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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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October 1977
Six major programs within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have combined
forces to produce this brochure displaying the Agency's overall effort toward water
pollution control. The six programs are Construction Grants, Effluent Guidelines,
Manpower and Training, Section 208 Planning, Operations and Maintenance, and Technol-
ogy Transfer.
These six major programs were created by Public Law 92-500, which states, "The objec-
tive of this Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of
the Nation's waters."
The information that follows describes the functions, responsibilities, and activities of the
six programs in some detail Also included are a map of the United States indicating the
geographic boundaries of EPA's 10 Regions and a list of the addresses for each Regional
Office
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MUNICIPAL
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
Construction Grants Program is the major pollu-
tion abatement program ot the Federal Govern-
ment in partnership with State and municipal
governments. Its purpose is to abate water pollu-
tion by providing grant dollars to construct needed
municipal wastewater treatment facilities
In recent decades, a tremendous concentration
of municipal wastewater discharges has resulted
from rapid population growth and the enormous
buildup of urban and suburban areas Communities
as a rule could not construct treatment facilities
fast enough to cope with the increasing flows,
primarily because money was short. The Federal
construction grants program is the result of legisla-
tion passed to aid cities and towns with their water
pollution control efforts.
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of
1956 gave the initial impetus to municipal waste
treatment by authorizing Federal grants to help
finance construction of municipal sewage treat-
ment facilities. Beginning with relatively small
grants, the construction grants program has been
expanded by amending legislation to what is
currently the largest public works program in the
Nation The 1972 amendmems enacted by Public
Law 92-500 authorized $18 billion for 75-percent
Federal grants to assist municipalities in construct-
ing waste treatment facilities. The Program has
provided tens of thousands of jobs and other
economic benefits in addition to its primary
function cf improving water quality.
The Agency's needs surveys have illustrated the
high level of funding called for to meet the
Nation's pollution control requirements EPA, with
the strong support of the Administration, has
emphasized that long-term funding commitments
will be necessary, so that communities can depend
on continuing assistance to finish multiyeat con-
struction programs.
Now that grants under Public Law 92-500 have
been made for several years, implementation legis-
lation and program operations are being reviewed
to see what improvements can be made For
example, multiyear planning and extended priority
lists are now being used to effectively plan and
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CONSTRUCTION GRANTS
manage individual projects. The planning, design,
and construction steps necessary for completion
are being coordinated with annual authorizations
to use available program funding.
Operation Streamline is also underway to
identify bottlenecks and simplify construction
grant requirements In this spirit, many grant
approval activities that were formerly carried
on at both Federal and State levels have now
been delegated to State water pollution control
agencies Communications problems between EPA
and grantees are constantly being sought out and
resolved
A new Construction Operations Review Pro-
gram, focusing on the construction phase, has been
established This step is consistent with the natural
evolution of the construction grants program from
the planning and design stages into actual project
construction. Under the Program, recommenda-
tions and assistance are provided to the municipal-
ity and its consulting engineer based on on-site
reviews of selected projects during the construction
phase.
The program is further refined to establish and
enforce, with discharge permits, schedules for the
use of grant money in order to ensure the most
effective use of Federal funds. In addition, the
Permit Compliance Program will be strengthened
to make certain that facilities are effectively
operated
As successful as the Municipal Construction
Grants Program has been, it is neither desirable nor
possible for the Federal Government to do the
entire job alone Authority under the Program will
continue to be delegated to individual States as
they demonstrate the capacity to handle them,
with EPA retaining an oversight role in a balanced
Federal-State working relationship.
Through the cooperative efforts of those
involved with the Municipal Construction Grants
Program, many improvements have been made in
the quality of our Nation's waters, and significant
environmental improvements can be made in the
future But, as in the past, success depends on joint
and cooperative efforts between many levels of
government and the concerned citizen
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EFFLUENT
GUIDELINES
The Nation's program to prevent, reduce, and
eliminate water pollution of all navigable waters is
being carried out under Public Law 92-500.
