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United StatesEnvironmental Protection Agency

Office of Water(4204)

EPA 833-K-98-001May 1998http://www.epa.gov/owm/

Wastewater Primer

Contents

Introduction

The Problem: Water Pollution

The Solution: OWM Programs

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

(NPDES) Permit Program

State NPDES Programs

Section 316(b) - Cooling Water Intake Structures

NPDES Watershed Strategy

Stormwater Management

Combined Sewer Overflows

Sanitary Sewer Overflows

Animal Feeding Operations

Hardrock/Mining

Coal Mining

Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET)

Pretreatment

Biosolids

Financial Support and Flexibility -

Construction Grants/State Revolving Fund

Public-Private Partnerships (P3)

Section 106 Water Pollution Grants

Water Quality Cooperative Agreements

Indians Grants Management

Indian Set-Aside Grants

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Alaska Native Village Sanitation

Wastewater Assistance to U.S. Colonias On the

Mexico Border

Small Community Initiatives

Small Community Outreach and Education

(SCORE) Program

Rural Community Assistance (RCAP) Program

National Small Flows Clearinghouse (NSFC)

National Environmental Traimng Center

For Small Communities (NETCSC)

Wastewater Operator Onsite Technical

Assistance

Technical Assistance Programs

Municipal Technologies

Innovativea nd Alternative Technologies

Clean Water Needs Survey

Water Alllances for Voluntary Efficiency

(WAVE) Program

Youth and the Environmental Program

National Wastewalcr Management Excellence

Awards Program

Voluntary Environmental Management Systems

Reinvention Efforts

Information Resources

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he United States Environmen-

tal Protection Agency’s OfficeT of Wastewater Management(OWM) oversees a range of

programs contributing to the well-beingof the nation’s waters and watersheds.Through its programs and initiatives,OWM promotes compliance with therequirements of the Federal WaterPollution Control Act, commonlyreferred to as the Clean Water Act,

OWM Programs Include:

● Direction of the National PollutantDischarge Elimination System (NPDES)Permit Program, including stormwatermanagement, and control of combinedsewer and sanitary sewer overflows

● Oversight of the National PretreatmentProgram, emphasizing control andprevention of water pollution fromindustrial facilities

● Enhancement of the Agency’s biosolids(sewage sludge) management programthat promotes the understanding andcompliance with the Federal Part 503biosolids rule as well as the adoption ofadditional user and environmentallyfriendly practices for managing biosolids

● Administration of the Clean WaterState Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and theClean Water Action Section 106 and theWater Quality Cooperative AgreementsSection 104(b)(3) grant programs forenvironmental infrastructure investment

● Completion and closeout of thewastewater Construction Grants program

● Provision of technical advice andtraining to industries and municipalitiesin an effort to improve compliance withwastewater regulatory requirements

● Support of the North American FreeTrade Agreement (NAFTA) environ-mental infrastructure program in theU.S.-Mexico border area

● Administration of programs to ensurethat animal feeding operation (AFO)

wastes are managed to minimizeenvironmental and public health effects

● Administration of outreach, technicalassistance and training programs to helpsmall, rural and underserved communi-ties provide adequate wastewatertreatment and disposal services; targetedpopulations include Alaska NativeVillages, Indian tribes, and U.S.-Mexicoborder - colonias

● Management of EPA’s National awardrecognition program for wstewatermanagement excellence in municipalitiesand wastewater treatment facilities,presented for outstanding and innovativepractices in operations and maintenance,beneficial biosolids use, pretreatmentmanagement, storm water and combinedsewer overflows controls

● Collaboration with other federalagencies (DOI, USDA) and states toaddress pollution from abandoned mines

● Reporting on the nation’s waterrequirements in the Clean Water NeedsSurvey

The Problem: Water Pollution

Cleaning and protecting the nation’swater is an enormous task. Under theClean Water Act, the Office of Wastewa-ter Management (OWM) works inpartnership with EPA regions, states andtribes to regulate discharges into surfacewaters such as wetlands, lakes, rivers,estuaries, bays, and oceans, Specifically,OWM focuses on control of wastewaterthat is collected in discrete conveyances(also called point sources), includingpipes, ditches, and sanitary or stormsewers.

Traditionally, the Agency has hadseparate programs for point sources andnonpoint sources (which includeagricultural runoff, erosion, and othersources not directly linked to a specificsource of pollution). Now, however, aswe adopt a more comprehensive strat-egy, OWM is working with other EPAoffices and with our stakeholders toapply a watershed approach tO watermanagement, promoting integratedsolutions to address all sources ofpollution to surface water, groundwatcr,and habitats on a watershed basis.

A watershed may be affected bydischarges from municipal and/orindustrial facilities, as well as pollutantsfrom other sources that are not as easilyidentified, and therefore harder tocontrol.

Municipal wastewater consistsprimarily of domestic wastes fromhouseholds and industrial wastewaterfrom manufacturing and commercialactivities. Both types of wastewater arecollected in sanitary sewers, and areusually treated at a municipal wastewatertreatment plant. After treatment, thewastewater is discharged to its receivingwater (e. g., a river, an estuary, or anocean).

Wastewater entering a treatmentplant may contain organic pollutants(including raw sewage), metals, nutri-ents, sediment, bacteria, and viruses.Toxic substances used in the home -motor oil, paint. household cleaners, andpesticides - or substances released byindustries, also make their way intosanitary sewers.

