by Dennis Totzke, P.E.

The cost of discharging to a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) is increasing at an alarming rate. As cities, towns, and sanitary districts react to decreased funding and tighter budgets, wastewater discharge fees are on the rise, representing a potentially significant revenue source. We have seen increases in unit charges for BOD, TSS, NH₃, and T-P from 5-50% over the course of one year.

So what can an industrial discharger do to minimize its discharge costs? Here are some suggestions:

• Review the information used by the POTW to calculate unit discharge rates and challenge them if needed.
   
• Conduct adequate and frequent independent wastewater sampling and compile a comprehensive listing of your waste streams to verify the data used by the POTW.
   
• Routinely calibrate your city water meters and effluent flow meters to verify their accuracy.
   
• Establish and follow a thorough waste minimization program and set annual goals for reducing the volume and mass of your waste.
   
• If you have a pretreatment system, carefully review it to ensure that it is operating at optimum efficiency and peak performance.
   
• If you do not currently have one, consider adding pretreatment capacity if it is cost-effective.

With some hard work, you may be able to save money by lowering your wastewater discharge costs. For more information on any of these points, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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