This 1972 law created, for the first time, a
system of national effluent limitations and national
performance standards for industries and publicly
owned waste treatment plants. An effluent limita-
tion is defined as the maximum amount of a
pollutant that a polluter is permitted to discharge
into a water body
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The following effluent limitations apply to
industries discharging directly to navigable waters
Best Practicable Control Technology Currently
Available (BPCTCA)
Effluent limitations based on BPCTCA must
have been met by July 1, 1977. They represent the
average of the best existing waste treatment per-
formance within each industrial category or sub-
category. Effluent limitations may be met by
m-plant controls, treatment facilities, or a combi-
nation of the two. In-plant controls include water
and resource conservation, including recycle, good
plant maintenance, and processing techniques. The
result is optimum conservation of raw materials,
energy, and, ultimately, economics
Best Available Technology Currently Achievable
(BATEA)
Effluent limitations based on BATEA must be
met by July 1, 1983. Since 1976, they have been
refined to apply to a listing of 65 designated prior-
ity pollutants, some of these pollutants are individ-
ual and others are classes of compounds. BATEA
will be based on application of the very best control
and treatment measures that have been developed
or are capable of being developed for the appropri-
ate industrial category or subcategory Moreover,
industries must eliminate the discharge of pollutants
completely by July 1, 1983, if EPA finds that this
goal is "technologically and economically achiev-
able."
New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) or
Best Available Demonstrated Controlled
Technology (BADCT)
NSPS or BADCT limitations reflect control
technology, including where practicable, a standard
permitting no discharge of pollutants. They may be
somewhat more stringent than 1977 and 1983
limitations. Significantly, these limitations apply to
new industrial facilities built after publication of
proposed regulations prescribing a standard of
performance.
Industrial discharges into publicly owned treat-
ment works (POTW's) are also subject to national
effluent limitations under Public Law 92-500.
These limitations require pretreatment of industrial
pollutants that might interfere with the proper
operation of public treatment plants or pass
through without adequate treatment. All sewage
treatment plants in operation on July 1, 1977,
built with or without the aid of Federal funds and
no matter when constructed, must provide a
minimum of secondary treatment. A plant built
with the help of Federal funds approved before
June 30, 1974, however, has until June 30, 1978,
to comply with the secondary treatment require-
ment. All POTW's will have to use "best practica-
ble" treatment by July 1, 1983
Development of Guidelines
The Effluent Guidelines Division of EPA's
Office of Water Planning and Standards is responsi-
ble for developing guidelines involving the fore-
going different classes of effluent limitations as
well as pretreatment. Effluent limitations are being
applied to at least 48 industries and well over 500
subcategories.
The procedures involved for setting these limita-
tions require a multidisciplmary approach encom-
passing the inputs of engineers, scientists,
mathematicians, economists, and lawyers. Indus-
trial plant surveys, treatment technology, and
economic evaluations form the backbone for per-
forming the requisite cost/effectiveness determina-
tions. The latest BATEA determinations involving
the 65 priority pollutants will also involve cost/
benefit considerations, incorporating the input of
biologists as well.
Decision-making on limitations and standards
ultimately evolves from the efforts of various
internal working groups, interagency review, and
industrial and other sources of public comments.
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The Manpower Planning and Training Branch,
Municipal Operations and Training Division, Office
of Water Program Operations—in cooperation with
the EPA Regions, States, and training institutions-
develops training programs and guidance docu-
ments, and provides assistance with the objective
of developing an adequate supply of trained water
pollution abatement and control manpower. Spe-
cific programs are' Manpower Planning, State and
Areawide Program Related Training, Operator
Training and Certification, and Academic Training.
The Manpower Planning Program provides guid-
ance and assistance to Regions and States for
developing State and local manpower planning
capabilities in water programs. The Program devel-
ops and administers grants and programs to work
toward an effective manpower planning system to
forecast supply and demand of water quality
occupational categories, develops and conducts
manpower needs assessments and surveys, and
develops training courses for State manpower
planners.
