The technology evaluation included a total of 7 sample events at the passive nitrogen test facility, measuring 14 different analytes at over 40 sampling points in 11 systems, as well as a final report on the pilot passive nitrogen removal study at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC).
Current Status as of December 2012: All sample events at the test facility have been completed. Test results are encouraging after 12 months of testing, showing a reduction in total nitrogen of over 95%, with a final effluent concentration of 2.6 mg/L or less for several of the systems. Analysis of the results from the 11 systems and report writing is underway. Two additional, drainfield-based systems have been installed and have had three monitoring events.

For field testing of technologies, the quality assurance project plan has been finalized. The research design proposes that seven onsite systems, utilizing various nitrogen removal technologies, will be installed at home locations throughout the State of Florida. It is anticipated that a total of seven field system performance monitoring events will be conducted on each these systems with the current funding level, measuring 16 different analytes at 2-8 different sampling points. A report providing a technical description of nitrogen reduction technologies will be written, as well as a report providing a template and user guidelines for system life cycle cost assessments.
Current Status as of December 2012: Eleven homeowners residing at locations across Florida have agreed to participate in the study to date for Task B. Home sites have been identified in Wakulla County, the Wekiva area, and several other areas throughout the State. At least one of the home sites will have a gravity-fed system installed. Construction has been completed for two systems. Six out of seven sample events have been completed for the first system and one sample event has been completed on the second system. The design work has begun for the next three systems, which are located in Seminole County.

To evaluate nitrogen reduction provided by soils and shallow groundwater, a soil and groundwater test facility has been constructed to show how groundwater fate and transport of nitrogen occurs in multiple soil treatment unit regimes. Six of the thirteen total sampling events will be completed with the current funding level, sampling three of the four sites, and sampling six different locations at each site, and measuring multiple parameters in the effluent, soil, and groundwater. The existing OSTDS mound system at the University of Florida’s Gulf Coast Research & Education Center (GCREC) in Wimauma, Florida was instrumented to study how nitrogen behaves in the soil and groundwater. Four sampling events that examine multiple parameters have been completed at the existing OSTDS mound system at GCREC. At least three soil and groundwater monitoring events will occur at up to three home sites to evaluate nitrogen movement in the soil and groundwater in the field, measuring multiple parameters in the effluent, soil, and groundwater.
Current Status as of December 2012: Tasks that have been completed thus far are the testing of media components per 381.0065(4)(m) F.S., two tracer tests to determine existing groundwater flow characteristics, and construction of the soil and groundwater test facility. Three of six monitoring events have been completed at four groundwater test areas at the soil and groundwater test facility to show how groundwater fate and transport of nitrogen occurs. Instrumentation of the existing OSTDS mound system at GCREC has been completed and four sample events have been conducted. Six homeowners have agreed to participate in the study to date for Task C. Four home sites have been selected and instrumented. One sample event has occurred at the first of these sites, however, the groundwater flow direction could not be delineated, and no additional sampling events will occur at that site. Sampling is complete at the second instrumented site, and the third and fourth sites are currently being monitored. The third and fourth sites have completed one sample event.

To address nitrogen fate and transport modeling from onsite systems in Florida a simple tool will be developed in Task D to assist in evaluating nitrogen loading from these systems. This will include development of a soil model to show how nitrogen is affected by treatment in Florida-specific soils, and a groundwater model to evaluate the movement of nitrogen down gradient from these systems. A final quality assurance project plan has been completed and the first steps will include the development of a soil model to show how nitrogen is affected by treatment in Florida-specific soils.
Current Status as of December 2012: Work has focused primarily on soil modeling under the current budget. Soil models are currently being developed and refined, and the project team has met several times to discuss and finalize model conditions. Groundwater modeling is underway with conceptual model development started. These models will be utilized to generate a simple tool for prediction of nitrogen fate, transport, and removal in Florida soils and groundwater.