The West
Virginia 104 Outreach Program is a joint operation between the WVETC and
the West Virginia Department of Education to help small wastewater
treatment plants achieve permit compliance.
background
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's Onsite Assistance Program is authorized
under Section 104(g)(1) of the Clean Water Act. It was implemented in 1982
to address the problem of noncompliance at small wastewater treatment plants
through onsite operator assistance and other operations and maintenance (O &
M) assistance.
In West Virginia,
the program is known as the 104 Program. It is funded by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and the West Virginia Department of
Education and is operated and administered by the West Virginia
Environmental Training Center (ETC).
compliance problems in small communities
The need for
individualized technical assistance varies greatly. Many plants require high
levels of operator skills that small municipal operators don't always have.
Staff turnover rates can be high. Plant budgets and salaries may be low.
Process control equipment may not be available. These ingredients can lead
to noncompliance and can place the plant on a priority list for operator
outreach assistance.
how the west virginia 104 program works
West Virginia
employs a simple yet effective procedure to deliver operator outreach
assistance to needy municipal treatment plants.
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The ETC
identifies plants to receive assistance and identifies their needs.
Referrals often come from the Health Department and the Department of
Environmental Protection.
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The ETC
identifies an onsite trainer that can address local needs and avises the
plant/municipal staff. About 10 trainers are scattered state wide.
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The onsite
trainer contacts and works directly with the plant/municipality to develop
a Training Plan and then provides the necessary training.
Outreach
instructors are both troubleshooters and trainers. All are certified
treatment plant operators. Their mission is to help eliminate treatment
process control problems which are causing violations. They are not
enforcement agents for the West Virginia Department of Environmental
Protection.
what an
onsite trainer does
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Meets with
plant personnel and municipal officials to discuss problems and establish
ground rules.
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Diagnoses the
specific cause(s) of noncompliance, such as improper process control,
inadequate sludge disposal, or design errors.
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Develops a
Training Plan.
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Provides
over-the-shoulder operator training and technical assistance as required.
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Provides free
study manuals and loans out lab equipment.
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Follows up with
visits to the plant for 6-18 months to see that agreed to activities are
being continued.
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Completes a
Closeout Report which documents the assistance effort.
how
much does operator outreach assistance cost?
The community
pays nothing for onsite assistance. The community will be expected, however,
to make the necessary improvements to achieve compliance. This may require
an expenditure by the municipality if, for example, equipment needs to be
repaired or replaced.
The total average
cost to provide onsite assistance varies widely because an individual
assistance effort may take six weeks to two years or longer, depending on
the complexity of the problem. Compared to the cost of formal enforcement
action, onsite assistance is a real bargain!
There is no
obligation to accept this assistance.
additional benefits of onsite assistance
Besides helping a
small community achieve compliance, the operator outreach program helps in
other ways.
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Identifies any
need to repair or build new facilities to meet existing or future permit
limits.
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Recommends ways
to improve preventative maintenance of equipment and structures.
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Often reduces
energy and chemical costs through more efficient operating techniques.
Most importantly,
the operator outreach program gets the plant operating staff and the local
elected officials working together on the problems at the treatment plant.
By the end of the schedule, no only does the operator understand the plant
better, but local officials better understand wastewater treatment
responsibilities and needs of the plant and its staff.
west
virginia 104 success stories
During the past
few years, the West Virginia 104 Project has served over 100 small
wastewater plants across the state. Many have even received State and
Regional EPA Awards for their outstanding improvements. A few examples of
these success stories follow:
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An antiquated
treatment plant in the Northern Panhandle was cited by DEP for numerous
effluent violations. For about $200 a new baffle was installed in the
clarifier which dramatically reduced the solids level in the effluent.
-
The DEP listed
nearly 60 permit violations at a Sequence Batch Reactor (SBR) plant near
Parkersburg. An onsite trainer helped the operator develop and implement
detailed process control testing and record keeping. Solids management
practices were initiated and the facility has had no additional
violations.
-
An oxidation
ditch along the Ohio River was glutted with excess solids causing
discharge violations. Process control tests were implemented, sampling and
lab procedures were improved and sludge disposal practices improved. The
plant received an EPA O & M Award as a Most Improved Plant and the
operator was later recognized as an "Operator of the Year."
need
more information?
Please Contact:
WV
Environmental Training Center
Cedar Lakes
Conference Center
Ripley , WV
25271
Phone: (304)
372-7878
Fax: (304)
372-7887
Email:
rweigand@wvetc.org
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