Industrial processes, such as steel orchemical manufacturing, produce

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billions of gallons of wastewater daily.Some industrial pollutants are similar tothose in municipal sewage, but often aremore concentrated. Other industrialpollutants are more exotic and include avariety of heavy metals and syntheticorganic compounds. In sufficientdosages, they may present serioushazards to human health and aquaticorganisms.

Unlike municipal or industrialsources of pollution, which come from asingle discrete facility, other sources areusually more diffuse. For example, rainwater or snowmelt washing overfarmlands may carry topsoil and fertil-izer residues into nearby streams. Thistype of runoff, called stormwater, maycarry oil and gasoline, agriculturalchemicals, nutrients, heavy metals, andother toxic substances, as well asbacteria, viruses, and oxygen-demandingcompounds.

A recent EPA study indicated thatroughly one third of identified cases ofwater quality impairment nationwide areattributable to stormwater, whether fromfarmland, streets, parking lots, construc-tion sites, or other sources.

Animal Feeding Operations (AFOS)are livestock-raising operations, such ashog, cattle and poultry farms, thatconfine and concentrate animal popula-tions and their waste. Animal waste, if’not managed properly, can run off tonearby water bodies and cause seriouswater pollution and public health risks.There are approximately 450,000 AFO’sin the United States.

Acid Mine Drainage is one of themost significant environmental impactsresulting from past and current miningactivities. It has been cited as a majorcause of stream pollution in northernAppalachia (PA, W. VA, VA, MD); over50 percent of streAm miles in PA andWV do not meet water quality standardsbecause of acid mine drainage impacts.In addition. there are an estimated200,000 abandoned hardrock minesnationwide and somewhere between2,000 and 10.000 active ones. Some ofthese mining operations produce wastematerial and other conditions that resul[in acid mine drainage as well as dis-charges of heavy metals which affectaquatic life and drinking water sources.Mine sites may also affect public safetybecause of mine debris and open entry-ways, shafts and processing facilities.

Combined sewer overfi!ows (CSSOS0)

arc mixtures of sewage, industrialwastewater, and storm water dischargedprior to reaching a treatment plant. Theycan cause beach closings, shell fishingbans. and a range of public healthproblems and can occur in about 1,100communities that have antiquated waterinfrastructure.

Sanitary sewer overflows (SS0s) areraw sewage overflows from separatesanitary sewer collection systems. Overthe years, many sanitary sewer collectionsystems have deteriorated due toinadequate preventive maintenance andinsufficient rehabilitation and replace-ment. SS0s can discharge to surfacewaters, flood basements, and overflowfrom manholes into streets and acrossprivate property. Cracked and leakingsanitary sewers can also discharge rawsewage during dry weather periods.Sanitary sewer overflows can result inhealth risks, property damage, and waterquality impacts.

Sewage sludge, now generallyreferred to as biosolids, is the semi-solidresidue from wastewater treatmentprocesses. Although biosolids resultfrom the treatment of wastewater, theycan be utilized as a valuable resource.

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The Solution: OWM Programs

In 1993, the Government Performanceand Results Act (GPRA) was signed intolaw requiring agencies to establishmeasurable goals and objectives as partof a strategic planning process. Accord-ingly, EPA created a strategic plan thatsets a number of specific objectives thatallow the Agency to meet its overallenvironmental protection goals.

One of the goals is Clean and SafeWater for all Americans. To help meetthis goal, the Agency has committed toachieve a 20 percent reduction by 2005in pollutant discharges from key pointsources and nonpoint sources from 1992levels. To achieve this objective, OWMis committed by 2005 to reducing annualpoint source loadings from combinedsewer overflows (CSOS), publicly ownedtreatment works (POTWS), and industrialsources by 30 percent from 1992 levels.Recognizing that the nation’s waters aresignificantly impaired by other sources,such as CAFOS and storm water runoff,we are also working to develop perfor-mance measurement approaches forthem.

The Office of Wastewater Manage-ment (OWM), in cooperation with states,EPA offices, and other stakeholders,manages the following programs toachieve the goals and to continuouslyimprove the quality of the nation’swaters.

● Regulatory Programsand Too l s

This section of the Primer deals withOWM’s regulatory programs, whichoperate under authority of the CleanWater Act,

National Pollutant DischargeElimination System (NPDES)Permit Program

The Clean Water Act requires that allpoint source wastewater dischargersobtain and comply with an NPDESpermit. NPDES permits regulate thedischarges from publicly owned waste-water treatment facilities, other wastewa-ter treatment facilities, industrialfacilities, concentrated animal feedingoperations, aquiculture, and other “pointsource” dischargers, The NPDESprogram also regulates wet weatherdischarges such as stormwater dis-charges from industrial activities (e.g.factory stomwater runoff) and munici-pal stormwater discharges including,urban stormwater runoff, combinedsewer overflows, and storm seweroverflows.

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NPDES permits are developed toensure that such discharges to receivingwaters are protective of human healthand the environment. They establishspecific discharge limits, monitoring,and reporting requirements and may alsorequire that dischargers undertakemeasures to reduce or eliminate pollu-tion to receiving waters. Violations ofpermit conditions are enforceable underthe Clean Water Act. EPA uses a varietyof techniques to monitor permitterscompliance status, including on-siteinspections and review of data submittedby permitters. NPDES permits areissued for a term of five years (or less).

