United States Virgin Islands Handbook on Alternative Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems - Constructed Wetlands - DRAFT

This handbook was developed pursuant to the Virgin Islands Section 6217 Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program. After review of the V.I. SEction 6217 Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommended, in their findings, that the Virgin Islands "amend its program to include measures for alternative systems in areas unsuitable for conventional systems, appropriate performance standards for the alternative systems, and measures to assure that existing failing systems are repaired or replaced." This handbook, which included performance standards for alternative onsite sewage disposal systems, particularly those systems employing constructed wetlands technology and its variants, in compliance with revisions to Title 12, Virgins Islands Code, Chapter 7 regarding on-site sewage disposal systems. In addition, this document describes the conditions under which these revisions were necessitated, the applicable policies of the Government of the Virgin Islands and a descriptive comparison of the traditional and alternative systems for on-site sewage disposal. This handbook was developed in conjunction with rules and regulations which include measures for alternative systems in areas unsuitable for conventional systems. Under a separate study, legislation is being drafted to assure that existing failing systems are repaired or replaced.