NR 811.85
NR 811.85
General. The discharge of pollutants from a waterworks facility into the waters of the state or into a publicly owned treatment works, as those terms are defined in s.
283.01, Stats., shall conform to all the applicable requirements of
ch. 283, Stats., and the rules adopted under
ch. 283, Stats. Provisions shall be made for proper disposal of all wastes from waterworks facilities. Wastes may be from sanitary facilities, laboratories, or treatment plants. If new methods are proposed or the treatment results are uncertain, the department may require laboratory, pilot, or full-scale testing to establish design parameters.
Sections NR 811.853 to
811.862 contain general standards to be utilized in meeting the requirements of
ch. 283, Stats. System owners proposing discharges other than to already permitted wastewater treatment plants shall obtain a WPDES permit.
NR 811.85 History
History: CR 09-073: cr.
Register November 2010 No. 659, eff. 12-1-10.
NR 811.851
NR 811.851
Sanitary wastes. Wastes from toilet facilities shall be discharged to a sanitary sewer system. The floor elevation to a building from which there is a discharge shall be constructed at least one foot above the rim of the nearest sanitary sewer manhole in accordance with
s. NR 811.25 (1) (h) to prevent contamination from sewer backup. Where a sanitary sewer system is not available, the installation of an individual POWTS may be approved by the department if the installation meets
ch. SPS 383 requirements and if the POWTS separation distances to a community water system well shall comply with the requirements of
s. NR 811.12 (5) (d).
NR 811.851 History
History: CR 09-073: cr.
Register November 2010 No. 659, eff. 12-1-10; correction made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register December 2011 No. 672.
NR 811.852
NR 811.852
Floor drainage. Floor drains in pump stations and treatment plants shall comply with the requirements of
s. NR 811.25 (1) (h).
NR 811.852 History
History: CR 09-073: cr.
Register November 2010 No. 659, eff. 12-1-10.
NR 811.853
NR 811.853
Backwash wastewater from iron and manganese filters. NR 811.853(1)(1)
Discharge to sanitary sewer. Backwash wastewater from iron and manganese removal filters may be discharged to a sanitary sewer if the discharge will not overload the facilities or adversely affect the wastewater treatment process. The radionuclide content of the wastewater shall comply with
s. NR 811.856. An equalization tank shall be provided when it is necessary to prevent overloading the sewers or wastewater treatment plant.
NR 811.853(2)
(2) Discharge to sand filters. All of the following requirements apply when sand filters are used to treat backwash wastewater from iron and manganese removal filters:
NR 811.853(2)(a)
(a) Filters shall be designed for a maximum rate of 35 gallons per square foot per day except if testing indicates that higher rates will not cause excessive plugging of the media and a quality effluent can be maintained. Sufficient surface area shall be provided so that during any filtration cycle the wastewater depth over the media does not exceed 2 feet. The filters shall be sized to handle the entire backwash volume from all of the filters at the treatment plant unless the filters are washed on a rotating schedule.
NR 811.853(2)(b)
(b) No filter, regardless of the volume of water to be handled, may be smaller than 100 square feet in area. Multiple units may be necessary to facilitate cleaning.
NR 811.853(2)(c)
(c) The filter media shall consist of a minimum of 12 inches of sand, 3 to 4 inches of supporting small gravel or torpedo sand, and 9 inches of gravel in graded layers. All fines shall be removed from the media by washing. The filter sand shall have an effective size of 0.3 to 0.5 mm and a uniformity coefficient not exceeding 3.5.
NR 811.853(2)(d)
(d) An adequate underdrainage collection system shall be provided. Provision shall be made for sampling the filter effluent.
NR 811.853(2)(e)
(e) A cover shall be provided which prevents freezing during the winter months.
NR 811.853(2)(f)
(f) The filter shall be located in an area not subject to flooding, and the site shall be graded to prevent ponding of surface runoff. Finished grade elevation shall be designed to facilitate maintenance, cleaning, and removal or replacement of surface sand. An overflow may not be provided.
NR 811.853(3)
(3) Discharge to lagoons. Lagoons used to settle backwash wastewater from iron and manganese removal filters shall meet all of the following design requirements:
NR 811.853(3)(a)
(a) Lagoons shall be designed with a volume which is 10 times the total quantity of wastewater discharged during any 24-hour period.
NR 811.853(3)(b)
(b) Lagoon length shall be 4 times the width, and the width shall be at least 3 times the depth.
