A Simpler, Cheaper Alternative to Sewer Systems
This "Reality-Based Guide" (pdf) from New Mexico's Environment Department is a very good primer on how to access and investigate your community's wastewater status and needs. It is based on an actual case study of a small town with limited resources. This guide provides comparisons between a centralized sewer system and a decentralized system approach. Even if a community is not struggling between these two options, valuable information can be obtained from their lessons learned on investigating the status of existing wastewater systems and on involving the public on all aspects of developing a decentralized system and subsequent management.