Wis. Admin. Code Department of Natural Resources NR 208.05

Current through October 28, 2024

Section NR 208.05 - CMAR point and grading system

(1) APPLICABLE SECTIONS. The department shall determine which CMAR sections under s. NR 208.04(5) apply to each treatment works and shall make the sections available electronically to the treatment works owner no later than April 30 of each year.

(2) SECTION SCORES AND GRADES. A point score shall be calculated by the department for only the CMAR sections that apply to a specific wastewater treatment works. The score and grade for each CMAR section shall be based on information and data collected and provided by the owner of the treatment works for the prior calendar year. The point score for each CMAR section shall be calculated by subtracting any points generated in each CMAR section from 100. The point score from each section shall be used to determine the applicable grade and response action shown in table 1 for that CMAR section.

Table 1

Section Scores, Grades, and Response Ranges

SCORE	GRADE	GRADE POINTS	GRADE MEANING	RESPONSE RANGE
91-100	A	4	Good	Voluntary
81-90	B	3	Satisfactory	Voluntary
71-80	C	2	Marginal	Recommendation
61-70	D	1	Poor	Action
<61	F	0	Fail	Action

(3) CMAR SECTIONS AND POINT ASSIGNMENTS. CMAR sections shall be assigned points based on treatment works monitoring data and other information from the previous calendar year as shown in this subsection. The department may require other section specific information that may be included within each CMAR section. Supplemental questions and information may not include points and may not affect the section's grade.

(a)Influent flow and loading. Point assignments for exceedances of percentages of maximum month design flow and 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) loadings in the previous calendar year shall be determined as follows:

Monthly Exceedance Criteria	Points Per Monthly Exceedance
Over 90% of maximum month design flow¹	2
Over maximum month design flow¹	1
Over 90% of design BOD loading	3
Over design BOD loading	2

1 "Maximum month design flow" means the largest volume of flow anticipated to occur during a continuous 30-day period, expressed as a daily average, for which the treatment works is designed to receive and provide treatment.

(b)Effluent quality and plant performance (BOD/CBOD).

1. Point assignments for WPDES permit limit exceedances and for percentages of effluent 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) or 5-day carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (CBOD) limits in the previous calendar year shall be as follows:

Monthly Exceedance Criteria (>10mg/l BOD/CBOD limits)	Points Per Monthly Exceedance
Over 90% of permit limit	3
Over permit limit	7

Monthly Exceedance Criteria (< or = 10 mg/l BOD/CBOD limits)	Points Per Monthly Exceedance
Over permit limit	10

2. For systems that discharge intermittently to waters of the state, the points per monthly exceedance for this CMAR section shall be based upon a multiplication factor of 12 months divided by the number of months of discharge.

Example: For a wastewater facility discharging only 6 months of the year, the multiplication factor is 12 /6 = 2.0

(c)Effluent quality and plant performance (total suspended solids -TSS).

1. Point assignments for WPDES permit limit exceedances and for percentages of effluent TSS limits in the previous calendar year shall be as follows:

Monthly Exceedance Criteria (>10mg/l TSS limits)	Points Per Monthly Exceedance
Over 90% of permit limit	3
Over permit limit	7

Monthly Exceedance Criteria (< or = 10 mg/l TSS limits)	Points Per Monthly Exceedance
Over permit limit	10

Example: For a wastewater facility discharging only 6 months of the year, the multiplication factor is 12 /6 = 2.0

(d)Effluent quality and plant performance (ammonia- NH3).

1. Point assignments for exceedances of monthly WPDES permit limits for effluent ammonia (NH3) in the previous calendar year shall be as follows:

Monthly Exceedance Criteria	Points Per Monthly Exceedance
Over permit limit	10

2. If monthly limits do not apply and the applicable ammonia limits in a permit are weekly, then point assignments related to exceedances of weekly WPDES permit limits for effluent ammonia (NH3) in the previous calendar year shall be as follows:

Weekly Exceedance Criteria	Points Per Weekly Exceedance
Over permit limit	2 1/2

(e)Effluent quality and plant performance (phosphorus -P).

1. Point assignments for exceedances of monthly WPDES permit limits for effluent total phosphorus (total P) in the previous calendar year shall be as follows:

Monthly Exceedance Criteria	Points Per Monthly Exceedance
Over permit limit	10

Example: For a wastewater facility discharging only 6 months of the year, the multiplication factor is 12 /6 = 2.0

(f)Effluent quality and plant performance (total nitrogen-total N).

1. Point assignments for exceedances of monthly WPDES permit limits for effluent total nitrogen (total N) in the previous calendar year shall be as follows:

Monthly Exceedance Criteria	Points Per Monthly Exceedance
Over permit limit	10

Example: For a wastewater facility discharging only 6 months of the year, the multiplication factor is 12 /6 = 2.0

(g)Groundwater quality. Point assignments associated with groundwater dischargers with groundwater monitoring wells shall be as follows:

Exceedance Criteria	Exceedance Points
Enforcement Standard (ES) or Alternative Concentration Limit (ES-ACL) in any downgradient monitoring well of the discharge location	20
Enforcement Standard (ES) or Alternative Concentration Limit (ES-ACL) at any point of standards application monitoring well	10

Note: "Enforcement Standard" or "ES", Alternative concentration limit or "ACL", and "Standards application" has the meaning in ch. NR 140 - Groundwater Quality

(h)Ponds and lagoon leakage. Point assignments shall be as follows:

Criteria	Points
No influent flow measurements	40
No effluent flow measurements	40
CMAR Estimated or Field Test Calculated Leakage Rates
0-1000 gallons/acre/day	0
1001-2000 gallons/acre/day	10
2001-4000 gallons /acre /day	20
4001-7000 gallons/acre/day	30
>7000 gallons/acre /day	40

Note: Pond and lagoon leakage rates may be estimated using total influent and effluent flows or calculated by actual field water balance testing if approved by the department. The change in storage volume (+/-) for fill and draw pond systems, storage lagoons, and other similar type systems may be used in the leakage rate estimation if the method for determining the change in storage volume(s) is approved by the department.