State NPDES Programs

The Clean Water Act provides thatstates may be authorized to operate theirown NPDES programs provided suchprograms meet minimum federalrequirements, As of February 1998, 42states and the United States VirginIslands have authorized NPDES pro-grams. Indian nations can also beauthorized to operate an NPDESprogram, More than 200,000 sources areregulated by NPDES permits nationwide,

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Section 316(b) CWA - CoolingWater Intake Structures

OWM is currently developingregulations under Section 316(b) of theClean Water Act ("<CWA”), 33 U.S.C.Section 1326(b). This section providesthat any standard established pursuant tosections 301 or 306 of the Clean WaterAct and applicable to a point source shallrequire that the location, design, con-struction, and capacity of cooling waterintake structures reflect the best technol-ogy available for minimizing adverseenvironmental impact, This regulation isunique in that it applies to the intake ofwater and not the discharge, The goal ofthis regulation is to minimize theimpingement (where fish and otheraquatic life are trapped in cooling waterintake screens) and entrainment (whereaquatic organisms, eggs and larvae aresucked into cooling water systems) offish and other aquatic organisms as theyare drawn into an industrial facility’scooling water intake.

NPDES Watershed Strategy

OWM developed the NPDES Water-shed Strategy with input from statesand EPA regions. The final strategyreflects a first step towards the Officeof Water’s goal of fully integratingthe NPDES permitting program intothe agency’s broader watershedprotection approach.

The Watershed Strategy identifiessix areas that must be addressed toimprove water quality on a watershedbasis nationwide.

● Statewide coordination: support thedevelopment of state-wide basinmanagement frameworks, andcoordinate interstate basin efforts tofacilitate implementation of thewatershed protection approach.

● NPDES Permits: streamline theprocess for NPDES permit develop-ment, issuance, and review, anddevelop innovative approaches topermitting on a watershed basis wherefeasible

● Monitoring and assessment: developa state-wide monitoring strategy, and

establish point-source ambient moni-toring requirements.

● Programmatic measures and environ-mental indicators: revise existingnational accountability measures tofacilitate implementation of thewatershed protection approach.

● Public participation: utilize existingNPDES public participation process indevelopment of watershed protectionplans, and seek broad public participa-tion in identifying local environmentalgoals.

● Enforcement: include emphasis onfacilities that discharge to prioritybasins.

Implementation of the watershedstrategy is now underway, and willinclude the completion of assessmentsof each state’s watershed protectionactivities and needs. OWM willcoordinate with other EPA Offices andstates to ensure that ongoing programactivities take watershed planning intoconsideration.

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NPDES Watershed Permitting

A NPDES Watershed Strategy hasbeen developed to ensure that theNPDES Program protects watersheds aseffectively as possible.

NPDES Wet-Weather Strategies

Chief among the NPDES program’sresponsibilities is the effectiveimplementation of EPA’s wet-weatherstrategies, including stormwatermanagement and the control ofcombined sewer and sanitary seweroverflows.

Stormwater Management

Stormwater discharges from manysources are largely uncontrolled. Forthis reason, the mandate of theStormwater Program is particularlychallenging.

Amendments to the Clean Water Actestablished a two-phased approach toaddress stormwater discharges. Phase 1,currently being implemented, requirespermits for separate storm water systemsserving large and medium-sizedcommunities (those with over 100,000inhabitants), and for stormwaterdischarges associated with industrial andconstruction activity involving at leastfive acres.

To address the large number ofindustrial dischargers of stormwater--forpopulations over 100,000--EPA hasdeveloped a strategy with a tieredframework to control administrativeburden while emphasizing reduction inrisk to human health and ecosystems.Phase 2, now under development, willaddress remaining stormwaterdischarges. A proposed regulatoryapproach would require permits formunicipalities in urban areas withpopulations under 100,000, and smallerconstruction sites.

Combined Sewer Over-ows (CSOS)

A combined sewer overflow is adischarge from a sewer system that isdesigned to carry sanitary wastewaterand stormwater in the same pipe to asewage treatment plant. In periods ofrainfall or snowmelt, a combined sewersystem can discharge excess wastewaterdirectly to rivers, lakes, and estuaries,cause health and environmental hazardsbecause treatment plants can not handlethe extra flow.

In April 1994, EPA issued the CSOControl Policy, which calls forcommunities to control CSOS using acombination of immediate measures,such as public notification and betteroperation and maintenance, and long-term control activities, such asconstruction of storage or treatmentfacilities for wet weather flows. Despiteits rigorous approach to controlling

CSOS, the CSO Control Policy providescommunities with the flexibility todevelop a workable, cost-effectivesolution to a major environmentalproblem.

Sanitary Sewer Overflows

EPA is currently evaluating theextent of sanitary sewer overflows acrossthe country. The agency will work withthe public and with constituent groupsacross the country to identify andevaluate issues associated with theseoverflows to protect human health,property, and water quality.

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Animal Feeding Operation Under Section 502 of the Clean(AFOS) Water Act, concentrated animal feeding

Mining

There are approximately 450,000AFOS throughout the United States,ranging from small livestock productionfacilities with few animals to the currenttrend of large and geographicallyconcentrated facilities generating animalwastes equivalent with a medium-sizedcity. AFOS, either singularly, or in

operations (CAFOS) are point sourcesand must apply for a National PollutantDischarge Elimination System (NPDES)permit. Of approximately 6,600 CAFOS,fewer than a quarter have NPDESpermits.

