Let's first talk about what the government units mainly supervise for sewage treatment plants. This is related to the water environment around us, and we cannot be careless at all.
The main supervision content of government units on sewage treatment plants
Water quality monitoring and compliance status
This is of utmost importance! The water treated by the sewage treatment plant must meet the national discharge standards before it can be discharged. The government's environmental protection department will regularly sample and test the effluent quality of sewage treatment plants to see if key indicators such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total nitrogen exceed the standard. If it is found that the water quality does not meet the standards, the sewage treatment plant will be in trouble and will definitely be required to rectify. In severe cases, it may even face punishment. For example, if COD exceeds the standard, it indicates that the organic matter content in the water is high, which will consume oxygen in the water, causing aquatic organisms to die of hypoxia and damaging the entire aquatic ecosystem.
Operation status of sewage treatment facilities
The environmental protection department will inspect various treatment equipment in the sewage treatment plant, such as grid machines, aeration tanks, sedimentation tanks, disinfection equipment, etc., to ensure that they are operating normally. Whether the equipment is regularly maintained and whether there are complete operation records are the key points for inspection. If the equipment malfunctions and the sewage cannot be properly treated, the quality of the effluent will definitely be affected. For example, if the aeration equipment in the aeration tank is broken, it cannot provide enough oxygen to microorganisms, and microorganisms cannot decompose organic matter in the sewage normally, which greatly reduces the treatment effect.
sludge treatment and disposal
During the sewage treatment process, a large amount of sludge is generated, and if not treated properly, it can also cause environmental pollution. The government will supervise how sewage treatment plants handle sludge, whether it is dehydrated, landfilled, incinerated, or utilized as a resource. The transportation and storage of sludge also have strict requirements, and there must be dedicated places and protective measures to prevent sludge leakage and odor emission. And the whereabouts of the sludge must also be recorded, traceable from generation to final disposal.
on-line monitoring system
Nowadays, many sewage treatment plants have installed online monitoring systems to monitor water quality, quantity, and other data in real time. The environmental protection department will check whether the system is operating normally and whether the data transmission is stable and accurate. Online monitoring data allows environmental protection departments to keep track of the operation of sewage treatment plants at any time. Once abnormal data is detected, they can investigate and handle it in a timely manner. For example, if the ammonia nitrogen data in the effluent suddenly increases during a certain period of time, the sewage treatment plant can be immediately requested to investigate the cause.
Implementation status of pollutant discharge permit
Wastewater treatment plants must hold a discharge permit and discharge wastewater in accordance with the requirements specified on the permit. The environmental protection department will inspect whether the sewage treatment plant has discharged beyond the permitted range, whether it has conducted self-monitoring and submitted monitoring reports as required, and whether it has truthfully recorded the discharge of pollutants.
The communication between sewage plant managers and environmental protection departments
Active communication
Don't wait for the environmental department to come looking for you, the sewage plant manager should take the initiative. Regularly report the operation status of the sewage treatment plant to the environmental protection department, including water quality compliance, equipment maintenance, sludge treatment, etc. This can enable the environmental protection department to timely understand the dynamics of the sewage treatment plant, and also reflect your emphasis on environmental protection work. For example, a monthly operational report can be submitted, which clearly outlines key data and work progress.
Establish a good communication mechanism
Establish a fixed communication channel with the environmental protection department and designate a dedicated contact person. When encountering problems or important matters, be able to contact them as soon as possible. Regular symposiums can be organized for everyone to sit down and exchange ideas, share experiences, and promptly resolve misunderstandings and issues.
Actively cooperate with inspections
When the environmental protection department comes to inspect, they should fully cooperate. Prepare various materials in advance, such as operation records, monitoring reports, equipment maintenance manuals, etc., for easy access by inspection personnel. For the problems found during the inspection, we should humbly accept and carefully record them. If we can rectify them on the spot, we should rectify them on the spot. If we cannot rectify them on the spot, we should develop a detailed rectification plan, complete the rectification on time, and promptly feedback the rectification situation to the environmental protection department.
Timely feedback on difficulties
If the sewage treatment plant encounters some difficulties during operation, such as abnormal inlet water quality, equipment aging that needs to be updated but lacks funds, etc., it should promptly report to the environmental protection department. Perhaps the environmental protection department can provide you with some policy support or technical guidance to help you solve the problem. Never force yourself.
