W EEKLY EDITION JUNE 12, 2019
What a Waste!
By Karleen Kos, PSAI Executive Director
This story also appeared in the June 2019 issue of PRO Magazine
Contrary to how it may seem, the number of sewage treatment facilities is not shrinking. According to
Ibis World, treatment establishments have grown by 6 - 7% since 2010. The challenge is that more than
60% of treatment capacity in the US is dedicated to re sidential waste. Ongoing growth in the number
of households producing waste means our capacity for commercial waste treatment is suffering
proportionately.
But it's not just households. The volume of commercial waste that needs processing has also
increased as the economy expands. The available treatment plant capacity is not growing nearly as
fast, infrastructure is aging, and nobody likes to talk about it v ery much.
This brings us to today. We have overtaxed systems and frequent rate increases for disposing at
publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). In the private sector, the laws of supply and demand are at
play, driving up costs and reducing non - POTW opt ions for portable sanitation operators. On top of it
all, any type of waste treatment must meet evolving environmental standards. Because of these
requirements, what any plant accepts can vary considerably based on location, environmental
realities, and th e plant's capacity.
If only the solution were as simple as a "building boom" for waste treatment facilities! Unfortunately,
the highly capital - intensive prospect of expanding waste treatment capacity is not one that appeals to
most political decision - make rs. Depending upon the location and proposed capacity of the plant, the
cost for a new POTW can range from tens of millions of dollars to nearly a billion of them.
P AGE 2
CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
800-FOR-LELY
lelytank.com
The Right People. The Right Truck. The Right Price.