During the past few years, significantattention to AFOS has put the issue in thespotlight. The lagoon spills from hog

combination with other AFOS in a farms in North Carolina in the summerwatershed, have been shown to cause of 1995 and public concerns about thesignificant environmental and public potential relationship between nutrienthealth concerns, including nutrient enrichment and occurrence of theenrichment of surface waters, microorganism, Pfiesteria, that attackscontamination of drinking water fish, is an example of environmentalsupplies, fish kills, and odor problems. and public health issues.

Active and inactive mines throughoutthe United States present many complexenvironmental and regulatory issues.Mining is regulated under variousfederal and state authorities. Federalstatutory authority is spread amongseveral agencies; no one agency hasoverall responsibility.

Regulation of hardrock activitiesoccurs via a complex web of sometimesoverlapping jurisdictions, laws and rulescovering several environmental media.Recognizing the significance ofenvironmental impacts and the statutoryand regulatory complexities of hardrockmining activities, EPA published theHardrock Mining Framework documentin September 1997. Developed by anational workgroup, the Framework isdesigned to help EPA implement amulti-media, multi-statute approach thatfocuses on understanding and improvingthe use of existing EPA authorities andimproving EPA’s partnership role withother federal agencies and stakeholders.

To focus scarce financial and humanresources on priority sites, severalfederal agencies have developed a jointwatershed approach to addressabandoned mines on federal lands,which includes a collaborative effortwith state and local agencies, tribes, andprivate parties. This approach consistsof four phases and utilizes a flexibleschedule and pace for conducting eachphase,

1 ) identifying and prioritizingwatersheds

2) characterizing and ranking individualsites

3) developing and implementing a cost-effective mitigation plan for prioritywatersheds

4) monitoring for environmental, publichealth, and safety objectives andeffectiveness

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Coal Mining

Abandoned coal mines cause manyof the greatest impairments to waterquality throughout the Appalachianregion of the United States. EPA, theOffice of Surface Mining (OSM), theInterstate Mining Compact Commission(IMCC) and concerned states havecombined their efforts to develop aproposed comprehensive watershedrestoration program to help improvewater quality in the areas whereabandoned mines are located. Theseefforts are designed to clean up riversand streams polluted by coal minedrainage, as well as continuing to workwith all affected stakeholders.

The program includes, among otherthings, efforts to provide incentives forremining of abandoned sites, use of bestmanagement practices (BMPs) toachieve limitations on various chemicals,and an increased focus on a cumulativewatershed approach that relies upon totalmaximum daily loads (TMDLs) toachieve compliance with water qualitystandards (WQS).

Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET)

WET is the total toxic effect Of aneffluent measured by a biologicaltoxicity test.

A WET test captures the effect of alltoxicants on exposed test organismswithout requiring the identification ofspecific toxicants.

WET replicates to the greatest extentpossible the actual environmentalexposure of aquatic life to effluenttoxicants. WET tests use the sameessential procedures as those used togenerate water quality criteria.

WET is used in NPDES permits intwo fundamental ways:

● to regulate the toxicity of a discharge

● to generate data on the toxicity of adischarge

NPDES permit limits for WETtypically are expressed either as aconcentration of effluent in clean waterthat must not result in an unacceptableWET test endpoint (such as lethality ofmore than half of the test organisms) or a

number of toxic units (such as 3 TU)which corresponds to an effluentconcentration.

WET limits are typically calculatedto ensure that state water quality criteriafor toxicity (numeric or narrative) areattained and maintained. Alternatively,WET monitoring requirements instead ofWET limits are often included in NPDESto generate toxicity data for use inmaking future decisions about whetherWET needs to be controlled at aparticular discharge point.

Pretreatment

The National Pretreatment Programis a cooperative effort of federal, state,and local regulatory environmentalagencies established to protect waterquality. The program is designed toreduce the level of pollutants dischargedby industry and other non domesticwastewater sources into municipal sewersystems, and thereby, reduce the amountof pollutants released into theenvironment through wastewater. Theobjective of the program is to protect thePublicly Owned Treatment Works(POTW) from pollutants that mayinterfere with plant operation, preventuntreated pollutants from beingintroduced into the POTW, and toimprove opportunities for the POTW toreuse wastewater and biosolids that aregenerated.

The General PretreatmentRegulations require POTWS that meetcertain requirements to develop l ocalpretreatment programs to controlindustrial discharges into their municipalsewer systems. These programs must beapproved by either EPA or the stateacting as the pretreatment ApprovalAuthority. More than 1,500 POTWshave developed Approved PretreatmentPrograms.

EPA has also developed nationalcategorical pretreatment standards thatapply numeric pollutant limits toindustrial users in specific industrialcategories. The General PretreatmentRegulations include reporting and otherrequirements necessary to implementthese categorical standards.

Biosolids

OWM’s National Biosolids Programregulates biosolids (sewage sludge) thatare used or disposed of through landapplication, surface disposal, orincineration. Anyone who works withbiosolids is probably regulated under thisprogram. While all compliant practicesare permitted by this program, EPA andother federal agencies have continued topromote the beneficial use of thevaluable biosolids resource.

