WHY IS NUTRIENT REMOVAL NECESSARY?

In order to assure the future health of the Chesapeake Bay, our nation's largest estuary, Pennsylvania joined Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia in signing the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement. This pact committed these stages to develop specific strategies to reduce nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and suspended sediment in waterways tributary to the Bay. Pennsylvania's tributary contributions come from the Susquehanna and Potomac river basins.

WHY ARE REGULATIONS NEEDED NOW?

While encouraged voluntary use of nutrient reduction technologies has achieved some success in decreasing the amounts of nutrients released to the Bay by wastewater treatment plants in Pennsylvania, the results have fallen short of desired goals. Consequently, Pennsylvania recently committed to evoke stringent annual nitrogen and phosphorus discharge regulations designed to significantly reduce nutrient loading of the Bay by the year 2010. DEP permitting procedures are to be used to implement and enforce these regulations, which will require improvements to many wastewater treatment plants.

HOW WILL IMPROVEMENTS BE FUNDED?

Grant and loan funding incentives for nutrient reduction projects are to include current and proposed Growing Greener initiatives, the recently enacted Act 218 program, and associated bond supported infrastructure financing through PENNVEST. These sources can assist municipal authorities and other owners of wastewater treatment pants in the Chesapeake Bay watershed in the incorporation of nutrient removal operations into their facilities.

UNI-TEC CAN HELP

Recognizing the long-term goal of Pennsylvania to protect the Bay from excess nutrient loadings, Uni-Tec has been incorporating biological nutrient removal (BNR) and other nutrient reduction technologies into cost-effective wastewater treatment designs for our clients. This approach has resulted in both new an renovated facilities that utilize various biological and chemical treatment schemes capable of achieving the forthcoming maximum discharge limits for nitrogen and phosphorus. The last of these accomplishments was achieved at the renovated Sunbury Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant located in Nothumberland County, PA.

By working closely with management and operations staffs, Uni-Tec develops design that meet the specific needs of our clients while being state-of-the-art and user friendly. Our staff of highly trained and experienced engineers and operational specialists is ready to help you with any of your needs, from planning through design, permitting, bidding, construction, and operations support. For more information on what these upcoming mandates could mean for you please call us toll free at 1-888-238-8223.