Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-05-03-.08

Current through September 10, 2024

Section 1200-05-03-.08 - CLASSIFICATION OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEMS

(1) Wastewater treatment plants shall be classified by the Board or its authorized representative into one of five groups, designated either as Biological/Natural, Grade I, II, III, or IV. These classifications shall be made in accordance with the point total scheme below which takes into account the design flow of the plant, its type of unit processes, its character, and the volume of wastewater it treats.

(2) The term "collection system" means a system for the collection and transmission of wastewater to a treatment plant.

(3) The classification of a wastewater treatment plant or a wastewater collection system may be changed by the Board or its authorized representative because of changes in the conditions or the circumstances upon which the original classification was based. Notice of such a classification change shall be given to the management officers of the plant or system.

(4) Types of Wastewater Systems:

(a) A wastewater treatment plant, except Biological/Natural, will be classified either as Grade I, II, III or IV in accordance with the following point totals:

Grade IV............................	76 or more points
Grade III.................	56 to 75 points
Grade II.............................	55 points or less
Grade I........	This classification is for a wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of seventy-five thousand gallons per day or less. This classification serves as a Collection System certification for Grade I Collection Systems with less than fifteen (15) service connections.
Biological/Natural.....	This classification is for wastewater systems using natural biological treatment as the predominant means for treatment. This includes stabilization ponds, intermittent sand filters, recirculating sand filters, spray-irrigation, constructed wetlands, aerated lagoons, and overland flow systems. This classification serves as a Collection System certification for Grade I Collection Systems with less than fifteen (15) service connections.

Point totals for plant classification shall be computed in accordance with the following rating value criteria:

	Rating Value Points
Design Flow - For every one million gallons per day design capacity, fraction thereof, a plant will be awarded rating value of:.....................	2 pts. (30 points maximum)

Effluent Discharge - Based upon the following factors, a plant will be awarded rating values of:

Receiving stream (sensitivity) ...............................................................................	0-7 pts.*
Land disposal - evaporation ......................................................................................	2 pts.
Subsurface disposal .................................................................................................	4 pts.
Variation in Raw Wastes - Based upon the variation in the quality of the raw wastes, plant will be awarded a rating value of:	0-6 pts.*

Preliminary Treatment Units - A plant employing any of the following preliminary treatment processes will be awarded rating values of:

Manually cleaned screens	2 pts.
Mechanically cleaned screens	3 pts.
Preaeration	2 pts.
Comminutor, barminutor, grinders, etc	3 pts.
Grit removal	3 pts.
Raw sewage pumping	3 pts.
Flow equalization basins (Aerated)	5 pts.
Flow equalization basins (Unaerated	2 pts.
Fine screens	3 pts.

Primary Treatment Units - A plant employing any of the following primary treatment processes will be awarded rating values of:

Pre-chlorination	3 pts.
Primary Clarifiers	5 pts.
Primary Clarifiers with chemical settling aid	7 pts.
Swirl system	3 pts.

Secondary Treatment Units - A plant employing any of the following secondary treatment processes will be awarded rating values of:

Secondary Clarifiers	5 pts.
Flocculation with or without chemical aid	7 pts.
Trickling Filter without recirculation	6 pts.
Trickling Filter with recirculation	8 pts.
Activated Sludge+
Oxidation ditch	8 pts.
Mechanical aeration	9 pts.
Diffused or dispersed aeration	10 pts.
Batch Treatment (ICEAS, etc	10 pts.
Pure oxygen	15 pts.

+ Add ten (10) additional points for a two-stage activated sludge facility

Tertiary Treatment Units/Advanced Treatment - A plant employing any of the following tertiary, or advanced, treatment processes will be awarded rating values of:

Polishing pond or Effluent flow equalization	2 pts.
Land application of treated effluent	5 pts.
Chemical treatment removal	6 pts.
Denitrification	10 pts.
Sand or mixed media filters	8 pts.
Activated Carbon Beds	10 pts.
Nitrification required by permit
By Activated Sludge	6 pts.
Nitrification by other process	5 pts.

Disinfection - Based upon the type of disinfection process employed, a plant will be awarded rating values of:

Chlorination	5 pts.
Dechlorination	5 pts.
Ozonization	10 pts.
Ultraviolet	5 pts.

Sludge Treatment and Handling - A plant employing any of the following sludge treatment and handling facilities will be awarded rating values of:

Anaerobic digestion
Unheated	5 pts.
Heated	10 pts.
Aerobic digestion	7 pts.
Drying beds	3 pts.
Sand bed with polymer added	5 pts.
Gravity thickener	5 pts.
Dissolved air floatation thickener	8 pts.
Vacuum filter	8 pts.
Centrifuge	8 pts.
Belt Press, Plate & Frame	8 pts.
Solids reduction (Incinerator, wet oxidation, etc.)	15 pts.
Land application	5 pts.
Chemical stabilization with lime	8 pts.
All other dewatering units including wedgewire and vacuum beds,
both with polymers	5 pts.
Composting: Invessel	10 pts.
Composting: Static Pile	5 pts.
Sludge Lagoon	3 pts.

