United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
4201
EPA 800-F-93-002
September 1993
vvEPA
Office of Wastewater Enforcement
and Compliance
Mission The activities of the Office of Wastewater Enforcement and Compliance (OWEC)
fall into four categories: 1) implementing the National Pollution Discharge Elimina-
tion System (NPDES) program, including storm water, CSO and pretreatment
programs; 2) administering the State Revolving Funds (SRF) program and over-
seeing the close-out of the construction grants program; 3) implementing the
permitting and enforcement aspects of the sludge use and disposal program;
and, 4) providing technical advice and assistance to municipalities, particularly
small municipalities, to help achieve compliance with wastewater regulatory
requirements.
Programs: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES) Permit Program
The Clean Water Act (CWA) made it illegal for any point source to discharge any
pollutants into the waters of the United States without a permit, which typically
includes pollution limits and monitoring and reporting provisions. As of January
1993, mere are over 64,000 permits issued by EPA and by States authorized by
EPA to operate the NPDES program. These permits regulate household and
industrial wastes that are collected in sanitary sewers and treated at municipal
wastewater treatment plants. Such permits also regulate industrial point sources
and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which discharge pollution
directly into receiving waters. NPDES permits, at a minimum, set technology-
based limits. For industry, these limits are generally based on the greatest reduc-
tions economically achievable with available technology. For municipalities, they
require secondary treatment. Where necessary to achieve State water quality
standards and to assure that point source discharges do not cause toxic effects in
the nation's waters, water-quality based limits are imposed. The NPDES Branch
in OWEC's Permits Division implements these requirements.
Storm Water
Discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants and industrial process
wastewater have come under increasing control due, in large part, to the success
of the efforts under the NPDES program. This success has brought to the fore-
front the pollution problems associated with other sources. One such source of
pollutants is sewers discharging storm water associated with urban runoff and
industrial and construction activity. The CWA Amendments of 1987 established
a two-phased storm water program. Phase I, currently under implementation,
requires permits for separate storm water systems serving large and medium-
size communities, i.e., those with populations over 100,000, and for storm water
discharges associated with industrial activity and construction activity of at least
five acres. Hundreds of thousands of facilities have discharges in the scope of
coverage of Phase I regulations. Phase II, scheduled to begin implementation in
October 1994, will address remaining storm water discharges.
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NPDES permits regulate
concentrated animal feeding
operations, such as the one
pictured above
EPA's National CSO Control
Strategy will reduce the
harmful effects of untreated
discharges
The EPA Storm Water Hotline, (703) 821-4823,
is available to the public to answer questions
concerning storm water issues.
Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)
CSO is a term used to describe discharges to
surface waters of untreated sewage, industrial
wastewater and storm water during periods of
rainfall when the capacity for combined sewer
systems (i.e., systems that collect and transport
a combination of sewer, storm and/or indus-
trial wastewater) is exceeded. As a result,
during heavy rains as much as 90 percent of
the total wastes that enter a combined sewer
system are discharged untreated through CSO
points into receiving waters. EPA estimates
show that there are approximately 1,050
communities with combined sewer systems
with an estimated 10,550 CSO discharge points. CSOs can necessitate beach
closings and shell fishing bans. In order to eliminate or minimize the effects of
CSOs, EPA issued a National CSO Control Strategy on August 10,1989 and is
now implementing that strategy and preparing supplemental guidance.
Pretreatment
The objectives of the pretreatment program are to: 1) prevent pollutant dis-
charges from industrial facilities from passing untreated through municipal
wastewater treatment plants and entering receiving waters; 2) protect
treatment plant facilities from the threat untreated industrial wastewater
poses of explosion, fire or interference with treatment processes; and 3)
improve the quality of effluents and sludges so they can be beneficially
used. There are approximately 1500 municipal treatment plants and
several hundred thousand users under the pretreatment programs
administered by the EPA and by 27 authorized States. The National
Pretreatment Program is administered by the Pretreatment and Multi-
Media Branch in the Permits Division.
Sewage Sludge
Sludge is semi-solid residue from water treatment processes; proper
management of it includes land application, disposal or incineration. If
improperly managed, municipal sewage sludge can cause public health
or environmental problems. The 1987 Amendments to the CWA specify that
NPDES permits (or equivalent permits) must regulate the use and disposal of
sewage sludge. Therefore, EPA promulgated in 1992 regulations that contain
specific technical standards to which the permittee, other users, and disposers
must conform. The Permits Division Pretreatment and Multi-Media Branch
addresses sewage sludge program implementation issues (particularly, permit-
ting and state program issues), while the Enforcement Division addresses com-
pliance monitoring and enforcement program issues.
