About the Project

The ORCA Pod will address critical challenges in Vermont's development landscape by conducting a comprehensive assessment of wastewater infrastructure across towns in the state. A wastewater system, also known as a sewage or sewer system, refers to the infrastructure designed to collect, transport, treat, and dispose of wastewater generated from residential, commercial, and industrial sources. The system typically includes a network of pipes, pumps, lift stations, and treatment facilities that work together to manage and process wastewater before releasing it back into the environment.

This initiative, in collaboration with the Windham Regional Commission will systematically map wastewater infrastructure data to understand its impact on economic activity and housing development. This includes finding what data is already available, working with partners to determine the format of the data to be collect, and then working with available online resources and reaching out to towns to identify and record wastewater systems.

The UVM students will compile and publish town-level wastewater infrastructure data on a publicly accessible repository, working in tandem with state agencies like the Vermont Center for Geographic Information, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development.

These efforts will be in collaboration with the Town of Jericho's efforts to pilot an outreach strategy to educate and empower stakeholders with essential information on funding pathways, resources, and planning considerations. These efforts aims not only to address immediate development challenges but also to align with broader state objectives outlined in the Vermont Climate Action Plan, Comprehensive Energy Plan, and Long-Range Transportation Plan, fostering a holistic approach to sustainable growth and resilience.

Project Overview

• Objective: The project aims to conduct a comprehensive assessment of wastewater infrastructure in Vermont, addressing critical challenges in the state's development landscape.
• Collaborations: The initiative involves collaboration with the Windham Regional Commission, the Town of Jericho, and various state agencies such as the Vermont Center for Geographic Information, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development.

Key Components

• Data Collection: The project involves finding existing data, determining the format for new data collection, and reaching out to towns to identify and record wastewater systems.
• Public Repository: UVM students compile and publish town-level wastewater infrastructure data on a publicly accessible repository.
• Educational Outreach: Efforts include piloting an outreach strategy to educate stakeholders on funding pathways, resources, and planning considerations.

Milestones

• Exploratory Research and Cataloging: Completed.
• Outreach to Wastewater Systems Administrators: Completed.
• Data Architecture and Development: In progress.
• Dataset Creation: In progress.

Teams

• Summer 2024 Team: Led by Emma Eash, includes Adrien Monks, Aleah Young, Fernanda De Oliveira Girelli, James Catanzaro, and Jane Bregenzer.
• Fall 2024 Team: Led by Emma Eash, includes Aleah Young, Gabe Christiansen, Louise Vaillancourt, Matthew Premysler, Sian Hernit, and Sophia Miller-Grande.
• Spring 2025 Team: Led by Emma Eash, includes Aleah Young, Louise Vaillancourt, Matthew Premysler, Sian Hernit, and Sophie Miller-Grande.

Sustainability Goals

The project aligns with broader state objectives outlined in the Vermont Climate Action Plan, Comprehensive Energy Plan, and Long-Range Transportation Plan, fostering a holistic approach to sustainable growth and resilience.

For more detailed information, you can visit the GitHub repository and the project page.

This project consists of 5 layers to paint a picture of wastewater infrastructure in Vermont towns:

• Wastewater Linear Features: Includes pipes from wastewater and combined systems
• Wastewater Point Features: Includes manholes and some catchbasin locations
• Sewer Service Area: Service area for wastewater treatment plants
• Wastewater Treatment Facilities: Includes all municipal, industrial, and pretreatment wastewater treatment facilities and their hydraulic capacity information
• Onsite Sewage Disposal Soil Ratings: Depicts onsite sewage disposal classification of Vermont soils