Specifications include, but are not limited to: Phosphorus reduction at wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) is an integral component of the phosphorus TMDLs for Vermont. Under the TMDLs, total phosphorus permitted load fromWWTFs will be reduced by 23 metric tons per year, which represents a 41 percent reduction from prior permitted loads. This project will directly support implementation of the Vermont Lake Champlain Phosphorus TMDL Phase 1 Implementation Plan wastewater milestones, in which National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits with TMDL-basedphosphorus limits will be issued to 59 direct-discharging WWTFs in the Lake Champlain Basinon a five-year rotation in coordination with the tactical basin planning cycle. All WWTFs in the Lake Champlain Basin are required to optimize for phosphorus treatment upon issuance ofupdated discharge permits as part of the TMDL implementation requirements. Wastewater treatment facility optimization offers the potential for innovative solutions to reduce effluent phosphorus loads by adjusting internal operations and process control within the existing treatment works with the added opportunity for reduced operation and maintenance costs.
