Case Study 3: Permit Changes Create Savings for NE Louisiana City
A northeast Louisiana town had seen its population decline from the 2000 to 2010 census with a current population of approximately 4,000, almost 50% who were below the poverty line. For years, the city’s wastewater facility’s design treatment capacity had been 1.6 million gallons per day. The design capacity far exceeded the city’s current discharge and exceeded the city’s future capacity needs. This meant the city was OVER permitted by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) costing the city tens of thousands of wasted dollars each year in: fees to LDEQ, fees for unnecessary toxicity lab testing, and excessive fees due to a higher frequency of lab analysis.
Cenla Environmental Science performed a forensic audit of the city’s flow discharge for 12 months. The findings proved that the discharge was less than the design treatment capacity and generally below 1.0 million gallons. Cenla Environmental Science presented the information to the city’s engineer and then to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (LDHH) who determines design capacity.
Cenla Environmental Science then presented the data to LDEQ resulting in a new permit. The new permit ELIMINATED the expensive bioassay testing AND cut by one-half (1/2) the normal lab testing (reduced the frequency from 2 times per week to 1 time per week).
These changes alone saved the city approximately $85,000 over the permit AND for continued savings each year in the future. Additionally, Cenla Environmental Science was able to negotiate with LDEQ to retroactively give credit to the city totaling $30,000 for fees previously paid directly to LDEQ. Future fees were reduced by 75%.