Laboratory Control by Plant Personnel - Based upon the type and difficulty of laboratory work performed at a plant, a plant will be awarded rating values of:

Bacteriological (Complexity)	0-10 pts.*
Chemical/Physical (Complexity)	0-10 pts.*
	Total Points **

* See Table 2

** If a rating value points total would not accurately reflect special conditions at a plant and a material distortion in its rating would occur, the Board will establish the classification of the plant after a review of its special conditions.

Table 2

Effluent Discharge - Points are assigned to a plant based upon the following receiving stream sensitivity criteria

0-7 pts.*

The key concept is the degree of dilution provided under low flow conditions. Assigned point values are:

Secondary, or equivalent to secondary, wastewater treatment only is required.......................................................................................................	1 pt.
Advanced secondary treatment.....................................................................	3 pts.
Tertiary treatment ............................................................................................	5 pts.
Effluent used in a direct reuse system...........................................................	7 pts.

Variation in Raw Wastes - Points are assigned to a plant based upon the variation from slight to extreme of the following factors: .............................................................

0-6 pts.*

The key concept is frequency and/or intensity of deviation or excessive variation from normal or typical fluctuations; such deviation can be in terms of strength, toxicity, shock.

Recurring deviations or excessive variations in strength and/or flow less than 100 percent..........................................................................................	0 pts.
Recurring deviations or excessive variations in strength and/or flow from 100 to 200 percent...................................................................................	2 pts.
Recurring deviations or excessive variations in strength and/or flow of more than 200 percent...................................................................................	4 pts.
Raw wastes subject to toxic waste discharges...............................................	6 pts.

Laboratory Control by Plant Personnel - Points are assigned in accordance with the type of laboratory control performed at the plant:

Bacteriological/biological (complexity) ......................................................

0-10 pts.*

The key concept is to credit bacteriological/biological lab work done on-site by plant personnel. Assigned point values are:

Lab work done outside the plant...........................................	0 pts.
Membrane filter procedures..................................................	3 pts.
Use of fermentation tubes or any dilution method ................	5 pts.
Biological identification ..........................................................	7 pts.
Chemical/physical (complexity) ...............................................................	0-10 pts.*

The key concept is to credit chemical/ physical lab work done on-site by plant personnel.

Lab work done outside the plant.........................................	0 pts.
Push-button or visual methods for simple tests such as pH, settleable solids.......... ......................................................	3 pts.
Additional procedures such as DO, COD, BOD, gas analysis, titrations, solids, volatile content.....................................	5 pts.
More advanced determinations such as specific nutrients, total oils, phenols, etc.. .............................................................	7 pts.
Highly sophisticated instrumentation such as atomic absorption and gas chromatography. . .........................................	...... 10 pts.

These terms describe the minimum level of effluent quality attainable for treated wastewater under standard design conditions in terms of the arithmetic mean of the values for effluent samples collected in a period of thirty consecutive days for the following parameters: five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅); total suspended solids (TSS); and acidity/alkalinity (pH).

1. "Equivalent to secondary wastewater treatment" means the 30-day average for BOD₅ does not exceed 45 mg/l and there is no ammonia limit.

2. "Secondary wastewater treatment" means the 30-day average for BOD₅ does not exceed 30 mg/l and there is no ammonia limit.

3. "Advanced secondary wastewater treatment" means that the biochemical oxygen demand is expressed as the carbonaceous form (CBOD₅) that is equal to or greater than 10 mg/l and is equal to or less than 25 mg/l; and there is an ammonia limit.

4. "Tertiary wastewater treatment" means that the CBOD₅ is less than 10 mg/l and there is an ammonia limit.

(b) Grade I Collection System. This classification is for a wastewater collection system that uses collector and/or transmission lines to transport wastewater to a treatment plant and which serves no more than five thousand service connections.

(c) Grade II Collection System. This classification is for a wastewater collection system that uses collector and/or transmission lines to transport wastewater to a treatment plant and which serves more than five thousand service connections.

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-05-03-.08

Original rule certified June 7, 1974. Repeal and new rule filed March 31, 1982; effective July 1, 1982. Repeal and new rule filed June 9, 1986; effective July 10, 1986. Amendment filed September 18, 1990; effective December 1, 1990. Amendment filed September 12, 1994; effective December 14, 1994. Amendment filed April 21, 1998; effective July 5, 1998. Amendment filed June 29, 2001; effective September 10, 2001.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-101 et seq.,4-5-202, 68-203-101, 68-203-103, 68-221-906, 68-221-907, 68-221-909, and 68-221-913.