Atlanta's Consent Decrees Drive a Substantial Commitment toTrenchless Sewer Rehabilitation

摘要

In 1998 and 1999, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) andrnGeorgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) completed settlement negotiationsrnassociated with two complaints against the City of Atlanta for various violations ofrnthe United States Clean Water Act and Georgia Water Quality Act. This resulted inrnthe recording of the Consent Decree (CD) related to Combined Sewer Overflowsrn(CSOs) and the First Amended Consent Decree (FACD) associated with SanitaryrnSewer Overflows (SSOs). They mandated improvement of the City wastewaterrncollection and transmission systems including wet-weather control for combinedrnsewers, and rehabilitation and relief of capacity-limited sanitary sewers. The City'srnseven existing CSO control facilities experience a combined 300 discharge events perrnyear. Additionally, over 550 SSOs (unpermitted discharges and spills to dry land) arernexperienced annually.rnThe City wastewater collection and transmission systems include approximately 1600rnmiles of sewer mains and approximately 37,500 manholes. Fifteen percent of thernsystem is comprised of combined sewers while 85 percent of the system consists ofrnseparate sanitary sewers. Six other governmental entities contract for wastewaterrntreatment by the City including the Cities of Hapeville, College Park and East Point,rnand DeKalb, Clayton and Fulton Counties. Fifty-five percent of the sewage flows arerngenerated by Atlanta and 45 percent by the wholesale agencies. The total benefitingrnpopulation is 1.2 million.