See the project page here:https://verso.w3.uvm.edu/orca-pod-wim/

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.

1. Exploratory Research and Cataloging (completed)
2. Outreach to Wastewater Systems Administrators (completed)
3. Data Architecture and Development (in progress)
4. Dataset Creation (in progress)

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

• Team Lead: Emma Eash
• Adrien Monks
• Aleah Young
• Fernanda De Oliveira Girelli
• James Catanzaro
• Jane Bregenzer

• Team Lead: Emma Eash
• Aleah Young
• Gabe Christiansen
• Louise Vaillancourt
• Matthew Premysler
• Sian Hernit
• Sophia Miller-Grande

• Team Lead: Emma Eash
• Aleah Young
• Louise Vaillancourt
• Matthew Premysler
• Sian Hernit
• Sophie Miller-Grande

Most data used is from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (see Existing GIS Data). Some new data has been digitized from town plans or documents provided by municipalities. The Onsite Sewage Disposal Soil Ratings map was prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

This project is in collaboration with:

• Windham Regional Commission
• Town of Jericho
• Vermont Center for Geographic Information
• Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
• Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development