Costly Wastewater Treatment Plants Fail To Perform as Expected
CED-81-9
Published: Nov 14, 1980. Publicly Released: Dec 15, 1980.
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Highlights
Wastewater treatment plants are considered to be the frontline of the Nation's battle to eliminate water pollution and restore water quality to the thousands of miles of contaminated rivers, lakes, streams, and ocean shorelines throughout the country.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress should require the Administrator of EPA to test various alternatives to the current construction grants funding program concept including (1) turnkey, (2) becoming a signatory to the various contracts, and (3) assuming an advisor only role. |
Closed
|
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information. |
| Congress should require the Administrator of EPA to advise Congress annually on the progress being made to repair the identified facilities and who is being held financially accountable/responsible for making the repairs. If Federal funds are being used to make the repairs, advise Congress of the amount being spent. |
Closed
|
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information. |
| Congress should require the Administrator of EPA to report to Congress annually on (1) the number of municipal wastewater treatment plants, both major and minor, that have already received Federal grant funding to meet the 1977 secondary treatment requirements but are in serious violation of their permit conditions and (2) what is being proposed and done to ensure that the necessary repairs to these facilities will be made. |
Closed
|
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Protection Agency | The Administrator of EPA should require all EPA regions and strongly encourage the States to reinstitute a technical assistance program to help grantees identify, evaluate, and solve operational problems at their treatment plants. |
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | The Administrator of EPA should develop and issue policy directives and instructions to the EPA Regional Administrators and appropriate State agencies on providing legal and technical assistance to grantees who wish to take legal action for identified contract deficiencies. |
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | The Administrator of EPA should reemphasize to all involved parties that clear lines of accountability/responsibility must be established in contracts and that changes and modifications to the proposed systems during each of the three phases, planning, design, and construction, must be clearly documented. |
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
|
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Topics
Construction grantsFacility managementFederal fundsFederal grantsIndustrial facilitiesNatural resourcesPollution controllocal relationsWater pollutionWater qualityEnvironmental protectionWastewater treatment plants