The antidegradation provision of the Commonwealth's water quality standards is a potent regulatory tool that protects the beneficial uses of the state's waters from contamination by municipal treatment plants and other sources. Major Issues Population in the basin will grow, and there will be future need to increase the capacity of existing facilities or introduce new facilities. But in many areas, land- based application is not a feasible option, either because of hydrologic conditions or shortage of suitable land. In these cases, other alternatives must be considered that would best protect human health and the environment. In most cases, disposal of primary or secondary effluent to surface waters is not desirable, particularly if they are nitrogen-sensitive, or have significant living resources or uses.
All treatment plants produce sludge as a by-product.
Given the capacity problem at local landfills to receive sludge, the long-term disposal is an issue. Sludge with low concentrations of toxic materials can be composted and used as a soil additive. However, sludge with high concentrations of toxic materials is harder and more costly to dispose of. Toxicants in sludge result largely from materials entering the sewer systems from homes and industry. For this reason, the reduction of toxic contaminants entering the waste must be accomplished through aggressive programs of industrial pollution prevention and if necessary, pretreatment and homeowner toxic use reduction.