Publicly owned treatment works
A publicly owned treatment works (POTW) is a term used in the United States for a sewage treatment plant owned, and usually operated, by a government agency. In the U.S., POTWs are typically owned by local government agencies, and are usually designed to treat domestic sewage and not industrial wastewater.
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The term is used extensively in U.S. water pollution law (i.e. the Clean Water Act), regulations and programs.[1][2] Many POTWs were established or expanded with grants or low-interest loans from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).[3]
There are over 16,000 POTWs in the U.S., serving 75 percent of the total population.[4] The remainder of the population is served by decentralized or private septic systems. The POTWs treat 32 billion US gallons (120 gigalitres) of wastewater every day.[5] Most POTWs are required to meet national secondary treatment standards.[6][7]
See also
- Category:Sewage treatment plants in the United States
- Clean Water State Revolving Fund (financial assistance for POTWs)
- Water pollution
- Water supply and sanitation in the United States
References
- United States. Clean Water Act (CWA), Titles II and VI. 33 U.S.C. § 1281, 33 U.S.C. § 1381.
- "National Pretreatment Program". National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2019-11-05.
- Copeland, Claudia (2016-10-18). Clean Water Act: A Summary of the Law (PDF) (Report). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Congressional Research Service. pp. 4–5. RL30030.
- "Water and Wastewater Systems Sector". Critical Infrastructure Sectors. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 2016-01-08.
- "Basic Information about Water Security". Water Security. EPA. 2014-02-11. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06.
- CWA sec. 304(d)(1), 33 U.S.C. § 1314(d)(1) and "Secondary Treatment Regulation", Code of Federal Regulations, 40 CFR Part 133.
- "Secondary Treatment Standards". National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. EPA. 2016-11-01.