A Point Source of a Different Color: Identifying a Gap in United States Regulatory Policy for “Green” CSO Treatment Using Constructed Wetlands

Zeno F. Levy, Richard C. Smardon, James S. Bays and Daniel Meyer
Additional contact information
Zeno F. Levy: Department of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University, 204 Geology Laboratory, Syracuse, NY 13244-1070, USA
Richard C. Smardon: Department of Environmental Studies, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
James S. Bays: CH2M HILL, 4350 Cypress St., Tampa, FL 33607, USA
Daniel Meyer: IRSTEA Lyon (National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture, former CEMAGREF), 5 rue de la Doua, CS70077, Villeurbanne 69626, France

Sustainability, 2014, vol. 6, issue 5, 1-21

Abstract: Up to 850 billion gallons of untreated combined sewer overflow (CSO) is discharged into waters of the United States each year. Recent changes in CSO management policy support green infrastructure (GI) technologies as “front of the pipe” approaches to discharge mitigation by detention/reduction of urban stormwater runoff. Constructed wetlands for CSO treatment have been considered among suites of GI solutions. However, these wetlands differ fundamentally from other GI technologies in that they are “end of the pipe” treatment systems that discharge from a point source, and are therefore regulated in the U.S. under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). We use a comparative regulatory analysis to examine the U.S. policy framework for CSO treatment wetlands. We find in all cases that permitting authorities have used best professional judgment to determine effluent limits and compliance monitoring requirements, referencing technology and water quality-based standards originally developed for traditional “grey” treatment systems. A qualitative comparison with Europe shows less stringent regulatory requirements, perhaps due to institutionalized design parameters. We recommend that permitting authorities develop technical guidance documents for evaluation of “green” CSO treatment systems that account for their unique operational concerns and benefits with respect to sustainable development.

Keywords: combined sewer overflow; constructed wetlands; green infrastructure; environmental regulation; policy; National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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