United States 831 S-92-001
Environmental Protection April 1992
Agency r
Office Of Enforcement (EN-338)
What Is The
MWPP Program?
MWPP PROGRAM BENEFITS
In addition to providing cleaner water for everyone,
the Municipal Water Pollution Prevention (MWPP)
program benefits all levels of government concerned
about water quality.
f' States:
permit violations through
i j||F better facility management and regulation.
Maintains high POTW compliance rates and
maximizes design lives of POTWs through
T regular assessments.
Conserves State resources in undertaking of
timely and costly enforcement actions.
ram and by working
'ith the municipalities, States save
by not having to take costly
enforcement actions. "
for EPA:
^^jPlaces decision making at the local levels,
,7et supports the national mandate to preserve
ttne clean water infrastructure.
'f^xEmphasizes EPA's priority for focusing on
~S
pollution prevention activities.
TPP is successful because it keeps
making and planning at the local
level, where it can best be done, and it
eljts achieve sustained compliance rates
for municipal facilities."
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Program?
he Municipal Water Pollution
"Prevention (MWPP) program is
a voluntary and cooperative effort by EPA,
State governments, and municipalities to:
t- Prevent NPDES permit
violations and maintain
high compliance rates
by publicly owned treat-
ment works (POTWs).
^- Maximize the design
lives of POTWs through
effective operation and
maintenance, and con-
trolled wastewater flows
and loadings.
)»• Ensure effective and timely
planning and financing
for future needs and
growth, before permit
violations occur.
Why have a
MWPP Program?
Large capital investments,
supported by effective
enforcement activities, have
been successful in ensuring
that 90 percent of the nation's
POTWs have constructed
treatment facilities that are
capable of meeting appli-
cable NPDES permit limits.
Nevertheless, there is a
growing concern that the
phase-out of federal con-
struction grants, continuing
municipal growth, and the
emergence of new pollu-
tants will put increased
demands on those compli-
ance capabilities.
In order to manage POTWs
and to ensure sustained
compliance and proper
planning for future capacity
needs, States should begin
to consider the creation of a
MWPP program. Now is
the time for States to begin
developing an effective
management approach that
will address these critical
concerns before capacity
and compliance problems
Components of a
MWPP Program
Currently, there is no
nationally mandated MWPP
program. Nevertheless,
each NPDES State has flex-
ibility of approach for
designing an effective pro-
gram that best defines its
particular needs. States
may determine the appro-
priate components needed
for such a program. The
following components pro-
vide a solid foundation for
development of a success-
ful program:
^ Early Warning System
This is a regular assessment
of the operational and
physical capabilities of
wastewater treatment facil-
ities accomplished by using
a variety of critical indica-
tors (e.g., effluent quality,
flows and loadings, sludge
storage and disposal capa-
city, operating capacity,
etc.) to identify potential
problems.
arise.
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^•Reporting Mechanism Your State may already have
This establishes arrappro-
priate method for routine
and formal submission of
data documenting the in-
formation from the early
warning system assess-
ments.
^- Preventive Action
ThePOTWs owner/oper-
ators assume responsibility
for implementing measures
to address problems iden-
tified by the early warning
system. The State should
review and approve of
such measures prior to
their initiation.
^- Management Tracking
This means a system to
track information across all
POTWs concerning treat-
ment plant capabilities and
compliance status, as well
as to warn of potential
problems.
^ Program Evaluation
A system to determine
whether program objec-
tives are being met and if
there is a need for program
revisions.
some of these elements in
'
place. The MWPP program
provides the opportunity
to integrate existing
program activities into a
comprehensive approach
for managing POTWs.
How to get Started
The fundamental concept of a MWPP program is
flexibility. EPA encourages design of programs that best
meet States' own needs and priorities. A major obstacle in
implementing an MWPP program may be overcoming the
public perception that wastewater treatment is a costly
and messy problem. To overcome this obstacle and ensure
the success of a MWPP program, States should begin
working now to chginge the public attitude regarding
municipal wastewater treatment needs.
As a starting point. States might consider a
two-step beginning.
STEP ONE
Assess the Current
Program
Determine whether or not
present activities encourage
POTWs to remain in com-
pliance with NPDES
permits. "~>
_ Search for ways to improve
POTW compliance.
Decide on the appropriate
program components for
the State. I '"-•
Consider what statutory
or regulatory changes are
needed. ;
STEP TWO,
Develop Public Outreach
Introduce municipalities
and the public to program.
concepts through public
meetings and/or work-
shops.
Develop advisory commit-
tees consisting of State and
local elected officials,
treatment facility owner/
operators, environmental
groups, and public citizens.
Discuss a workable time-
table for implementing the
MWPP program.
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For Municipalities^
^- Provides plant operators with a powerful man-
agement tool for diagnosingemerging problems
and designing actions to deal with them.
^- Avoids possible penalties and fines that result
from noncompliancer™ :
>> Promotes effectivejsnd timely planning for
future economi£growth and related waste
treatment nee2s_. ,
^- Builds coalitions for acquiring public support
for plant" expansions and adequate user fees.
(C
CA newJineof valuable communication
_f:
is created between the operator who
understands the wastewater
treatment system and the elected
officials who appropriate the money for
ongoing improvements.
How to Obtain Further Information
about the MWPP Program
Contact the MWPP Program Coordinator at the EPA
Regional Office or your State for further information
about the MWPP Program, including EPA's policy and
guidance manual for MWPP program implementation.
USEPA MWPP Program Coordinators
REGION 1
Mr. Chuck Conway
JFK Federal Building
Boston, MA 02203
(617) 565-3715
REGION2
Mr. Patrick Harvey
Javitz Federal Building
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
(212) 264-1657
REGIONS
Mr. Bernie Sarnoski
841 Chestnut Building
Philidelphia, PA 19107
(215) 597-9800
REGION 4
Mr. Ben Chen
345 Courtland Street, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30365
(404) 347-4727
REGIONS
Mr. Michael Bland
230 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 353-2000
REGIONS
Mr. Tom Reich
First Interstate Bank Tower
1445 Ross Avenue
12th Floor
Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 655-6444
REGION?
Mr.Tom Carter
726 Minnesota Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66101
(913) 551-7000
REGIONS
Mr. Harold Thompson
999 18th Street
Denver, CO 80202-2405
(303) 293-1603
REGION 9
Ms. Tamara Rose
75 Hawthrone Street
. San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 744-1500
REGION10
Mr. Bryan Yim
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
(202) 442-1200
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