EPA’s program for biosolidsmanagement was mandated by the CleanWater Act. OWM’s enhanced biosolidsprogram promotes understanding andcompliance with the Federal Part 503biosolids rule as well as the adoption ofadditional user and environmentallyfriendly practices for managingbiosolids. Through partnerships withstakeholders OWM is working for theadoption of a biosolids environmentalmanagement system that goes beyondcompliance with federal and state rulesand helps gain public acceptance ofbiosolids recycling.

OWM and other EPA offices alsooffer guidance and technical assistancefor the beneficial use of biosolids as soilamendments and fertilizer, By helpingthe public understand the benefits orusing biosolids and other similar by-products, EPA enhances pollutionprevention by promoting the recycling ofbiosolids—a beneficial technology for abetter environment.

Biosolids Environmental ManagementSystem (BEMS) is a stakeholder-basedprogram for biosolids management thatgoes beyond compliance with federaland state rules. BEMS is expected toinclude a code of good practice,guidance for meeting the code, actionplans for entities pledging to meet thecode, training programs, and variousforms of third-party verification thatentities are adhering to their action plans.

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Types of regulated Pollutants

CONVENTIONAL POLLUTANTS arecontained in the sanitary wastes ofhouseholds, businesses, andindustries. These pollutants includehuman wastes, ground-up food fromsink disposals, and laundry and bathwaters. Conventional pollutantsinclude:

PATHOGENS are organisms whichcause disease in humans.

TOXIC POLLUTANTS are a group ofmore than 100 pollutants that havebeen found to be harmful to animalor plant life by certain pathways ofexposure. They are primarilygrouped into organics (includingpesticides, solvents, polychlorinatedbiphenyls (PCBS), and dioxins) andmetals (including lead, silver,mercury, copper, chromium, zinc,nickel, and cadmium).

NONCONVENTIONALPOLLUTANTS are any additionalsubstances that are not conventionalor toxic that may require regulation.These include nutrients such asnitrogen and phosphorus.

● Financial Support

As a leader in wastewater control,OWM is involved in many activities thatpromote improved wastewater treatment.The Office provides direction andassistance to national, state, and localprograms abate and prevent municipalwater pollution. Here is an overview.

Construction GrantsProgram

During the 1970s and 1980s, theConstruction Grants Program was amajor source of federal funds,providing more than $60 billion forthe construction of publicly ownedand operated wastewater treatmentprojects. These projects, whichconstituted a significant contributionto the nation’s water infrastructure,included sewage treatment plants,pumping stations, and collection andinterceptor sewers; rehabilitation ofsewer systems; and the control ofcombined sewer overflows. EPA’seffective management of theconstruction grants program led tothe improvement of water quality inthousands of municipalitiesnationwide.

With the 1987 amendments tothe Clean Water Act, Congress set1990 as the last year that fundswouId be appropriated for theConstruction Grants Program. Byphasing out the construction grantsprogram, EPA shifted the primarymethod of municipal financialassistance from grants to loansprovided by State Revolving Funds(see below), Since 1990, Congresshas continued to earmark grant fundsfor special projects, frequently atlevels exceeding $100 million peryear. As a result of this earmarking,OWM continues to manage a new-construction grants program.

Public-Private Partnerships (P3)

EPA’s Public-Private Partnerships(P3) initiative removes barriers to theprivate ownership of municipalwastewater facilities for those facilitiesconstructed with EPA grant funds.Local officials are in the best position todevelop capital financing options that

State Revolving Funds

The Clean Water State RevolvingFund (CWSRF or SRF) program isan innovative method of financing arange of environmental projects.Under the program, EPA providesgrants or “seed money” to all 50states plus Puerto Rico to capitalizestate loan funds. The states, in turn,make loans to communities,individuals, and others for highpriority water quality activities. Asmoney is paid back into revolvingfunds, new loans are made to otherrecipients that need help inmaintaining the quality of theirwater. Currently, the program hasover $26 billion in assets withapproximately $3 billion distributedin new loans annually.

The SRF program is a powerfulpartnership between EPA and thestates. It allows states the flexibilityto provide funding for projects thatwill address their highest-prioritywater quality needs. Since theprogram is managed largely by thestates, project eligibility variesaccording to each state’s programand priorities. Eligible loanrecipients may include communities,individuals, citizens’ groups,nonprofits, and others. Loan fundsmay be used to better the quality ofwatersheds through a wide range ofwater-quality related projects; loansmay also be used for the protectionof groundwater resources.

In additional to managing theCWSRF program, OWM issupporting OGWDW in managingthe new Drinking Water SRFprogram.

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meet their particular needs. EPA iscommitted to supporting thesecommunities and allowing themflexibility in financing the wastewatertreatment infrastructure needed toachieve the highest possible level ofenvironmental protection.

Indian Grants Management

Section 106 Water Pollution ControlProgram Grants

Section 106 of the Clean Water Actauthorizes EPA to provide federalassistance to states (including territories,the District of Columbia, and Indiantribes) and interstate agencies toestablish and implement water pollutioncontrol programs.

Prevention and control measuressupported by State Water QualityManagement programs includepermitting; pollution control activities;surveillance, monitoring, andenforcement; advice and assistance tolocal agencies; and the provision oftraining and public information.

Increasingly, EPA and states areworking together to develop basin-wideapproaches to water qualitymanagement. The Section 106 programis helping to foster a watershedprotection approach at the state level bylooking at states water quality problemsholistically, and targeting the use oflimited finances available for effectiveprogram management. In the near term,the program is seeking ways tostreamline the grants process to ease theadministrative burden on states.