The Stete and Areawide Water Quality Manage-
ment Program works in cooperation with Regions
and States to assess Public Law 92-500 program
training needs and develops profiles of staffing and
training needs and resources at Public Law 92-500
program agencies. This Program cooperates in the
development, design, and implementation of State
and areawide water-quality-management-related
training programs and curricula, identification of
MANPOWER
PLANNING
AND
TRAINING
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needs, and development of training delivery sys-
tems in response to the identified needs
The Operator Training arid Certification Pro-
gram evaluates and assesses municipal facilities for
operator staffing, training, and certilication needs
and develops profiles of capabilities and resources
in these areas at State and local levels. The program
also develops and administers mteragency agree-
ments with the Department of Labor and Health,
Education, and Welfare, State Operator Teaming
Grant Projects, State Training Center Projects, and
Certification Projects in cooperation wit'n the
Associated Boards of Certification and othep~ train-
ing programs leading to the development o< State
and local agency manpower training capabilities
The Academic Training Program provides "man
cial assistance through State agency lel'owships
and professional training grants primarily to Fed-
eral, State, and local governments or to training
institutions for developing agency piotessionai
staffs in water programs It also develops and
administers undergraduate training urants and
demonstration grants for developing new cumcula
and training resources.
The National Training and Operational Technol-
ogy Center (NTOTC) is located at the EPA
Environmental Research Center in Cincinnati,
Ohio. NTOTC is responsible for all operat ona
aspects of planning, developing, conducting, and
evaluating the water pollution control education
and training functions of EPA NTOTC personnel
work directly with personnel at wastewater treat-
ment plants, and conduct on-site training in waste-
water treatment process control. Based on
extensive field experience in the operation of
activated sludge treatment facilities, information is
offered on design criteria, new process control
strategies, and training of wastewater treatment
personnel
Modern laboratory and classroom facilities are
used to conduct an annual schedule of specialized
pol ution control courses. Topics range from water
quality management to biological and bacteriologi-
cal analyses Training manuals, instructor guides,
and supporting audio-visual materials are developed
by NTOTC and are available for use by educational
and training organizations and institutions
An integral part of the NTOTC operation is the
Instructional Resources Center (IRC). IRC inven-
tories, evaluates, catalogs and disseminates infor-
mation on existing instructional resources available
for pesticides, water supply, and water pollution
education and training. These resources include
course outlines, audio-visual materials, texts, and
related information An audio-visual and library
iacii ty, where individuals can review current
instructional materials, is located'at the NTOTC. A
lending library service of EPA-developed training
materials is also available A periodic bulletin of
courses, new materials, and related training infor-
mation is available to those on the NTOTC mailing
list
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SECTION 208-
WATER
QUALITY
MANAGEMENT
The Section 208 Water Quality Management
Program was established by the Congress in recog-
nition of the increasing need for areawide and
statewide approaches to solving water quality and
other related environmental problems. Section 208
is broad based, encompassing authority for essen-
tially all water-quality-related planning and man-
agement programs. The law places special empha-
sis on non-point-source controls, construction
grants, and NPDES permits, especially considera-
tion of advanced waste treatment levels. The
Program requires the States to manage and coordi-
nate the overall effort, including responsibility for
doing the planning in nondesignated areas. Particu-
lar stress is placed on ensuring continuous public
involvement and education. Since 1974, a total of
$230 million in Federal funds has been made
available to 225 area and State agencies
Within the broad mandate of Section 208 and
operating under timing and funding constraints,
EPA has emphasized the need to establish priori-
ties Grantees have identified a limited number of
high priority problems that they are working to
solve during the initial 3-year planning phase. The
grantees are required to develop technically and
politically feasible solutions and to identify
management agencies with adequate financial and
legal authorities to carry out the programs. The
majority of areawide agencies are emphasizing
municipal point source and urban runoff problems,
the statewide plans are dealing principally with
non-point-source problems, including agriculture,
construction, silviculture, and mining.
