Wastewater Engineering/Technical Information

The technical review and approval process of wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) provides the public with assurance that proposed WWTF projects will comply with applicable permits and rules, meet reliability criterion and comply with recognized engineering practice.

Guidance for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA) technical review and approval of wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) process design is available below.

Photo courtesy of Richard S. Tamke

To speed the review and approval of your design documents, please complete the applicable checklists from the list below and submit them with your plans and specifications.

Note: Acceptable design standards are, in part, based on "Recommended Standards for Wastewater Facilities," 1997 edition (Ten States Standards).

Engineering/Technical Publications

• High Density Polyethylene Liner Guidance (wq-wwtp5-32)
• Polyvinyl Chloride Liner Guidance (wq-wwtp5-60)
• Electronic Submittal: Wastewater Treatment Facility Construction Record Documents (wq-wwtp5-87) (1/11)
• Design Flow and Loading Determination Guidelines for Wastewater Treatment Plants
• Design Guidance for Large Subsurface Wastewater Treatment Systems (LSTS) (wq-wwprm8-01)
• Understanding the MPCA's Groundwater Nitrate Nitrogen Policy for Large, Subsurface Wastewater-treatment Systems (LSTSs) (wq-wwprm1-10)
• LSTS Permitting Letter, August 2002
• Transfer of MPCA Wastewater Permits: A Homeowner's Association Guide
• Engineering and Hydrologic Work Product - Submittal Cover Sheet
• Guidance and Submittal Requirements for Rapid Infiltration Basin Wastewater Treatment Systems
• Guidelines for wastewater-treatment facilities during a flood
• Facts About Sewage Bypass. This provides a brief overview of the problems, causes, environmental impacts and prevention options associated with sewage overflows.
• Reliability for Mechanical Wastewater Treatment Plants
• Riprap Criteria for Stabilization Ponds. Provides guidelines that describes the materials, installation and testing of riprap. (4 pp).
• Scheduled Maintenance Bypassing Review Guidelines
•  Decommissioning or Relining Domestic Wastewater Ponds (wq-wwtp5-86)
• Recommended Pond Design Criteria (wq-wwtp5-53)
•  Prefill and Water Balance Criteria (wq-wwtp5-61b)
  
  •  MPCA Water Balance Data Analysis Spreadsheet form
  •  Prefill and Water Balance Raw Data Collection Worksheet form (wq-wwtp5-61c)
  •  Report on Evaluation of Minnesota Water Balance Test (wq-wwtp5-61e)

Technical Review and Approval Checklists

• Aerobic Sludge Digestion
• Anaerobic Sludge Digestion
• Aerated Pond
• Biological Treatment Checklist - Suspended Growth - Activated Sludge, Oxidation Ditches
• Biological Treatment Checklist - Attached Growth - Trickling Filter (PDF Version) (wq-wwtp5-11)
• Centrifuges, Solid Bowl
• Chemical Addition
• Composting
• Disinfection System
• Dissolved Air Flotation Thickening
• Filtration
• Gravity Thickener
• Grit Chambers
• High pH Lime Sludge Stabilization
• Mechanical Dewatering Facilities
• Pressure Filtration
• Primary Treatment Checklist - Wet Well, Raw Sewage Pumps, Bar Screens and Comminutor
• Rapid Infiltration Basins
• Septage
• Settling
• Sludge Drying Beds
• Vacuum Filtration