Water Quality Regulatory Compliance
Effluent water quality is driven by water quality regulations; as a result, MSD measures performance in this area with respect to regulatory compliance. The figure below summarizes 2009 regulatory compliance with respect to water quality regulations.
Excursion Occurrences in 2009
MSD Wastewater Treatment Plant | Number of Excursionsa in 2009 | Total Compliance Pointsb | Percent Compliancec |
---|---|---|---|
Mill Creek | 2 | 1,579 | 99.87 |
Little Miami | 1 | 1,813 | 99.94 |
Muddy Creek | 0 | 1,467 | 100 |
Sycamore | 3 | 1,701 | 99.82 |
Polk Run | 3 | 1,521 | 99.80 |
Taylor Creek | 0 | 1,533 | 100 |
Indian Creek | 2 | 1,150 | 99.80 |
Mayflower Estates | 3 | 432 | 99.30 |
Wesselman Woods | 10 | 432 | 97.69 |
- An excursion is an event that results in effluent from the wastewater treatment plant exceeding regulated water quality parameters.
- A compliance point is defined as the number of times a permitted water quality parameter is measured in one year. For instance, the daily limit on pH would have 365 compliance points for the year. A monthly average of a parameter would have 12 compliance points for the year.
- Percent compliance is calculated as [total compliance points minus the number of excursions in one year]/[total compliance points] * 100 percent.
An Award for Exceptional Regulatory Compliance
In 2008, MSD was one of only four wastewater utilities in the country to receive the prestigious Excellence in Management Award presented by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). Awards are given for exceptional regulatory compliance with the NPDES permitting requirements. This 2008 award honors MSD management and staff for their significant efforts toward improved water quality of their effluent and sets the bar for high performance in the future. For example, the Taylor Creek plant earned the NACWA Platinum award for achieving five years without a single regulatory compliance violation.