Managing Sewage Sludges Following the US EPA's Part 503 Regulations

Managing Sewage Sludges Following the US EPA's Part 503 Regulations

Course Outline

Wastewater treatment plant sludges often are a valuable resource. Sludges often contain valuable nutrients, such as phosphorous, nitrogen and lime and can be land applied in lieu of applying expensive chemical fertilizers. Land application of sewage sludge is a cheaper alternative to either the incineration or landfilling of the sludge. Since 1993, the US EPA has regulated the land application of wastewater treatment plant sewage sludge. The course is based upon the US EPA's document, Land Application of Sewage Sludge, EPA Document No. EPA 831-B-93-002b, December 1994.

This four hour course provides valuable information for those individuals who are interested in regulatory compliance associated with the land application of sewage sludge. Completion of this course will provide the student the necessary information and testing to meet continuing education requirements. It was designed by an instructor who has developed and implemented numerous similar training courses.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:

Understand what a land application system is;
Understand the types of pollutants important to land application;
Understand the history of the regulations;
Understand what types of sludges are covered by the regulations;
Understand what types of sludges are not covered by the regulations;
Understand which regulations apply to sludges not covered by 40 CFR Part 503;
Understand which groups are covered by the regulations;
Understand the difference between a Class A and Class B sludge;
Understand what constitutes a Exceptional Quality sludge;
Understand the general requirements of 40 CFR Part 503;
Understand the pollutant limits imposed by 40 CFR Part 503;
Understand the pathogen reduction requirements of 40 CFR Part 503;
Understand the vector attraction reduction requirements of 40 CFR Part 503;
Understand the approved management practices;
Understand the monitoring requirements of 40 CFR Part 503;
Understand the recordkeeping requirement imposed by 40 CFR Oart 503;
Understand the reporting requirements of 40 CFR Part 503;
Understand the sewage sludge scenarios regulated;
Understand land applier requirements under various sewage sludge scenarios;
Understand what is required for EQ sludges sold or given away;
Understand what is required for non-EQ sludges given away in bags;
Understand what is required for non-EQ sludges due to pathogen reduction levels sold or given away in bulk;
Understand what is required for non-EQ sludges due to vector attraction reduction levels sold or given away in bulk;
Understand what is required for non-EQ sludges due to pollutant levels sold or given away in bulk;
Understand which records are required of cumulative pollutant loading rates;
Understand which records are required of Class B site restrictions;
Understand which record are required of vector attraction reduction options; and
Understand which records are required co0vering management practices.

Intended Audience

The intended audience for this course is any professional who is involved in the design, regulation, installation, operation or maintenance of any sewage sludge land application systems.

Benefit to Attendees

Attendees of this course will understand how to meet the appropriate regulations covering land applications of a variety of municipal sewage sludges. This program will greatly reduce the learning curve for any professional interested in land applying sewage sludge.

Course Introduction

Wastewater treatment plant sludges often are a valuable resource. They often contain valuable nutrients, such as phosphorous, nitrogen and lime and can be land applied in lieu of expensive chemical fertilizers in a variety of agricultural settings. Land application of sewage sludge is a cheaper alternative to either the incineration or landfilling of the sludge. Since 1993, the US EPA has regulated the land application of wastewater treatment plant sewage sludge. The course is based upon the US EPA's document, Land Application of Sewage Sludge, EPA Document No. EPA 831-B-93-002b, December 1994. The course material presents introductory information required to obtain proficiency in the required subject matter.

Course Content

The associated course materials are contained in an Adobe Acrobat copy of the US EPA publication: Land Application of Sewage Sludge, EPA Document No. EPA 831-B-93-002b, December 1994.

Managing Sewage Sludges Following the US EPA's Part 503 Regulations (PDF file, 105 pages, 1.3 MB)

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Course Summary

This course discusses the regulations covering both the land application of Class A and Class B sewage sludges, and helps the student understand key design requirements to meet the regulations.

Related Links

For additional information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:

US Environmental Protection Agency

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.