HELPING SMALL COMMUNITY WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE, AND ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN COMPLIANCE

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s On-Site Technical Assistance Program was implemented in 1982 to provide financial, technical, and operation and maintenance assistance to small, municipal wastewater treatment plants through direct on-site operator training.  Assistance is provided to plants in danger of non-compliance or are out of compliance with their discharge permits.  Enhancing plant operations helps to improve water quality. 

The community pays nothing for on-site assistance.  The community will be expected to make the necessary improvements to achieve compliance.  This may require an expenditure by the municipality if, for example, equipment needs to be repaired or replaced.  However, the focus of the on-site assistance is on low-cost improvements.

On-site instructors are both trouble-shooters and trainers.  Their mission is to help eliminate treatment process control problems causing violations.  Trainers are not acting as enforcement agents, but it is expected that communities make sincere efforts to solve their problems.

The on-site technical assistance program helps in other ways. 

• Identifies any need to repair or build new facilities to meet existing or future permit limitations.

• Recommends ways to improve preventive maintenance on equipment and structures.
• Often reduces energy and chemical costs through more efficient operating techniques.
• Provides laboratory training, computer training, and quality assurance troubleshooting.

In addition, the on-site technical assistance program gets operating staff and the local elected officials working together on the problems at the treatment plant.  As a result, local officials better understand wastewater treatment responsibilities and the needs of plant and staff.

For more information about this program contact:

• Doug Hill, Wastewater Specialist  (517) 373-4754

• Dan Holmquist, Wastewater Specialist  (517) 373-4753