This document was developed for the Proposed Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule.
For the final document, please visit the final Mandatory Reporting of
Greenhouse Gases Rule.
Industrial Wastewater Treatment Sources
Proposed Rule: Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Aflancy
Under the proposed Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) rule, owners or
operators of facilities that contain an industrial wastewater treatment process and that emit
25,000 metric tons of GHGs per year or more (expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents) from
stationary combustion, miscellaneous use of carbonates, and other source categories (see
information sheet on General Provisions) would report emissions from all source categories
located at the facility for which emission calculation methods are defined in the rule. Owners or
operators would collect emission data; calculate GHG emissions; and follow the specified
procedures for quality assurance, missing data, recordkeeping, and reporting.
How Is This Source Category Defined?
Under the proposal, this source category consists of:
• Anaerobic wastewater treatment systems at industrial facilities
• Oil/water separators at petroleum refineries
Wastewater treatment refers to the processes used to treat or remove contaminates (such as soluble
organic matter, suspended solids, pathogenic organisms, and chemicals) from industrial waters that are
released into the environment.
The types of facilities that contain wastewater treatment systems that could be subject to this reporting
rule include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Pulp and paper mills
• Food processing plants
• Ethanol production plants
• Petrochemical facilities
• Petroleum refining facilities
This source category does not include centralized domestic wastewater treatment plants.
What GHGs Would Be Reported?
For all wastewater treatment systems, the proposal calls for facilities to report annual methane (CFLO
emissions.
For systems with anaerobic digesters, facilities would also report CFi4 destroyed at the digester.
For flares using supplemental fuels, facilities would report carbon dioxide (CO2), CFi4, and nitrous oxide
(N2O) emissions from those fuels, using the calculation methods specified in 40 CFR part 98, subpart C
(General Stationary Combustion Sources). The information sheet on general stationary fuel combustion
sources summarizes the proposal for calculating and reporting emissions from these units.
United States
Environmsntal Protection
March 2009 1 EPA-430-F-09-008
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This document was developed for the Proposed Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule.
For the final document, please visit the final Mandatory Reporting of
Greenhouse Gases Rule.
Petroleum refineries would also report annual CO2 emissions from oil/water separators.
In addition, each facility would report GHG emissions for any other source categories for which
calculation methods are provided in other subparts of the rule.
How Would GHG Emissions Be Calculated?
For anaerobic wastewater treatment systems other than digesters, the proposal calls for CH4 emissions to
be estimated using monitored influent flow rate and monthly average values of chemical oxygen demand
(COD). The monthly COD values would be based on weekly samples.
For digesters, estimate CH4 emissions and the annual mass of CFI4 destroyed at the combustion device
based on continuous monitoring of methane concentration, flow rate, temperature, and pressure of the
digester gas. Methane destruction efficiency would be based on the manufacturer's specified efficiency
or 99 percent, whichever is less.
For oil/water separators at petroleum refining facilities, estimate annual CO2 mass emissions using
measured values for the volume of wastewater treated and default values for emission factors by separator
type.
What Information Would Be Reported?
In addition to the information required by the General Provisions at 40 CFR 98.3(c), the proposal calls for
each facility to report the following:
• For anaerobic wastewater treatment systems, facilities would report:
o Annual CFLt emissions
o Percent of wastewater treated at each system component, as well as COD, influent flow
rate, and the maximum CH/rproducing potential of the wastewater treated
• For anaerobic digesters, facilities would report:
o CUt destroyed
o Total volumetric flow of digester gas
o CFLj concentration of digester gas
o Temperature and pressure at which gas flow is measured
o Destruction efficiency of any combustion devices used
o Fugitive methane emissions
• Petroleum refineries would report:
o CO2 emssions
o Type of oil/water separator used
o Emission factor used for each type of separator
o Carbon fraction in non-CHt volatile organic compounds
For More Information
This series of information sheets is intended to assist reporting facilities/owners in understanding key
provisions of the proposed rule. However, these information sheets are not intended to be a substitution
for the rule. Visit EPA's Web site (www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html) for more
information, including the proposed preamble and rule and additional information sheets on specific
March 2009 2 EPA-430-F-09-008
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This document was developed for the Proposed Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule.
For the final document, please visit the final Mandatory Reporting of
Greenhouse Gases Rule.
industries, or go to to access the rulemaking docket (EPA-HQ OAR-2008-0508).
For questions that cannot be answered through the Web site or docket, call 1-877-GHG-l 188.
March 2009 3 EPA-430-F-09-008
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