Permitting – Authorization for installation of onsite wastewater treatment systems is typically accomplished through state-level regulatory bodies. Permit acquisition not only includes soil and site assessment, treatment system design, and site plan development, it also requires a substantial level of documentation and coordination. ORA’s thorough knowledge of permitting processes and experience designing thousands of onsite wastewater systems enables our clients to commence their project expeditiously, and complete it with a wastewater treatment system that is specifically tailored to that project.