NR 811.853(3)(c)
(c) Adequate inlet and outlet devices shall be provided so that velocity currents are minimized.
NR 811.853(4)
(4) Discharge to detention tanks. Detention tanks used to settle backwash wastewater from iron and manganese removal filters shall meet all of the following design requirements:
NR 811.853(4)(a)
(a) Detention tanks shall be designed to maximize settling by means of inlet piping and baffling configurations. Tanks shall be of sufficient capacity to hold at least 2 complete backwash cycles. The floor shall be sloped to a sump and access manholes provided to facilitate cleaning. A cover shall be provided to prevent freezing.
NR 811.853(4)(b)
(b) Pumps shall be provided to discharge the decant water to a storm sewer or receiving watercourse over approximately a 24-hour period. A convenient means of sampling the effluent shall be provided. Any discharge requires a WPDES permit. The radionuclide content of the wastewater shall comply with
s. NR 811.856.
NR 811.853(4)(d)
(d) Settled sludge removed from detention tanks shall be disposed of at a wastewater treatment plant unless the department approves an alternate disposal location on a case-by-case basis.
NR 811.853 History
History: CR 09-073: cr.
Register November 2010 No. 659, eff. 12-1-10.
NR 811.854
NR 811.854
Brine wastes from ion exchange plants. The department may allow brine wastes to be discharged to a sanitary sewer system or to a watercourse if sufficient flow is available to provide adequate dilution to meet water quality or effluent standards. Dilution in streams shall be based on the 7-day low flow for the previous 10-year period. Except if discharging to large waterways or sewerage systems that will not be overloaded by the discharge, the minimum requirement shall be an equalization tank of sufficient size to allow brine discharge over a 24-hour period. The radionuclide content of the wastewater shall comply with
s. NR 811.856.
NR 811.854 History
History: CR 09-073: cr.
Register November 2010 No. 659, eff. 12-1-10.
NR 811.855
NR 811.855
Wastewater from reverse osmosis plants. The department may allow reject wastewater from reverse osmosis membranes to be discharged to a sanitary sewer system or to a watercourse if sufficient flow is available to provide adequate dilution to meet water quality or effluent standards. Dilution in streams shall be based on the 7-day low flow for the previous 10-year period. Except if discharging to large waterways or sewerage systems that will not be overloaded by the discharge, the minimum requirement shall be an equalization tank of sufficient size to allow reject wastewater discharge over a 24-hour period. The radionuclide content of the wastewater shall comply with
s. NR 811.856.
NR 811.855 History
History: CR 09-073: cr.
Register November 2010 No. 659, eff. 12-1-10.
NR 811.856
NR 811.856
Water treatment plant wastewater radionuclide content compliance with the unity equation. Levels of radium and uranium in water treatment plant wastewater to be discharged to a sanitary sewer or to surface water shall meet all of the following requirements:
NR 811.856(1)
(1) Unity equation. The levels of radium and uranium in the wastewater shall meet the limits of the Unity Equation as calculated based upon the requirements of the department of health services under
s. DHS 157.30 (3) and Appendix
E of
ch. DHS 157.
NR 811.856(2)(a)(a) Unity Equation calculations shall be performed for water treatment plants treating wells with combined radium-226 and radium-228, uranium, or both exceeding the maximum contaminant level unless required by the department in individual cases or if other less common radionuclide elements may be of concern.
NR 811.856(2)(b)
(b) The water system owner or its consultant shall submit the Unity Equation assumptions and calculations to the department for review and approval before, or along with, the submission of plans and specifications to the department for the radionuclide removal water treatment equipment or plant.
NR 811.856(3)
(3) Corrective actions. Corrective action as approved by the department shall be taken, if necessary, to maintain the result of the Unity Equation calculations as less than one.
NR 811.856 Note
Note: The department's Public Water Supply Section located in Madison may be contacted to obtain a copy of DNR Application of DHS Radionuclide Wastewater Disposal Criteria for help in addressing Unity Equation issues.
NR 811.856 History
History: CR 09-073: cr.
Register November 2010 No. 659, eff. 12-1-10; correction in (1) made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register November 2010 No. 659.
NR 811.857
NR 811.857
Backwash wastewater from lime softening water treatment plants. Filter backwash wastewater from lime softening water treatment plants shall be disposed of by any of the following methods:
NR 811.857(2)
(2) Direct or controlled discharge to a sanitary sewer system may be allowed by the department if the discharge will not overload the facilities or adversely affect the wastewater treatment process.
