EPA Research Partner Support Story: Acceptance of bio-contaminated wastewater
Partners: NC Department of Environmental Quality, City of Charlotte, City of Raleigh
Challenge: Acceptance of bio-contaminated wastewater by Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs)
Resource: Technical support around pathogens in wastewater infrastructure
Project Period: 2014 – Present
In October 2014, EPA held a forum on high consequence pathogens in wastewater infrastructure for state and POTW representatives. The forum focused on providing recommendations, technical information, and potential solutions to the wastewater industry, particularly for emergencies.
“The question of how wastewater plants deal with bio- contaminated waste needs to be addressed before a potential health emergency surfaces. EPA’s proactive work to assist wastewater operators before the next emergency occurs is not only prudent, but critical in order to protect public health.” – NC DEQ former Assistant Secretary Sheila Holman
The forum was organized around the following questions: How do we deal with wastewater contaminated with biological agents such as Bacillus anthracis or Ebola virus? What is needed/required for utilities to accept bio- contaminated wastewaters? What sorts of tests, protocols and regulatory guidance are needed? What is needed for permit authorities in NC to guide/allow utilities to accept these wastes? How should these (tests, protocols, and regulatory guidance) be designed or implemented? Who should design and evaluate these? Are there other “simpler” tests and protocols? What is needed to address concerns and issues raised by the public, wastewater workers and operators? What are the data gaps and what type of research is needed?
As a result of this forum, EPA and the Water Environment Research Foundation (currently known as the Water Research Foundation) held a national workshop on this topic in 2016. In turn, this led to several research projects being planned and implemented to address the key research gaps and needs brought up in the workshop. Read the published report from the 2016 workshop titled Collaborative Workshop on Handling, Management, and Treatment of High-Consequence Bio-contaminated Wastewater by Water Resource Recovery Facilities.
Since then, EPA is investigating data needs that, if filled, would assist wastewater plant operators in making decisions about whether and how to accept wastewater contaminated with high consequence pathogens (e.g. anthrax bacteria, Ebola virus) during an emergency. EPA is also in the process of performing research projects to address needs associated with POTW acceptance of wastewater potentially contaminated with such pathogens.