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Values and Assumptions: <br /> 400 ag ls/day x 365 days/yr= 146,000 ga, ls/yr= 19,520 cu ft WW/yr = 1.1 in/yr <br /> I= 43,560 cu ft/Ac ft x 5.0 Ac x (1 ft/12 in) <br /> Nw= 112 mg N/L- 10%reduction in each septic tank=20%=90 mg N/L <br /> d = 10% from biomat formation and 25% from clay soil under filter bed <br /> Nb = Assumed to be 0.1 ppm NO3-N <br /> 1.1 in/yr(90 mg N/L) (I -0.35)+(9 in/yr x 0.1 mg/L) <br /> Nr = (1.1 in/yr+9 in/yr) <br /> Nr = 5.7 ppm as NO3-N or 25.5 ppm as NO3 <br /> The nitrate loading calculated for wastewater effluent recharge from the proposed facility is below <br /> the drinking water Maximum Contaminant Level(MCL) of 10 ppm NO3-N or 45 ppm NO3. The <br /> clay soil is projected to have at least a 25%denitrification potential. However, by taking advantage <br /> of a higher clay soil percentage at the 42 inch depth instead of the 24 inch depth, this denitrification <br /> potential may be even higher,possibly 30%-35%. In addition,the calculated effluent recharge <br /> concentration above does not account for nitrogen uptake by grass-type root structures that will <br /> absorb effluent at the Infiltrator Chamber louvers. The nitrogen uptake concentration is estimated <br /> to be between 15% and 25%during favorable weather conditions when the interior of the chambers <br /> is warm. This should cause evaporation of the effluent off the soil/effluent interface and onto the <br /> louvers for grass root transpiration uptake. Consequently, there is potential for the recharge effluent <br /> to be approximately: 15% additional soil denitrification, 15% zone of saturation denitrification, <br /> 20% evapotranspiration uptake= 15%+ 15%+20%= 50%x 5.7 ppm=2.9 ppm NO3-N. <br /> V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS <br /> The soil physical characteristics under the proposed disposal area reveal a silty clay/clayey silt type <br /> surface soils with increasing permeability with increasing depth,based on the percolation test <br /> results. The soil at the 42-inch depth exhibited comparatively rapid percolation. By distributing the <br /> effluent through Infiltrator Chambers over the entire shallow filter bed area,the favorable <br /> characteristics of the clay surface soils can be taken advantage of, such as: 1.) Ammonium <br /> absorption, 2.)Anaerobic microsites within the clay lattices preventing nitrification and promoting <br /> denitrification for nitrification that has occurred, 3.)Unsaturated flow conditions, 4.)Increasing the <br /> distance between the soil/effluent interface and the encountered gravel stratum at 8.5 ft, and the <br /> depth to groundwater, and 5.) Greater likelihood of pathogen destruction to prevent contamination <br /> of the underlying groundwater. <br /> It is generally recognized from soil physics, that water percolating from a fine -grained soil into a <br /> coarser-grained soil will be impeded until near saturation is reached in the fine/coarse-grained soil <br /> interface. This is beneficial for the prevention of nitrification and promotes denitrification of <br /> ammonium molecules which may have nitrified. <br /> Chesney Consulting <br />