Federal assistance is available toqualified Indian tribes under section 106for developing and establishing WaterQuality programs on reservation lands.Activities supported by tribal waterquality programs include developingwater quality standards, water qualitymonitoring and problem assessment,and initiating actions to establishpermitting and enforcement programs.

Water Quality Cooperative Agreements

Through this program and underauthority of Section 104(b)(3) of theClean Water Act, EPA makes grants tostate water pollution control agencies,interstate agencies, municipalities andother nonprofit institutions,organizations, and individuals topromote the coordination ofenvironmentally beneficial activities.These activities include municipalcompliance with the Clean Water Act,stormwater control, sludge management,and pretreatment.

Among the efforts eligible forfunding under this program are research,investigations, experiments, training,environmental technologydemonstrations, surveys, and studiesrelated to the causes, effects, extent, andprevention of pollution.

EPA’s regional offices select grantproposals that are most likely to advancethe states’ and EPA’s ability to deal withwater pollution. Headquarters alsomanages grants that address concerns ofa national scope. Unlike the Section 106program, these grants may not be used tofund ongoing program activities orconstruction except to a limited extent aspart of demonstrations.

Tribal communities and Native AlaskanVillages face significant human healthand environmental problems due to thelack of adequate wastewater treatmentsystems. The office of WastewaterManagement is committed to workingwith tribes and other federal agencies toassure that funding will be available tohelp Native Americans and AlaskanVillagers preserve their environmentaland public health,

Clean Water Act Indian Set-Aside GrantProgram

In 1987, the Indian Set-Aside Grant(ISA) Program was created under section518(c) of the Clean Water Act (CWA)Amendments to increase Indian tribes’ability to plan design, construct, operate,and maintain wastewater treatmentsystems. The program is administered incooperation with the Indian HealthService. This partnership maximizes thetechnical resources available throughboth agencies to address tribal sanitationneeds. Millions of dollars in grant fundshave been made available for wastewaterprojects on Indian lands and in AlaskaNative Villages. To date, CWA ISAProgram has disbursed more than $78million in funding.

Alaska Native Village SanitationProgram

There are 268 communities inAlaska, of which 70 percent areconsidered Alaskan Native Villages(ANVs). Many of these villages lackbasic drinking water and sewagedisposal systems to service theirresidents. In 1995, EPA created a grantprogram for ANVS and rural Alaskacommunities to assist them with fundingto construct water and wastewatersanitation facilities. Other sources offunds are also provided for training andtechnical assistance activities. To date,$47 million has been made available toimprove sanitation in Alaska ruralcommunities and Native Villages.

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Wastewater Assistance to U.S. of over 300,000) have been identified inColonias on the Mexico Border Texas and New Mexico. EPA grants,

Colonias are impoverished matched by state resources, provide for

communities along the U.S.-Mexico construction of wastewater facilities in

border which lack basic services such as these communities. $320 million has

roads, safe drinking water or wastewater been appropriated by Congress for this

treatment. Over 1,200 (total population program.

EPA Activities on theU.S. - Mexico Border

The United States and Mexico 2000+miles of common border. More thannine million people live along it,mostly in fifteen “sister city” pairs.The rapid increase in population andindustrialization in the border citieshas overwhelmed existing wastewatertreatment, drinking water supply, andsolid waste disposal facilities.Untreated and industrial sewage oftenflows north into the United States fromTijuana, Mexicali, and Nogales, andinto the Rio Grande.

Some 300,000 people on theUnited States side of the border alsolack safe drinking water, wastewatercollection and treatment systems, andadequate solid waste disposalfacilities. They live in unincorporatedareas called colonias.

As part of the Administration’sefforts to implement the North

American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA), EPA is working with otherfederal, state, and local agencies to helpfind and fix environmental problems onthe border. Some $8 billion in a mixfrom federal, state, local, and private-sector finding will be required toadequately protect public health and theborder ecosystem.

OWM’s and Regional partners, borderdevelopment activities include:

● Identification of border communityneeds, and help in meeting them

● Grants for funding of wastewatertreatment construction in the coloniasand elsewhere on the border

● Helping improve environmentalinformation collection on the border

● Providing technical assistance andtraining to officials and border residents

EPA will continue working to

improve environmental conditionsalong the border. Border offices havebeen opened in San Diego and El Pasoto serve as community outreach centersfor people on both sides of the border.EPA will also continue to support thework of the Border EnvironmentCooperation Commission, the NorthAmerican Development Bank, the U.S.-Mexico Foundation for Science,as well as other initiatives to improvethe border environment and the health of its residents.

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Small Community Initiatives

Living without basic indoor plumbing oradequate wastewater disposal systems isa common lifestyle in many small ruralcommunities, including Alaska NativeVillages, Indian tribes and economicallydisadvantaged communities along theUnited States - Mexico border(colonias). OWM’s Small, UnderservedCommunities Team directs severalprograms to provide financial andtechnical assistance. information andoutreach to help these communitiesaddress health and environmentalproblems and meet Clean Water Actrequirements. The team focuses oncommunities with fewer than 10,000people.