Enforcement of Clean Water Act Requirements
NPDES and sludge permits establish requirements with which a permittee must
comply for all of the above programs. Performance against those requirements
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must then be monitored and the compliance status of the permittee established.
While requirements and monitoring techniques vary by program, in general,
permittees must sample and report performance through a self-monitoring
system. The wastewater enforcement program uses a variety of techniques to
identify compliance status, including on-site inspections and data review through
an automated tracking system. Either informal or formal enforcement responses
may be taken in response to noncompliance. Formal enforcement responses,
either administrative or judicial, often result in a penalty assessed against the
permittee which seeks to recover at least an amount deemed as the economic
advantage the violator obtained from noncompliance.
Grants to States
$3,500,000,000
$2,500,000,000
$1,500,000,000
State Revolving Funds
(Water Treatment)
State and Local
Section 106 Water Pollution Control
Program Grants.
The Section 106 grants program provides
federal assistance to States (including territories,
the District of Columbia, and Indian Tribes
qualified under Section 518(e)), and Interstate
Agencies to establish and implement programs
to prevent and control surface and ground
water pollution from point and nonpoint
sources. Prevention and control measures
include permitting, pollution control studies,
planning, surveillance and enforcement; advice
and assistance to local agencies; and training
and public information. About $80 million per
year is distributed to the States under the 106
Grant program by formula based on the extent
of the pollution problem in the respective States.
Facilities Finance and Support Programs
Construction Grants Program
During the 1970s and 1980s the construction grants program was a major source
of funds, providing approximately $50 billion for wastewater treatment projects,
including: the building of sewage treatment plants, rehabilitation of sewer
systems, and control of CSOs. With its 1987 amendments to the CWA, Congress
ended funding for the construction grants projects as of 1990, and substituted for
it the State Revolving Fund. The construction grants program is working to close-
out those projects funded under the construction grants program. More recently,
Congress has funded set-aside grants for Native American tribal organizations
and targeted grants for projects in coastal cities and along the Mexican border.
State Revolving Funds (SRFs)
SRFs are permanent, self-sustaining funds, monitored by the State Revolving
Fund Branch in the Municipal Support Division. SRFs provide assistance to
construct treatment works and implement nonpoint source and conservation
management programs. Agency funding for States to capitalize revolving funds
for the planning and constructing of wastewater treatment facilities amounted to
approximately $2 billion per year in 1991 and 1992. Loan payments generate cash
flow to finance subsequent projects.
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Michael Cook
Office Director
Cynthia Dougherty
Director
Permits Division
Rich Kozlowski
Director
Enforcement Division
Michael Quigley
Director
Municipal Support Division
Municipal Water Pollution Prevention (MWPP) Program
Federal, State and local government investment in projects for municipal waste-
water treatment facilities amounts to $75 billion since 1972. The MWPP program
aims to: maintain these wastewater facilities; reduce and eliminate their water
pollution; and increase compliance rates at municipal facilities. The program
helps EPA Regions and States implement a variety of programs, including
voluntary source reduction and water use efficiency. The Municipal Support
Division implements the program.
Colonias
Colonias are unincorporated communities in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and
California. Found along the Mexican border, colonias are populated largely by
immigrants from Mexico and South and Central America. Colonias often lack
safe drinking water and sanitary facilities, posing serious public health problems
for residents of these communities. The Municipal Support Division oversees
grants earmarked for colonias by Congress.
International Border Environmental Plan (IBEP)
IBEP is a comprehensive and cooperative effort, pursuant to a 1989 agreement
between President Bush and Mexican President Salinas, intended to address the
serious environmental problems and human health risks along the Mexican-U.S.
border. OWEC is working on a number of projects, including: (1) increase waste-
water treatment, initially in colonias, San Diego and Tijuana; (2) strengthen
industrial pretreatment programs to cope with rapidly expanding border indus-
try growth; (3) protect drinking water supplies; and, (4) monitor toxic releases to
the Rio Grande River.
Small Community Outreach and Education (SCORE) Program
SCORE provides information and technical assistance to State and local officials
on small wastewater systems. Its goal is to help small communities build and
maintain self-sufficient wastewater facilities that comply with the CWA. Through
a variety of outreach networks, the program stresses appropriate technology,
sound financial management, proper operations and maintenance, pollution
prevention and public education. SCORE is supplemented by a national clearing-
house on small technologies and an environmental training center for providers
of services to small communities.
For more information, contact:
Kevin Rosseel
Resources Management and Evaluation Staff
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water, 4201
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20460
(202)260-3715
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