But we are going to improve some of these things, I hope. Technological advances already on the horizon may result in unanticipated nutrient reductions. For example, Hirshfield said, the advent of fuel cells may mean the widespread use of vehicles that don't pollute at all. As people are pressed for further nutrient reductions, he said, they will come up with better, more efficient ways of getting the job done. Estimated costs for new regulations, he said, have often been overstated because they fail to account for improved technology.
New regulations tend to be technology-forcing.
Similar things have happened here. And in some cases, plants have adopted the technology because it can save more money than conventional treatment systems. Right now, plants operating with BNR are generally expected to achieve a nitrogen level of 8 milligrams per liter in their effluent. But many plants exceed that mark, including the District of Columbia's Blue Plains facility, the largest treatment plant in the watershed, said Allison Wiedeman, point source coordinator with the EPA's Bay Program Office. But it is not out of the question, Wiedeman said.