Better Planning Can Reduce Size of Wastewater Treatment Facilities, Saving Millions in Construction Costs
CED-82-82
Published: Jul 08, 1982. Publicly Released: Jul 08, 1982.
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Highlights
GAO conducted a review to evaluate the effectiveness of the facility planning process for constructing wastewater treatment plants and to determine whether changed conditions, such as increases or decreases in population projections or industrial flow for proposed service areas, were recognized and incorporated into the facility plans before the plant was designed or before construction started.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress should direct the Administrator, EPA, to modify the agency's current policy prohibiting the retroactive application of program regulations. This can be accomplished by including in the appropriation of funds for the program for fiscal years (FY) 1982 and 1983 language that provides that any grant funds appropriated in the act should fund excess capacity only to the extent that such capacity is consistent with the criteria set forth in EPA regulations at 40 C.F.R. 35.900. |
Closed – Not Implemented
|
Congress did not pass legislation to implement this recommendation. Legislation was needed in FY 1982 or 1983 for this recommendation to be effective. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Protection Agency | The Administrator, EPA, with the cooperation of the engineering community, should develop standards for each critical factor used in establishing existing as well as future domestic, industrial, and infiltration and inflow amounts to be treated by a wastewater plant. Deviations should require additional justification by the consulting engineer to provide EPA with a basis for evaluating the proposed change. As a minimum, these standards should establish: (1) a discharge ratio to be applied to actual water use records when determining existing and future domestic flow to the plant for treatment; (2) a method to be used in measuring industrial flow; and (3) inflow estimates based on a worst storm event experienced in a specified time period. |
Closed – Implemented
EPA conducted an internal control review in 1984 and put a financial capability policy into effect in Febraury 1984. The policy standardized the application and approval process. Grantees must specify costs and funding sources and calculate the average cost per customer. Ratios of planned and existing flow are used by states to evaluate the grant applications.
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Topics
Appropriated fundsConstruction costsCost controlFacility constructionFederal aid to localitiesGrant administrationPlanningRegulatory agenciesWastewater treatmentWastewater treatment plants