The initial plans are now being submitted for
review and approval by the States and EPA. Ninety
areawide plans are due by October 1977; all 225
initial plans must be submitted by November 1978.
Continuing funding will be provided to successful
agencies to develop additional priority programs,
emphasizing pretreatment and non-point-source
controls.
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OPERATIONS
AND
MAINTENANCE-
MUNICIPAL
TREATMENT
PLANTS
The Municipal Operations Branch of EPA's
Office of Water Programs Operations and counter-
part personnel at regional and State levels are
responsible for overseeing and reporting on the
efficiency of the Nation's publicly owned treat-
ment works (POTW). As part of this important job,
they are responsible for identifying the types of
problems encountered at POTW's, and for develop-
ing appropriate guidance and EPA programs to
assist in correcting these problems.
No single problem or type of problem can be
identified as critical to efficient performance, but
several broad categories appear frequently
• Design or construction oversights affecting
operabihty, maintainability, flexibility, and
reliability of plants
• Inadequacy of laboratory facilities and proce-
dures for operation control and performance
reporting
• Inadequate staffing levels, staff organization,
and management procedures
• Inadequate m-plant or other support training for
operational personnel
• Inadequate operation and maintenance (O&M)
manuals
• Inadequate operation and maintenance budgets
Over the last several years, data collected
through the national POTW operation and mainte-
nance inspection program have shown a consistent
pattern of between 30 and 50 percent of plants
failing to perform at BOD, TSS, or secondary
treatment levels for which they were designed
Latest data show that even where the less stringent
permit requirements are used, up to one quarter of
plants inspected failed to meet standards set
Since its inception, the Municipal Operations
Branch has worked closely with other EPA, State,
local, and private activities to identify and imple-
ment special programs to assist POTW's. In co-
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operation with the Municipal Construction
Division, supplementary Federal guidelines for
design and construction of POTW's have been
issued. Program Requirements Memoranda for
Construction Grants covering development of
facility plans of operation and grant eligibility for
startup costs also have been developed and ap-
proved.
Independently, the branch has developed a
whole series OT special operations and maintenance
guidance manuals for use in planning, designing,
constructing, and operating plants These docu-
ments have been developed in cooperation with
EPA's regional technical personnel, State and local
municipal officials, and the consulting engineering
community. Tne primary objective of the materials
is to assure the adequate consideration of opera-
tion and maintenance characteristics in the plan-
ning, design, and construction of municipal
wastewater treatment facilities. The guidance docu-
ments also provide improved procedures lor
identifying and isolating operation and mainte-
nance problems, formulating alternative solutions,
and combining corrective action with short- and
long-range ""ollowup
Available operator's manuals address such topics
as anaerobic sludge digestion, the aerobic biological
treatment process, and lagoons. Also, several series
of very popular and successful seminars have been
held for regional, State, and private sector person-
nel. Topics have addressed preparation of opera-
tion and maintenance manuals, design of
wastewater treatment facilities for operability,
mamtainab hty, flexibility, and reliability, and the
implications of available guidance manuals and
current construction program requirements for
private sector opportunities It is expected that
additional seminar series will be initiated.
Finally, in the interests of informing local
administrators and the public about the
importance of good operation and maintenance in
POTW's, the Branch is distributing the film "An
Investment To Protect" to plants and local public
interest grcups. The film is a case history of one
community's commitment to effective wastewater
treatment.
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TECHNOLOGY
TRANSFER
The Office of Research and Development has
recently established the Environmental Research
Information Center (ERIC), whose mission is to
actively transfer proven process control technol-
ogies and disseminate information emanating from
non-"hard"-technology areas ERIC combines the
technological expertise and the top level marketing
talent necessary to effectively transfer the latest
viable pollution control technologies from re-
search, development, and demonstration to all
potential users.
