Burntside Lodge Wastewater Treatment System Monitoring Report Summer 1996 and 1997

Abstract

The treatment and dispersal of domestic wastewater from resorts are a significant issue in northeast Minnesota due to restrictive site and soil conditions. Within the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) service area (Taconite Tax Relief Area), there are approximately 400 resorts that depend on onsite wastewater treatment systems. Of these, it is estimated that 200 resorts are likely to be in non-compliance with state rules (Minnesota Rules Chapter 7080). Two pilot projects were initiated in 1995 within the IRRRB service area to demonstrate the use of alternative wastewater treatment technologies for resorts with difficult site conditions. This project is a cooperative effort between the IRRRB, Northern Lights Tourism Alliance (NLTA), counties within the IRRRB service area, the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), University of Minnesota-Duluth, and Ayres Associates Inc. The wastewater treatment systems for the first pilot projects were constructed in 1996 at Burntside Lodge and at Dodge's Log Lodges. This report summarizes the water quality performance data from the Burntside Lodge wastewater treatment system that operated successfully during the summers of 1996 and 1997.