Regionalization of wastewater management minimizes the number of wastewater discharges into the state's waters.
Contact Information Case Studies Background Information
What Is Regionalization?
Regionalization of wastewater management minimizes the number of wastewater discharges into the state's waters. This is accomplished through:
- The elimination of a treatment facility with diversion of its wastewater to a publicly owned treatment works.
- The combining of one or more existing facilities into a new or existing regional treatment facility.
- The prevention of new discharges by requiring connection to an existing facility.
- The creation of sanitation districts, regional wastewater authorities or other cooperative ownership agreements.
What are the Benefits?
Regionalization is advantageous to local authorities because it:
- Offers economies of scale when contracting.
- Increases treatment performance.
- Lowers operating costs.
- Reduces administrative costs.
- Results in fewer discharge points which decrease environmental impacts.
- Creates affordable rates.
- Can occur within/around natural rather than geopolitical boundaries.
- Increases funding availability.
- Increases consistency in meeting water standards.
- Enhances quality of life for citizens.
Eliminating duplication of cost and effort will result in a more businesslike management by a regional authority, resulting in a higher degree of service to the public.
How Is Regionalization Accomplished?
Regionalization may involve various arrangements for facility construction and operation. For example, several jurisdictions and stakeholders might form a regional authority to construct and operate a centralized treatment facility and collection system. Alternatively, one community could act as the lead agency in constructing and operating the centralized facility, while each jurisdiction maintains responsibility for its own collection system.
Regionalization does not necessarily involve construction of physically interconnected facilities. For example, individual jurisdictions might be responsible for construction of local facilities, including any onsite systems, while a regional authority would construct and operate other service facilities, such as sludge treatment and disposal facilities.
Under state statute, wastewater service can be provided through municipal utilities, sanitation districts, metropolitan sewer districts, interlocal agreements, joint sewer agencies, water districts, for-profit sewer companies and homeowners associations.
What can you do?
One of the underlying difficulties in dealing with rural wastewater and straight pipes is the absence of any responsible management entity in rural areas of Kentucky. In order to establish this type of management structure, there must be public understanding and support. If you are interested in helping to raise people's awareness of this topic, you can download this information in a brochure format for use and distribution at public events. Also, if you have opportunities to give public presentation you can download a short series of PowerPoint slides that can easily be inserted into any PowerPoint presentation to augment your other topics.