NR 811.857(3)
(3) Discharge to surface water. Suspended solids shall be removed from the filter backwash wastewater before the filter backwash wastewater is discharged to surface water. This will require settling and possibly coagulation. Any discharge requires a WPDES Permit.
NR 811.857 History
History: CR 09-073: cr.
Register November 2010 No. 659, eff. 12-1-10.
NR 811.858
NR 811.858
Lime softening sludge. Sludge from plants using lime to soften water will vary in quantity and in chemical characteristics depending on the softening process and the chemical characteristics of the water being softened. The department shall determine special disposal requirements for sludge from plants treating water containing radium-226, radium-228, or uranium. These special requirements shall modify the requirements for specific disposal methods. The requirements for specific disposal methods are as follows:
NR 811.858(1)
(1) Lagoons. The design shall meet the following minimum requirements:
NR 811.858(1)(a)
(a) Locations free from flooding, with grading or ditching to divert surface runoff.
NR 811.858(1)(b)
(b) Minimum lagoon depth of 4 to 5 feet with interior and exterior slopes of 3:1.
NR 811.858(1)(c)
(c) Two years solids storage volume for temporary lagoons and 8- to 10-years storage volume for permanent lagoons.
NR 811.858(2)
(2) Application to agricultural land. The department may allow liquid sludge to be applied to agricultural land by tank truck if the solids do not exceed 10 to 12% by weight. This method requires proper handling facilities, vehicles, and equipment to allow hauling and spreading which does not create a nuisance. Adequate sludge holding facilities are required for use during times that trucks cannot operate. Higher solids content sludges may also be spread. However, prior to increasing the solids content the local department sludge management specialist shall be contacted to evaluate the acceptability of spreading the high solids sludge. Land application of sludge, including the radium-226 content, shall comply with the applicable requirements of
s. NR 204.07.
NR 811.858(3)
(3) Discharge to sanitary sewer. Discharge to sanitary sewer may be utilized if a study or experience has shown that problems will not occur in the sewage collection system or at the wastewater treatment plant. An equalization tank may be necessary to even out flows to the sewer system. The radionuclide content of the sludge shall comply with
s. NR 811.856.
NR 811.858(4)
(4) Mechanical dewatering. Pilot testing of mechanical dewatering is necessary to show the results that may be obtained. The department shall review and approve proposals on a case-by-case basis to insure that water quality and effluent requirements will be met.
NR 811.858 History
History: CR 09-073: cr.
Register November 2010 No. 659, eff. 12-1-10.
NR 811.859(1)(1)
General. Spent media from water treatment plants may require special handling and disposal. The department shall evaluate on a case-by-case basis the proper handling and disposal techniques for spent media under any of the following circumstances:
NR 811.859(1)(a)
(a) Granular activated carbon shall be evaluated when treating water with volatile organic compounds or radium, uranium, or radon gas.
NR 811.859(1)(b)
(b) Filter sand, green sand, ion exchange media, membranes, support media, and other media that may retain radionuclide material shall be evaluated when treating water with radium-226, radium-228, or uranium.
NR 811.859(2)
(2) Disposal approval. The department shall be contacted for approval prior to disposal of the medias listed in
sub. (1). A written request indicating the type of media, the volume of media, the contaminants of concern and their concentration in the influent water and the media, the proposed method of transportation, and the proposed method of disposal shall be submitted to the department.
NR 811.859 History
History: CR 09-073: cr.
Register November 2010 No. 659, eff. 12-1-10.
NR 811.860
NR 811.860
Backwash wastewater from surface water treatment plants. Filter backwash wastewater from surface water treatment plants shall be disposed of by any of the following methods:
NR 811.860(1)
(1) Recycling. Filter backwash wastewater may be returned to the inlet end of the plant in accordance with the requirements of
s. NR 811.862. Membrane filtration plants may not recycle backwash wastewater unless the waste goes through coagulation and settling processes prior to being applied to the membranes. Membrane manufacturers may have specific feed water quality parameter requirements that could limit recycling. Chemical cleaning waste from membrane plants may not be recycled unless specifically approved by the department. All plants recycling filter wastewater shall have an alternative means of disposing of wastewater available during challenging raw water quality periods.
NR 811.860(2)
(2) Discharge to sanitary sewer. The wastewater program of the department may approve direct or controlled discharge to a sanitary sewer system if the discharge will not overload the facilities or adversely affect the wastewater treatment process.