(i)Biosolids quality and management. Point assignments shall be as follows:

Criteria	Points
Over-application of nitrogen on approved sites	30
Lack of 4-year soil tests on active sites	10
Metals exceeded the high quality limits or 80% of the limit for molybdenum,
nickel or selenium	10
1-2 times	15
>2 times
Did not cumulatively track metals loading at each land application site if high quality limits were exceeded	10
Metals exceeded the ceiling limits
1 time	10
>1 time	15
Land applied biosolids that exceeded the ceiling limit	20
Pathogen Control Class B limit
exceeded or did not meet process criteria at time of land application	40
Vector Attraction Reduction limit or cri-
teria exceeded at the time of land application	40
Biosolids Storage Time
150-179 days	10
120-149 days	20
90-119 days	30
<90 days	40

Note: The definitions of "High quality limit", "Ceiling limit", "Pathogen control limit", and "Vector attraction reduction limit" may be found in ch. NR 204 - Domestic Sewage Sludge Management.

(j)Staffing and preventative maintenance. Point assignments shall be as follows:

Criteria	Points
Did not have a documented and implemented preventative maintenance plan for major equipment items	40
Preventative maintenance plan did not depict maintenance frequency and tasks for equipment	10
Preventative maintenance tasks and major equipment repairs were not recorded and filed	10

(k)Operator certification and education. Point assignments shall be as follows:

Criteria	Points
Did not have a designated operator-in-charge of the treatment works where required under ch. NR 114	20
The designated operator-in-charge was not certified at the appropriate level to operate the treatment works	20
Did not have a contingency plan option(s) for having a certified operator operate the treatment works in the event of the loss of the designated operator-in-charge.	20

Note: The definition of "Operator-In-Charge" may be found in ch. NR 114 - Certification Requirements For Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators.

(l)Financial management. Point assignments shall be as follows:

Criteria	Points
User charges or other revenues were not sufficient to cover treatment works' O&M expenses	40
User charge system or other revenue sources was last reviewed and/or revised 3 or more years ago	20
Did not have a special account or financial resources available for repairing or replacing equipment for the treatment works	40
Equipment Replacement Fund was last reviewed and/or revised 3 or more years ago (public municipal facilities only)	20

Note: The definitions of "User Charge" and "Replacement" may be found in ch. NR 162 - Clean Water Fund.

(m)Sewage collection systems.

1. Point assignments shall be as follows:

Criteria

Points

After the effective date specified in s. NR 210.23(2), did not have a CMOM program that meets the requirements of s.

NR 210.23. OR

Prior to the effective date specified in s. NR 210.23(2), did not have a documented operation and maintenance or CMOM program.

2. Owners of sewage collection systems shall record and maintain information about the operation and maintenance of their sewage collection system, which may include the following: cleaning, root removal, flow monitoring, smoke testing, sewer line televising, manhole inspections, lift station servicing, manhole rehabilitation, mainline rehabilitation, private sewer inspections, private sewer infiltration/inflow (I/I) removal, precipitation, sanitary sewer overflows, building or basement backups, lift station failures, sewer pipe failures, complaints, and any other collection system information deemed important by the owner.

Note: Sanitary sewer overflow occurrences and sewage treatment facility overflow occurrences are reported under s. NR 210.21(4). Additional reporting requirements under this chapter are required under s. NR 208.06(1) (b). The department may initiate enforcement action under s. 283.89, Stats., for any sanitary sewer overflow or sewage treatment facility overflow.

(n)Grading summary. The department shall provide to the owner a summary of section grades, response ranges and resultant grade point average for the applicable completed CMAR sections under s. NR 208.04(5) (a) to (m).

(o)Resolution or owner statement. The owner shall provide to the department a resolution or owner statement of review and response. Public and private treatment works owners shall complete and submit the resolution or owner statement with the CMAR. No point assignments are associated with this CMAR section.

(4) CALCULATION OF CMAR GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA). A grade point average shall be determined for each wastewater treatment works required to submit a CMAR. The grade point average shall be calculated as follows: multiply the CMAR section grade points associated with the letter grades for each section as shown in table 1 by the corresponding section weighting factor provided in table 2; add the resulting values determined for all the sections; divide the value determined by the sum of all the weighting factors used in calculating the individual section values.

G.P.A. = Sum (section grade points x section weighting factor) / Sum of the applicable section weighting factors

Table 2

CMAR Section Weighting Factors

CMAR SECTION	WEIGHTING FACTOR
Influent Flow and Loading	3.0
Effluent Quality and Plant Performance (BOD5/CBOD5)	10.0
Effluent Quality and Plant Performance (Total Suspended Solids)	5.0
Effluent Quality and Plant Performance (Ammonia)	5.0
Effluent Quality and Plant Performance (Phosphorus)	3.0
Effluent Quality and Plant Performance (Total Nitrogen)	7.0
Groundwater Quality	7.0
Ponds and Lagoon Leakage	7.0
Biosolids Quality and Management	5.0
Staffing and Preventative Maintenance	1.0
Operator Certification and Education	1.0
Financial Management	1.0
Sanitary Sewer Collection Systems	3.0

Wis. Admin. Code Department of Natural Resources NR 208.05

CR 04-022: cr. Register November 2004 No. 587, eff. 1-1-05; CR 12-027: r. and recr. (3) (m) Register July 2013 No. 691, eff. 8-1-13.