WASTEWATER TREATMENT OPERATOR ASSET MANAGEMENT DECISION MAKING – OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE DECISION MAKING
Element of Competence:
The Role of Resource Consents
Context
Resource consents provide permission to discharge contaminates, or take water, that would otherwise contravene the Resource Management Act. Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) require a number of resource consents in order to operate. Activities that require consent can include: ▪ The discharge of treated wastewater from the WWTP to either the coastal environment, freshwater or applied to land. ▪ The discharge of wastewater during maintenance activities or exceptional circumstances. ▪ The discharge of contaminants to air. ▪ The disposal of biosolids. ▪ The taking of water (water permit) Wastewater Treatment Operators are instrumental in ensuring that the WWTP is maintained, operated and monitored in accordance with the conditions and requirements of these resource consents.
Outcome
The publics’ health, the receiving environment, and Te Mana o te Wai, is protected by maintaining, operating and monitoring the treatment process in accordance with all associated resource consents.
To do this, Wastewater Treatment Operators need to be able to: ▪ Operate, maintain and monitor the WWTP in a manner that complies with conditions imposed within the resource consent. To do this, Wastewater Treatment Operators need to know: ▪ The conditions and requirements of all resource consents related to the site. Consent conditions and requirements can: -
Prescribe the way in which the WWTP is to be operated and managed.
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Impose discharge parameters such as limits for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), pathogens, nutrients, and sediments that the WWTP discharge must comply with.
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Require Site Management Plans, Incident and Emergency Response Plans and Monitoring Plans to be prepared and complied with. Refer to the elements of competence regarding the Development of Site Management Plans, Implementing Site Management Plans, Incident & Emergency Response Plans and Resource Consent Compliance Monitoring and Reporting for more information on these topics.
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Require monitoring of the discharge for the limits specified in the consent
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Require monitoring of the receiving environment to assess whether adverse environmental effects are occurring; and
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