Water Treatment Residuals Management Project
Project Background
Washington Aqueduct water treatment operations remove
naturally occurring Potomac River sediment by adding aluminum sulfate
as a coagulant. The sediment and coagulant accumulate in six basins
that are periodically flushed to the Potomac River. This process
has been permitted under the EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES). NPDES
Permit DC0000019 was reissued and became effective on April 15,
2003. This permit significantly reduced the allowable concentration
of residuals that may be discharged by Washington Aqueduct to the Potomac
River. Due to the change in the permit, Washington Aqueduct is required
to evaluate methods of residuals collection, processing, conveyance,
and disposal.
Because elements of the permit were appealed, EPA issued a draft
revision on November 12, 2003. That version of the permit and the accompanying fact sheet propose to (1) extend the spring spawning season through June 30; (2) add a monitoring requirement for perchlorate at Outfall 002q; (3) delete certain studies from the permit and transfer them to other agencies to complete; (4) add two new outfalls (i.e., 008 and 009) to accommodate the infrequent draining of two finished water reservoirs. None of the proposed changes affect the permit conditions currently in force that place new limits on the discharge of sediment from the six sedimentation basins.
Washington Aqueduct and Environmental Protection Agency Region III entered into a Federal Facilities Compliance Agreement (EPA factsheet) to allow Washington Aqueduct to continue to produce drinking water while
developing and implementing a new residuals management process.
In order to comply with both NPDES Permit DC0000019 and the Federal Facilities Compliance Agreement, Washington Aqueduct has, in an open and publicly inclusive process, identified alternatives, evaluated the feasibility of the alternatives, and analyzed potential impacts including, but not limited to, predicted changes to air quality, aquatic resources, terrestrial and wetland resources, cultural resources, traffic, solid and toxic waste, and infrastructure as well as any environmental justice concerns.
This task has been fully described in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed water treatment residuals management process, filed with EPA on September 15, 2005.
Copies of various project documents already published as part of the NEPA process are available in the Misc & Historical Project Data tab.
Information related to the public involvement process is available in the Public Involvement page.
Any questions or comments can be directed to the Washington Aqueduct by email to Nathan.H.Cole@usace.army.mil by phone at 202-764-2776, or by mail to:
Washington Aqueduct
ATTN: Nathan Cole
5900 MacArthur Boulevard, NW
Washington, DC 20016-2514
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