EPA Soliciting Input on SSO and Blending Questions

On May 26, 2010, EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water, Peter Silva, signed a Federal Register Notice seeking stakeholder input to help EPA determine whether to modify the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulations as they apply to municipal sanitary sewer collection systems and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). Input will be received through written comments and a series of listening sessions held by EPA. WEF will be submitting comments in response to this notice. In addition, we encourage WEF members and Member Associations to submit their own comments or participate in the listening sessions.

The dates and locations of the listening sessions are as follows:

• June 24, 2010, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EPA Region 10 Office, 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101.

• June 28, 2010, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EPA Region 4 Office, 61 Forsyth Street, SW., Atlanta, GA 30303.

• June 30, 2010, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EPA Region 7 Office, 901 N. 5th Street, Kansas City, KS 66101.

• July 13, 2010, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EPA HQ Office, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20004.

• In addition to the listening sessions held throughout the country, EPA will hold a "virtual'' listening session via a webcast on July 14, 2010, from Noon-4 p.m. EST. The same format will be followed as the in-person listening sessions. After a presentation from EPA, members of the public may call in and give brief (three-minute) statements. Audience members will be able to listen to the webcast and all public statements through their computer speakers.

Note that the 60-day comment window associated with this notice closes on August 2, 2010. EPA is seeking input on the following questions:

1. Should EPA clarify its standard permit conditions for SSO reporting, recordkeeping, and public notification?

2. Should EPA develop a standard permit condition with requirements for capacity, management, and operations & maintenance programs based on asset management principles?

3. Should EPA require permit coverage for municipal satellite collection systems?

4. What is the appropriate role of NPDES permits in addressing unauthorized SSOs that are caused by exceptional circumstances?

5. How should EPA address Peak Flows at POTW treatment plants?

6. What are the costs and benefits of capacity, management, and operations & maintenance programs and asset management of sanitary sewers?

Background information on this matter at the following location: http://cfpub1.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=4

The link to Federal Register that provides official information on this announcement can be found at this location: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-13098.htm

EPA Official to Brief Collection System Conference Attendees

Charles Glass, Ph.D, who recently joined EPA Headquarters to help address the difficult challenges associated with wet weather and other related topics, will be appearing at the General Opening Session of the Collection Systems Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on Monday, June 14, 2010. Dr. Glass will speak at 11:40 AM for approximately 10 minutes and will address the Federal Register Notice and will field questions as well. More information is available on the conference proceedings at: http://www.wef.org/CollectionSystems/.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me using the information shown below.

Seth P. Brown, P.E.
Manager, Public Policy
Water Environment Federation
601 Wythe St.
Alexandria, VA 22314-1994
703.684.2423 (Direct)
703.407.4872 (Cell)
703.684.2489 (Fax)
sbrown@wef.org