Welcome to the On-Site Wastewater Reasearch Program Information page. CWRS has been active in on-site research since 1981.
Installation of on-site systems in Nova Scotia is a significant industry. Currently some 5,000 applications for approval to install on-site systems are made annually in Nova Scotia. The majority of these applications are for individual houses, but they also include other establishments, such as schools, campgrounds, apartment buildings, industrial developments, and mobile home parks. The annual capital cost of these on-site systems probably exceeds $10 million, and they represent an essential component of a total building cost in excess of $250 million per year.
Properly operating on-site systems can provide significant cost savings in comparison with central services. A typical on-site system in Nova Scotia costs $3,500, compared with an average cost in excess of $15,000 per connection to install central services. Operating costs of on-site systems are also lower than for central systems.
The use of on-site sewage disposal systems to serve exisiting and future developments will continue for the foreseeable future. Development of improved systems , based on utilization of state of the art materials and research results that provide a better understanding of the functioning of on-site systems , and their environmental and health impact, will insure that the immense investment can be protected and enhanced.
The applied research capacity of CWRS represents an important resource that is available to both the governement and the consulting community of Nova Scotia. One of the benefits of the widespread recognition of our capabilities is access to knowledge and experience of other leading-edge agencies and research facilities with which CWRS interacts on a continuing basis.
As improved on-site disposal systems are developed, the resulting knowledge and technology could have wide application throughout Canada and internationally. Development , production, and marketing of improved systems could offer opportunities for industrial growth, and employment for skilled people.