News Releases from Region 03

EPA offers compliance assistance to community water treatment facilities

PHILADELPHIA (October 25, 2019) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mid-Atlantic Region is offering free compliance assistance to smaller water and wastewater treatment facilities in five states and the District of Columbia to help improve water quality protection throughout the mid-Atlantic.

“EPA is providing valuable technical assistance and training to operators of smaller public and private treatment facilities to help bring them into compliance with water quality standards set forth in the Clean Water Act,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. “This will ultimately lead to improved operating facilities and cleaner waterways throughout the mid-Atlantic region.”

States included in the project are Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Plants that optimize their treatment performance often experience costs savings through reduced energy and chemical treatment usage. EPA is also working with state partners and other technical assistance providers to increase the number of facilities reached through this effort. 

EPA has already had success in assisting smaller communities including Adamstown Borough, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania where technical assistance and training from EPA and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection led to a 40 % reduction in electrical costs. EPA continues to work with Adamstown on new technologies to remove total nitrogen from water.

The Region will be offering two training sessions in November, including a Wastewater Exam Preparation Course on November 7 in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and a Process Control Course on December 12 in Cumberland, Maryland.

Facilities and system operators that are seeking compliance assistance and training opportunities can contact Walter Higgins of the Water Division’s Infrastructure and Assistance Section at 215-814-5476 or higgins.walter@epa.gov.