NR 811.860(3)
(3) Discharge to surface water. Suspended solids shall be removed from the filter backwash wastewater before the filter backwash wastewater is discharged to surface water. This will require settling and possibly coagulation. Any discharge requires a WPDES Permit. Chemical cleaning waste from membrane plants may not be discharged to surface water.
NR 811.860(4)
(4) Treated by secondary membrane. The filter backwash water may be treated by a dedicated membrane system and sent to the clearwell if approved by the department in accordance with all of the following requirements:
NR 811.860(4)(a)
(a) The membrane, as can be demonstrated by integrity testing conducted every 8 hours, shall provide a minimum 99.9997 percent (5.5-log) removal of
Cryptosporidium.
NR 811.860(4)(b)
(b) If the membrane cannot be demonstrated to provide a 99.9997 percent (5.5-log) removal of
Cryptosporidium, UV shall be provided following the membrane. The membrane and UV together shall provide a minimum of 99.9997 percent (5.5-logs) of removal or inactivation of
Cryptosporidium, or a combination of both.
NR 811.860(4)(c)
(c) A target removal of less than 99.9997 percent (5.5-logs) of
Cryptosporidium may be considered by the department if testing of the backwash water in accordance with
s. NR 809.334 and bin classification in accordance with
s. NR 810.34 would result in a bin classification less than Bin 4.
NR 811.860 History
History: CR 09-073: cr.
Register November 2010 No. 659, eff. 12-1-10.
NR 811.861
NR 811.861
Alum or other coagulant sludge. Alum or other coagulant sludge shall be disposed of by the following methods:
NR 811.861(2)
(2) Discharge to sanitary sewers. Discharge to sanitary sewers may be utilized if a study or experience has shown that problems will not occur in the sewage collection system or at the sewage treatment plant. A holding tank may be necessary to even out flows to the sewer system. The radionuclide content of the sludge shall comply with
s. NR 811.856.
NR 811.861(3)
(3) Mechanical dewatering. Mechanical dewatering may be utilized if approved by the department after review of the results of testing.
NR 811.861(4)
(4) Supernatent water. Any thickener supernatant or liquids from dewatering processes to be recycled shall meet the requirements of
s. NR 811.862.
NR 811.861 History
History: CR 09-073: cr.
Register November 2010 No. 659, eff. 12-1-10.
NR 811.862
NR 811.862
Recycling backwash wastewater. Filter and contactor backwash wastewater may be recycled if approved by the department in accordance with all of the following requirements:
NR 811.862(1)
(1) The filter and contactor backwash wastewater shall be settled in a settling tank or equalization basin prior to being returned to the inlet end of the plant. For surface water systems, a coagulant or polymer may be required to enhance settling to prevent protozoans such as
Giardia lamblia and
Cryptosporidium from concentrating. Tanks and basins shall meet all of the following minimum requirements:
NR 811.862(1)(a)
(a) The tanks shall contain the anticipated volume of backwash wastewater produced by the plant when operating at design capacity.
NR 811.862(1)(b)
(b) The tanks shall be of adequate size to contain the total waste washwater from 2 consecutive backwashes to provide operation flexibility.
NR 811.862(2)
(2) The settled filtered backwash wastewater shall be returned to the head end of the plant at a maximum rate of 10% of the instantaneous flow rate at which raw water is entering the plant. All of the following requirements shall be met:
NR 811.862(2)(a)
(a) The point of recycle shall be prior to all treatment and chemical addition except chemical treatment for zebra mussel control at the intake.
NR 811.862(2)(c)
(c) A means shall be provided for controlling the rate at which the settled backwash wastewater is returned.
NR 811.862(3)
(3) For systems treating groundwater, the settled filtered backwash wastewater shall be disinfected prior to or at the time that it is returned to the head end of the plant.
NR 811.862(4)
(4) Reservoirs to be used to settle backwash wastewater for plants treating potable
groundwater shall be constructed to potable reservoir construction standards as required by subch.
IX. The discharge of any wastewater or sludge, or both, from such a reservoir to a sanitary or storm sewer main, manhole, or other collection structure, whether by pump or by gravity, shall not be made through a direct connection. The discharge piping shall terminate downward with a one-foot free air break over the receiving structure as required in
s. NR 811.64 (4).
NR 811.862(5)
(5) For surface water systems that recycle their backwash wastewater, all of the following reporting and record keeping requirements apply:
NR 811.862(5)(a)
(a) A current plant schematic showing the origin of all recycle streams, how any recycle streams are transported, and where the recycle streams enter the treatment process shall be maintained on file with the department.
