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

-------