Top Issues Facing Small Wastewater Treatment Systems

For small wastewater treatment systems, the bottom line is bucks.

Jan 20, 2014 | by Jim Force |

Wastewater System Funding Wastewater Treatment

Small Systems Web — As costs increase and the funds available to operate and maintain the small treatment plants shrink, operators face demands from the political boards and elected officials to cut expenses.

On its website, the U.S. EPA lists what it considers the biggest challenges facing small (less than 1 mgd) wastewater treatment systems: Economic/financial limitations; Inability to sustain community-wide systems (lack of economies of scale); Inability to attract and maintain system operators; Lack of managerial competency and consistency; Extreme topography and climate; Geographic isolation/remoteness.But those who are active in the field say it’s even tougher than that, and the issue of money may dwarf all others.Robert Rubin, professor emeritus at North Carolina State University, is a champion of small systems. He makes the point that ever since the Clean Water Act was adopted some 40 years ago,

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