Sewage sludge is a by-product of the municipal wastewater treatment process. Federal regulations have been developed to ensure that the public health and the environment are protected when sewage sludge is (1) applied to the land as soil conditioner or fertilizer, (2) disposed on land by placing it in a surface disposal site, (3) placed in a municipal solid waste landfill unit, or (4) incinerated. Contaminated sludge or poor disposal practices can pose a threat to public health and the environment and are subject to enforcement actions. However, properly managed sludge can have beneficial uses. For example, many small towns use sewage sludge as a fertilizer for public parks and golf courses.

Do The Sewage Sludge Regulations Apply To Your Community?

Yes, if your municipal sewage treatment system includes any form of mechanical plant or wastewater treatment, including a lagoon, which produces a sewage sludge. Any discharge permit issued under the Clean Water Act to a municipal sewage treatment plant must include conditions to implement the sewage sludge regulations, unless those conditions are included in other federal or state permits. The regulations apply regardless of the ultimate disposition of the sewage sludge, i.e., land application, landfilling, or incineration.

Actions Your Community Should Be Taking

The standards for the use or disposal of sewage sludge are enforceable directly or through a permit. In other words, even without a permit, your community's municipal sewage treatment plant must comply with the sewage sludge regulations by the dates listed under "Timetable." EPA is, however, currently in the process of issuing permits and/or permit conditions for individual municipal sewage treatment plants. If your municipal sewage treatment plant currently has a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, your treatment plant must submit a sewage sludge permit application at the time of its next NPDES permit renewal. Treatment plants without NPDES permits were required to submit limited data regarding their sewage sludge management practices by February 19, 1994, and full permit applications are required to be submitted when requested by EPA or a state with an approved sewage sludge management program.

The frequency with which your municipal sewage treatment plant will have to monitor its sewage sludge varies depending on the amount of sludge generated and the method of use or disposal (e.g., land application, landfilling, incineration).

Timetable

Final regulations for the use and disposal of sewage sludge became effective March 29, 1993. If you were able to meet the requirements of the sewage sludge regulation without construction of new pollution control facilities, full compliance was required by February 1994. However, if construction was necessary to meet the regulatory requirements, you had until February 19, 1995 to comply.

For specific permitting information, contact the Water Division in your U. S. EPA Regional Office (see Resource Section at the back of this book).

Additional Information

The Sewage Sludge Program requirements are published in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 122, 123, and 501. Technical regulations for sewage sludge use and disposal are set out in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 258 and 503.

EPA's Municipal Sludge Management Policy, June 12, 1984.

Interagency Policy on Beneficial Use of Municipal Sewage Sludge on Federal Lands, July 18, 1991.

"Guide to Soil Suitability and Site Selection for Beneficial Use of Sewage Sludge," Manual 8, Oregon State University Extension Services/U.S. EPA (Less than five copies are FREE of charge.)

Further information may be obtained by contacting the Water Division in your U.S. EPA Regional Office.

(See Resource Section for wastewater contacts)