The Ideal Waterfront Septic System Solution For NH’s Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act

Introducing the ideal waterfront septic systems for lake property – NORWECO Singulair.

Waterfront homes and property are abundant throughout New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. The New Hampshire area alone boasts 959 lakes in its Official List of Public Waters, according to the NH Tour Guide. Some of the area’s most well-known shores include Lake Winnipesaukee, Lake Winnisquam, Newfound Lake, Ossipee Lake, Sunapee Lake, Squam Lake, and Wentworth Lake – but hundreds of other tidal and non-tidal water bodies exist, from rivers and streams to ponds and lakes. For customers with property along these waterfronts, AJ Foss offers the ideal solution – the NORWECO Singulair^® wastewater treatment system.

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Information in The Consolidated List of Water Bodies, prepared by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES), lists all water bodies protected under the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act (SWQPA). These include: Fourth order and greater streams and rivers; Rivers or river segments designated under the Rivers Management and Protection Program; Lakes and ponds greater than 10 acres in size; and Tidal waters subject to the ebb and flow of the tide. The DES offers key items of information in its publication, FAQs about the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act.

How the Shoreland Protection Act Impacts Waterfront Septic System Requirements

The Act’s provisions governing home wastewater treatment systems on lakefront and tidal/oceanfront property often prompt home owners and prospective homeowners to seek guidance from septic system designers regarding the viability of system installation on waterfront lots with limited leachfield areas.

For example, before people can build on a small waterfront lot of 0.5 acres or less, a septic system survey is required. A septic design team or designer will ask questions and evaluate key metrics, including the property’s setbacks (from neighbors, water, etc.); size of the property; soil content and more, to determine if a wastewater treatment system can or cannot be designed for the property.

If the septic system designer or design team determines that a traditional septic system cannot fit on the property, then s/he or they will propose an alternative system that occupies a smaller footprint.

The home owner must then engage with a septic system designer to specify and source a system that will safely and effectively and treat waste water on their small waterfront property. Home owners typically work with the same designer who surveyed their property, but it is not obligatory.

The design involves completing detailed permits and obtaining approvals from officials such as town inspectors, planning boards, and tree surveyors. The final design must specify the proposed system’s plans, footprint, and technology. Although all cities and towns follow SWQPA guidelines, some towns impose stricter rules on the design of systems for treating human waste near water bodies. The Singulair system by Norweco typically exceeds the requirements imposed by local governments.

What Designers Look for in an Alternative Septic Treatment System

Septic system designers consider several key factors before specifying an alternative septic treatment system for small lots located near protected bodies of water. These factors include: Leachfield Reduction Capability, Ease of design, Reliability, Value-engineering that supports efficiency, and Cost/Affordability.

Why Designers Often Specify Norweco Singulair for Waterfront Properties

The major reasons why designers specify the Singulair septic treatment system for waterfront properties include:

75% Leachfield Area Reduction – Norweco’s proven wastewater treatment technology has earned the Norweco Singulair system a general waiver for a 75% leachfield footprint reduction, which is vital for small-lot lakefront, riverfront and coastal properties. This valuable general waiver applies to any site that meets standard requirements, enabling a reduction that is unattainable with traditional septic water treatment systems.

Valuable Soil Credit Shortens Distance from Water Table – Norweco Singular has also earned the valuable 2-ft. Soil Credit - which typically cuts in half the system’s required distance from the water table. In comparison, a traditional leach field must be sited at least four feet from the water table, while Singulair gains two additional feet of valuable space.

Efficiency and Reliability – Singulair is a proven trouble-free, energy-efficient and affordable system for treatment of waste water. Norweco’s patented design works to quietly, efficiently and automatically treat septic water. Norweco Wastewater Treatment systems are crafted by licensed distributors to the rigorous standards of the public health and safety agency, NSF International (National Sanitation Foundation).

Value Engineered Performance – The minimal components of a Norweco Singulair unit work together to ensure efficient flow equalization and minimize leachfield size. The only mechanical component is an aerator that runs just 12 hours per day, every 30 minutes. The aerator and bio-kinetic filter provide consistent flow equalization, to ensure full treatment of all wastewater that leaves the tank.

Ease of Design, Installation & Maintenance – The factory-trained team at Farmington, NH-based A.J. Foss, Inc. holds the area license to manufacture, install and service Norweco Singulair Wastewater Treatment Systems in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.

The Norweco Singulair system is available as a complete package from A.J. Foss. Everything is included – from delivery and tank-setting, to installation and system start-up, to regular servicing for the first two years, with cost-effective service contracts available thereafter.

If you are a waterfront property owner or a septic system designer in New Hampshire, Maine or Northern Massachusetts, give AJFoss a call today for the ideal septic system solution.

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About the Author: Jon Cardinal

My father started the Andrew J. Foss, Inc. precast concrete company in 1963 at the age of 19. My precast education started at a very young age. He taught me everything I know about creating quality precast concrete products, from septic tanks to concrete headwalls. He also taught me to succeed in business you need to offer an exceptional product and treat your customers as you would expect to be treated. Now, as an owner of the company along with my brother Matthew, we've taken everything we've learned from our father to start the next generation of our family-owned precast concrete company.