The policy of the Wastewater Enterprise (WWE) is to promote the beneficial and cost-effective reuse of biosolids while ensuring flexibility for operations and long-term reliability of reuse or disposal options. When considering reuse or disposal options, WWE is committed to a full evaluation of environmental impacts and will choose options that minimize any negative impact, maximize the recycling of resources while protecting public health and the environment. WWE is further committed to managing its biosolids operations in a manner consistent with being a good neighbor to the local community as welll as to ensuring full compliance with all applicable federal, state and county regulations.
WWE is committed to developing an Environmental Management System (EMS) for biosolids that is a framework of procedures and activities to support: a) product quality, b) public acceptance by establishing an independent third party verification as well as a two-way communication with the public and c) compliance.
What Is The Environmental Management System?
In 1997 the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA), the Environmental Protection Agency and the Water Environment Foundation formed the National Biosolids Partnership. The Partnership in not-for-profit and one of its initial activities was to develop an environmental management system approach to help facilities manage their biosolids programs more effectively.
Therefore, the EMS is a framework of standard procedures and steps that facilities can use voluntarily to improve the effectiveness of their operations and therefore improve product quality, to address other issues of concern to the public like odor and noise and therefore gain public acceptance and finally to meet regulatory requirements.
The benefits resulting from a sound environmental management system are better compliance and overall environmental performance, increased efficiency and cost savings, pollution prevention, consistent, high quality biosolids and improved relations with local citizens.
What Is The Biosolids Value Chain?
The Biosolids Value Chain is the sequence of events from pre-treatment through reuse/ disposal of biosolids, all of which affect the quality and suitability of the selected management method.
What Are The Critical Control Points?
The Critical Control Points are those locations, unit processes, events, and activities throughout the biosolids value chain under the organization's direct control or influence, which require effective:
- Policies
- Programs
- Procedures
- Practices
- Monitoring
- Measurement to ensure the biosolids activities
- Meet legal, quality and public acceptance requirements and
- Do not have undesirable environmental impacts
Critical Control Points include all biosolids management activities that are covered under applicable legal and other requirements.
