Decentralized Wastewater Management

Over 50% of the population of North Carolina relies on the use of on-site wastewater treatment and disposal systems. This Center component provides a coordinated statewide training effort for implementation of best management practices (BMPs) that minimize non-point source impacts from on-site wastewater disposal. Research, demonstration and training will focus on developing new septic system BMPs and demonstrating advanced designs of on-site wastewater treatment systems that facilitate reduction in the nitrogen and phosphorus loadings from septic systems. A key part of the component is the development of a two-year On-Site Wastewater Training Academy, consisting of a series of practitioner training courses for on-site professionals and educational programs for community
leaders, school teachers, real estate agents, developers, and the general public. Training categories include septic system basics, on-site wastewater, soil and site evaluation, system design, installation and inspection, and operation and maintenance. Demonstration areas showcase conventional, alternative and innovative on-site technologies for the management of domestic wastewater, including advanced pretreatment and distribution technologies.

Land Application and Crop Management

This Center component focuses on the management of land application systems. The site contains the predominant application systems used to apply agricultural, municipal and industrial manure, wastewater, or process residuals. Such land application facilities are permitted by the State of North Carolina and require a state-licensed operator to oversee the management and insure compliance with regulations. Management of land application systems involves knowledge of the equipment being used and how to calibrate it, knowledge of the soil/plant system that is being used as part of the waste application system, and monitoring and troubleshooting. Operators of land application systems need to be trained on the management and potential impact of these systems to ensure their sustained use, public acceptance, and environmental protection.

Course participants select training options tailored to their specific needs.

Specific topics offered include:

• Irrigation and waste application system calibration and troubleshooting
• Crop, forage, and nutrient management and crop problem identification
• Soil, plant tissue, and waste sampling
• Winterization and maintenance of waste application equipment
• Sludge management and solids separation
• Waste application scheduling
• Record keeping and flow measurement
• Design of wastewater irrigation systems - engineering and soils

The Sediment and Erosion Control

Sediment and turbidity are the two most widespread water quality problems in watersheds where farming and development occur. The Sediment and Erosion Control Research and Education Facility (SECREF) was established at the Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory in Raleigh to provide a place to study ways to reduce this problem. This site is ideally located as it is convenient to campus for research and it is centrally located for training and demonstrations. It also has several irrigation ponds and a pumping network which provide sufficient water for testing purposes. Initial funding is being provided by the Land Quality Section of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the DENR Division of Water Quality under the EPA 319(h) program. This is the first site in North Carolina and one of the few in the nation to be dedicated to the evaluation and improvement of sediment and erosion control systems. The results of these studies are further tested under typical construction conditions around the state.

Urban Stormwater Management

Communities across North Carolina must treat stormwater runoff according to new regulations passed by the state and US EPA. In an effort to better treat stormwater, new and innovative practices have been developed and tested by faculty at N.C. State University. To date, demonstration and/or research sites have been installed in over 20 communities across North Carolina. Practices studied include stormwater wetlands, innovative wet ponds, sand filters, bio-retention areas, rain gardens, permeable parking areas, and reinforced grassy swales. Design workshops held at various locations in North Carolina deliver technical guidance to engineers, landscape architects, planners and other professionals in the stormwater field. Hundreds of professionals are educated at these workshops and field tours yearly.

Water Table Management

Water table management emphasizes efficient and sustainable production to minimize negative impacts of water driven production practices on the environment. Field demonstrations and applied and basic research are conducted to advance the subject area knowledge base and compliment the overall educational outreach effort. Technical assistance and training is developed and delivered through the Extension delivery network as well as through formal graduate and undergraduate courses to assist landowners with making sound decisions in the context of a total systems approach to water management. Primary subject areas include basic hydrology, drainage, controlled drainage, subirrigation, wetlands restoration and management, riparian buffer performance and management, and water quality. A key component of the program is to develop, test and validate hydrologic and water quality models that can be used to assess the technical, economic, and environmental impacts of various production practices and Best Management Practices at the field, farm and watershed scale. Demonstration projects are maintained throughout eastern North Carolina that range from simple, low cost on-farm BMPS to watershed scale restored and/or constructed wetlands. Target audiences include county extension agents, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and local Soil
and Water Conservation District staff, local and state government agency personnel, landowners, consultants and industry representatives, advisory groups and local leaders, and environmental groups.

Composting and Recycling

This Center component focuses on eliminating or reducing solid waste and diverting waste
materials from disposal. Workshops, demonstration projects, guidebooks, and fact sheets are used to educate solid waste management professionals, extension educators, elected officials, teachers, farmers, and the general public. Topics include source reduction, materials reuse, recycling, composting, and vermicomposting for business, institutional, industrial, and residential sectors. An Organics Recycling Training & Demonstration Facility is being developed at the Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory in Raleigh to demonstrate composting systems and the beneficial reuse of compost,
and provide hands-on training courses.

Stream Restoration

This Center component provides technical education and applied research to improve the aquatic health and stability of streams and rivers. An interdisciplinary team of engineers, hydrologists, biologists, and landscape architects work closely with state and federal agencies to design programs to meet emerging needs in stream restoration. Education programs include demonstration projects, workshops, guidebooks, and electronic communications that are used to teach natural resource professionals how to design, construct, and monitor successful stream restoration projects. Over 20 demonstration projects are in place throughout North Carolina, ranging in scope from short segments of headwater tributaries to a two-mile reach of the East Prong Roaring River in Stone Mountain State Park. These are used to demonstrate all aspects of stream restoration including channel geometry modification, in-stream structures, streambank stabilization, and riparian corridor enhancement. Several technical courses that include hands-on experiences are offered to agency and private professionals on stream classification, assessment, natural channel design, and construction management. Applied research projects include development of regional hydraulic geometry relationships, reference reach databases, streambank erodibility relationships, and other design and assessment tools.

Watershed Management

This Center component provides education on watershed management principles, watershed assessment and restoration techniques, and practices to control nonpoint source pollution from agriculture and urban land uses. Education programs are delivered in the form of workshops, conferences, newsletters, factsheets, web sites, guidance manuals, and demonstration sites. Subject matter includes watershed assessment, surface and ground water quality monitoring, data management and analysis, best management practice (BMP) effectiveness evaluation, constructed wetlands and wetlands restoration, site planning and community design for water quality protection, and environmental regulations and incentive programs.