For several years the Center for Integrated Waste Management has been assisting the State of New York in the investigation and demonstration of the use of Tire Derived Aggregate in septic system leach fields. Based in part on the Center’s efforts, the New York State Department of Health has drafted regulatory language that will allow the use of TDA in residential septic systems.

The idea of using TDA as a replacement for stone aggregate in septic systems began in 1993 in South Carolina, and has since spread to many more states. TDA’s size, shape, and density make the material well suited to perform the most important function of a leach field – to disperse wastewater efficiently into soil for final treatment.

The CIWM has conducted laboratory simulations and testing; installed and monitored a full-size demonstration septic system that uses both stone and TDA; interviewed officials from states that have allowed the use of TDA; and reviewed related studies from other educational and research organizations. Findings of those activities indicate that TDA performs equally to, if not better than stone in septic leach fields. Details of those findings, including links to published reports, are available in UB Demonstration Project.

New York State Projects
Project	Location	Year	# Tires	Description
Modern Tire Recycling	Model City, Niagara County	2000	1,200	Side by side installation of TDA and natural aggregate in septic leachfield