Small Community Outreach andEducation (SCORE) Program

SCORE is a national informationand outreach network that aims to helpsmall communities with fewer than10,000 people provide self-sufficientwastewater facilities. SCORE’s messageis that the keys to self-sufficient facilitiesare appropriate technology, soundfinancial management and operations,pollution prevention, and publiceducation. SCORE works throughstates, federal agencies. public interestand advocacy groups, and educationalinstitutions to deliver its messages. Theheadquarters SCORE coordinatorconducts periodic teleconferences withEPA regional office SCOREcoordinators to keep abreast of issuesthat effect their small communityaudiences.

Rural Community Assistance (RCAP)Program

RCAP is a national network ofnonprofit organizations which provideonsite technical assistance through acooperative agreement to help smallrural communities develop and maintainadequate water and wastewater disposalsystems. RCAP coordinates work withstate and local officials to providetechnical assistance, including facilitiesdevelopment, management and finance,operations and maintenance (O&M),program planning and supplementalfunding needs in small ruralcommunities. The program’s focus is onunsewered communities underadministrative orders, small systems withO&M problems, communities withpermitting violations and othermanagement, financing, and constructionneeds.

National Small Flows Clearinghouse(NSFC)

Funded by EPA, the NSFC serves as

innovative/alternative technology. TheClearinghouse provides a variety ofservices, including a toll-free technicalassistance hotline, a free computerbulletin board system, Internet homepage, computer databases. 2 newsletters,a journal and technical publications andvideos. The Clearinghouse also managesthe National Onsite DemonstrationProgram. This four-phased programfunded by EPA seeks to demonstrate thesuccessful implementation of alternativeonsite wastewater technologies in smallcommunities nationwide. The programfunds the design, installation andmonitoring of wastewater systems inselected communities. objectivesinclude the development of modelprograms for managing and maintainingonsite systems and for training localofficials, installers and engineers.

National Environmental Training Centerfor Small Communities (NETCSC)

The Municipal Assistance Branchmanages a cooperative agreement withthe NETCSC at West Virginia Universityin Morgantown, WVA. NETCSC servesas a national environmental trainingcenter that supports environmentaltrainers nationwide to improve thequality of wastewater, drinking water,and solid waste services in communitieswith fewer than 10,000 people.NETCSC develops new trainingcurricula, redesigns existing ones, andpresents training courses around thecountry to help small communities meetfederal and state environmentalcompliance requirements. Services alsoinclude a toll-free technical assistancecenter, quarterly newsletter, resourcecatalog, web site, and electronicdatabases.

the national collection and distributioncenter for information on smallcommunity wastewater systems and

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Waste water Operator Onsite TechnicalAssistance

Using funding under Section 104(g)of the CWA, this program operatesthrough a network of operator trainingpersonnel in states to provide over-the-shoulder operator training and technicalassistance to small wastewater treatmentplants (under 5 MGD) with complianceproblems. Approximately 800 facilitiesreceive this assistance annually fromstate water pollution control agencies orstate training centers.

Technical Assistance Program

EPA provides technical assistance toother EPA offices and regions, stateagencies, other federal agencies,municipalities, and a range of otherconstituents.

Municipal Technologies

The Agency provides both direct andindirect assistance in municipalwastewater treatment technologies.Direct assistance includes one-on-onediscussions about design, operation, andmaintenance of systems, and theidentification and solution of problems.Indirect assistance includes support forthe development of regulations; technicalinformation; guidance, assessments,evaluation, and cost estimates for thedesign, construction, and operation andmaintenance of municipal wastewatertreatment facilities. Areas of expertiseinclude:

● conventional collection/pumpingsystems

● combined sewer and sanitary seweroverflow treatment and control

● stormwater treatment and management

● fixed film and suspended growthbiological processes

● physical/chemical treatment processes

● advanced treatment processes

● operation and maintenance

● safety

● plant startup and post-disasterassistance

Innovative and Alternative Technologies

EPA also provides technicalassistance for the development ofinnovative and alternative treatmenttechnologies. Areas of expertise include:

● alternative collection systems

● on-site treatment systems

● land application of effluent● innovative and alternative treatmenttechnologies

● biosolids technologies

● land application of biosolids

● constructed wetlands

● comporting technologies

● alternative disinfection technologies

● odor control

● operation and maintenance

Clean Water Needs Survey (CWNS)

The Clean Water Needs Survey(CWNS) is a biennial cooperative effortbetween EPA and the states. In 1996,the overall needs for water qualityprojects and other activities were $139.5billion, The heart of the CWNS is thedatabase with technical and costinformation on 16,000 publicly ownedwastewater treatment facilities. Thedatabase also contains cost and technicalinformation for other programs andprojects that target documented waterquality or public health problems. TheCWNS does not address privatewastewater treatment facilities -- theseare, of course, integral parts of thenation’s water quality infrastructure.

● conventional sludge treatment anddisposal procedures

● biosolids technologies

● disinfection and odor control

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Water Alliances for Voluntary Efficiency(WAVE) Program

In 1992, EPA established the WaterAlliances for Voluntary Efficiency(WAVE) Program to help businessesreduce water use. WAVE is a voluntaryefficiency program whose goal is toprevent pollution by conserving waterand reducing associated energy use.

At present, WAVE is focused onimproving water efficiency in thelodging industry. Hotel/Motel Partnerscommit to surveying their facilities foropportunities to upgrade water-usingdevices and improving operatingpractices. The WAVE program will beexpanded to office buildings andeducational institutions in 1998.