ERIC was initiated in 1970 under the name of
Technology Transfer. The program's initial goal
was to make an impact on the construction of
municipal wastewater treatment facilities because
applications for construction grants were not
including new technologies. Thus, a special tech-
nology transfer effort was mounted to overcome
traditional conservatism in the pollution control
field (an area that includes water supply) in order
to prevent a major investment in obsolete treat-
ment and control facilities and to enable munici-
palities to meet increasingly stringent pollution
standards In addition the Technology Transfer
Program now has programs in industrial and
non-point-source pollution control.
The Clean Air Act of 1970 and Public Law
92-500 established environmental standards for
industrial sources. To comply with these regula-
tions, EPA has funded many research, develop-
ment, and demonstration programs to determine
the best control technology. The Industrial Tech-
nology Transfer Program is responsible for dis-
seminating process and control technology infor-
mation as it relates to air, water, and energy
Under Section 208 of Public Law 92-500, the
Congress incorporated the areawide waste treat-
ment management planning process that stresses
planning by local governments for control of point
sources and non-point-sources of pollution from
both urban and rural areas. Included are industrial
and municipal discharges, landfills, urban storm
runoff, agriculture, silviculture, mining, and con-
struction activity pollutants. Technology Transfer's
goal in this area is to effectively translate the
Agency's guidelines for the program and the
technology necessary to achieve control of point
sources and non-point-sources of pollutants.
ERIC's objective is to make effective impact on
the construction, installation, and operation of
pollution control and abatement facilities, to
ensure that the latest viable technologies are
transferred to potential users, and to eliminate the
possible large investment in obsolete facilities The
program's primary function is to bridge the gap
between research and full-scale use by evaluating
and transferring newly developed, successful tech-
nologies to consulting engineers, conservation
groups, industries, State and local engineers, and
others exerting influence over the design and
construction of all pollution control and abate-
ment facilities. A further goal is to firmly establish
the newly emerging technologies as practical and
feasible alternatives nationally, to be routinely
considered and evaluated in the planning of these
facilities.
The Center meets the foregoing objectives
through a broad information program. It issues
design manuals, technical capsule reports, seminar
publications, handbooks, process brochures,
project brochures, technology transfer newsletters,
an executive briefing series, and a number of
individual publications ERIC also conducts pollu-
tion control seminars throughout the country,
prepares exhibits of new technology developments
for large conferences of professional organizations,
and produces audio-visual materials, technical and
nontechnical.
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New York
Philadelphia
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REGION
ADDRESS
I Environmental Protection Agency
John F. Kennedy Federal Building
Room 2313
Boston, Massachusetts 02203
(Maine, N.H., Vt., Mass., R.I., Conn.)
II Environmental Protection Agency
26 Federal Plaza
New York, New York 10007
(N.Y., N.J., P.R , V.I.)
Ill Environmental Protection Agency
6th & Walnut Streets
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
(Pa., W. Va., Md., Del., D.C., Va.)
IV Environmental Protection Agency
345 Courtland Street, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
(N.C., S.C., Ky., Tenn., Ga., Ala.,
Miss , Fla.)
V Environmental Protection Agency
230 S. Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(Mich , Wis., Minn., III., Ind., Ohio)
VI Environmental Protection Agency
1201 Elm Street
First International Building
Dallas, Texas 75270
(Texas, Okla., Ark., La., N Mex.)
VII Environmental Protection Agency
1735 Baltimore Avenue
Kansas City, Missouri 64108
(Kansas, Nebr., Iowa, Mo.)
VIM Environmental Protection Agency
1860 Lincoln Street
Denver, Colorado 80203
(Colo., Mont., Wyo., Utah, N D
S.D.)
IX Environmental Protection Agency
100 California Street
San Francisco, Calif. 94111
(Calif., Ariz , Nev., Hawaii!
X Environmental Protection Agency
12006th Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98101
(Wash., Ore., Idaho, Alaska)
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