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." ------- 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. ------- ^•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. ------- 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 ------- |