To assist Partners, EPA established aWAVE Supporter program withequipment manufacturers anddistributors, water managementcompanies, utilities, state and localgovernments, and others. Supporterspromote the benefits of water efficiencyand provide information to WAVEpartners and water conservationprofessionals.

EPA assists Partners and Supportersby publicly recognizing theenvironmental efforts of participants,and by providing materials they can useto educate their customers andemployees about water efficiency.

Youth and the Environment Program

Introduced in 1990, the Youth andthe Environment Program giveseconomically disadvantaged urban andrural youth the chance to explore careeropportunities in the environmental field.

By combining summer employmentwith academic training and hands-onexperience, this program exposesstudents to many environmental careeroptions. Students have worked in watersupply management, wastewatertreatment, recycling, energy, marineenvironments, hazardous waste, andnatural resources protection.

Besides providing valuable workexperience for disadvantaged teenagers,Youth and the Environment fosters asense of stewardship among theparticipants,

National Wastewater ManagementExcellence Awards Program

OWM manages a national awardsrecognition program that publicizeswater quality achievements made inwastewater treatment facilities andprograms. Award winners demonstrateexceptional technical expertise and adedicated commitment to clean water.Traditionally, the AssistantAdministrator for Water presents anengraved plaque to honor municipalities,individuals and programs foroutstanding, innovative practices in theareas of operations and maintenance,beneficial biosolids use, pretreatmentmanagement, stormwater and combinedsewer overflow controls.

Voluntary EnvironmentalSystems

Management

The use of voluntary environmentalmanagement systems (EMS) byorganizations is rapidly increasingaround the world. These systems providea framework for organizations andcommunities to more effectively managetheir environmental obligations,including those required to comply withapplicable statutes and regulations. Inaddition. these systems can be useful formoving beyond compliance. improvingoverall environmental performance, andmaking greater use of pollutionprevention approaches. From a businessstandpoint, EMSs can help organizationsmeet their environmental obligationsmore efficiently, thus maintaining theircompetitive position in the globalmarketplace.

The most prominent environmentalmanagement systems standard now inplace is the IS0 14001 InternationalStandard, which was completed inSeptember, 1996. Organizations aroundthe world are now beginning to put inplace EMSs based on IS0 14001. Manyare also considering becoming certifiedto the standard by third-party auditors.

Government agencies, especially atthe federal and state level, are nowbeginning to look closely at thepossibility of integrating environmentalmanagement systems into theirregulatory programs, including the IS014001 standard, EPA and several statesare pursuing pilot projects with variousorganizations, to test these EMSs todetermine if they really can helpimprove environmental performance.Another important project EPA isundertaking focuses exclusively oncounties and municipalities. Specifically.EPA is providing focused training andother forms of assistance to a selectgroup of these communities who areinterested in establishing anenvironmental management systembased on the IS0 14001 standard.Information on these projects is availableon the OWM Home Page at http://WWW.EPA.GOV/OWM/wm046200.htm.

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Reinvention Efforts

The Permits Division in OWM isengaged in many reinventionactivities that simplify the process bywhich permit and permit programdecisions are made. Some of theseresult in regulatory changes, butothers do not. Here is a shortsummary of these activities.

Revising permit applications to

obtain necessary information moreefficiently through electronicsubmission, eliminating unnecessarydata requests, and giving waiversfrom reporting information alreadyavailable through other sources.

Revising the pretreatmentprogram to give POTWs greaterflexibility to streamline theirprograms and to reduce the burden toboth the cities and industrial users.

Revising state programrequirements for biosolids to

enable states with well run biosolidsprograms to more quickly becomeauthorized without makingunnecessary administrative changesin their programs.

Making several improvements toNPDES permit regulations toeliminate unnecessary regulations,reduce the administration of theNPDES program, and expand the useof general permits. This is acontinuing project, and furtherchanges might likely be made.

following electronic submissionof NPDES reporting to makereporting faster and less expensive.

Reducing reporting andmonitoring burdens based onlevels of compliance to allow for anoverall 27% reduction in reportingwithout sacrificing any assurance ofenvironmental protection.

Information ResourccsThe Office of Wastewater

Management provides public access toinformation about its programs. Pleasecontact the following for additionalinformation about wastewater and otherEPA issues.

FOR DOCUMENTS :

Water Resource CenterU.S. EPAMail Code RC-41OO401 M Street, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20460Telephone: (202) 260-7786Fax: (202) 260-0386Internet: waterpubs@epamail.epa.gov

National Small Flows ClearinghouseWest Virginia UniversityPost Office Box 6064Morgantown, WV 26506Telephone: (800) 624-8301Fax: (304) 293-3161Internet: http://www.nsfc.wvu.edu

National Center for EnvironmentalPublications and Information (NCEPI)11029 Kenwood RoadBuilding #5Cincinnati, OH 45242Telephone: (513) 489-8190 or (800)490-9198

FOR MORE SPECIFICINFORMATION ABOUTWASTEWATER PROGRAMS:

Office of Wastewater Management(OWM)U.S. EPAMail Code 4201401 M Street, S. W.Washington, D.C. 20460Internet: http://www.epa.gov/owm/

FOR GENERAL INFORMATIONABOUT THE U.S. EPA:

EPA Information Resources CenterU.S. EPAMail Code 3404401 M Street, S. W.Washington, D. C. 20460Telephone: (202) 260-5922Fax: (202) 260-6257

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