Wastewater Treatment Information in Spanish.

The National Small Flows Clearinghouse (NSFC) now offers some of its educational materials in Spanish. The three brochures described below are free and may be helpful to local, state, and public-health officials, as well as to the general public.

* "So ... Now You Own a Septic System" introduces the conventional septic-tank soil absorption system.

* "The Care and Feeding of Your Septic System" discusses ways to prolong the life of a septic system. It includes schematic diagrams of septic systems and discusses what materials should be kept out of a septic system and what materials can pass through it. Tank sizes, absorption fields, and frequency of pumping are discussed,

* "Groundwater Protection and Your Septic System" deals with groundwater and drinking-water sources in relation to septic systems. Along with ways to prevent contaminants from reaching the groundwater, this brochure discusses groundwater protection based on proper septic-system sizing and location.

The four fact sheets described below were produced by the Texas A&M University Agricultural Extension Service. They may be of use to local, state, and public-health officials; contractors and developers; and the general public.

* "On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems: Conventional Septic Tank/Drain Field" details characteristics, advantages, maintenance, and costs of a conventional septic-tank soil absorption system for domestic residential use.

* "On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems: Spray Distribution" gives an overview of spray distribution systems for residential domestic use.

* "On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems: Subsurface Drip Distribution" describes the characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, maintenance, and costs of a drip irrigation distribution system for residential domestic use.

* "On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems: Low-Pressure Dosing" discusses the characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, maintenance, and costs of a low-pressure dosing system for residential domestic use.

NSFC also offers a free video that may be of interest to local, state, and public-health officials; state regulatory agencies; contractors and developers; engineers; planners; managers; and finance officers. Problems with Shallow Disposal Systems is a 15-minute videotape about Class V injection wells, in which citizens and local officials reveal how chemical waste discharged to groundwater through shallow disposal systems contaminated their water resources and how the contamination affected their communities. Produced by the U.S. EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, the video shows what three communities--in Great Falls, Virginia; Espanola, New Mexico; and Missoula, Montana--did to remedy the contamination of their water supplies and to prevent future pollution.