The Capacity Assurance Program assesses how a treatment plant owner will prevent a plant from exceeding its permitted design flow capacity. This program is required when a treatment plant's average flow over 12 consecutive months, as reported in DMRs, reaches or exceeds 95% of the permitted flow.
If a treatment plant fails to meet its NJPDES discharge permit limits, it can adversely impact the waterway it discharges into, threatening drinking water supplies and the habitat of aquatic plants and animals. To prevent further harm, a sewer ban is implemented in the areas served by the affected treatment plant. This measure protects the receiving water from additional damage until the problem can be corrected. To avert the need for a sewer ban, the Capacity Assurance Program serves as a tool which is implemented when reported flows reach or exceed 95% of a treatment plant's permitted flow. This helps permittees decide how a plant's remaining flow capacity will be used and whether an upgrade to the treatment plant or sewer system is necessary to assure future capacity.
Amendments to the Capacity Assurance Program (CAP) rule were adopted and appeared in the May 15, 2017 issue of the New Jersey Register (49 NJR 1191(a)). The amendments change the threshold of when a CAP is triggered from 80 percent of permitted flow based on committed flow to 95 percent of permitted flow based on reported flow from DMRs; clarify and expand analysis and certification requirements as part of the Capacity Analysis Report (CAR); include a 180 day timeframe for submission of the CAR; clarify that the requirements can be imposed on owners/operators of a conveyance system; include a requirement to have the CAR posted to the entities website and a copy maintained at the treatment plant and/or conveyance system owner’s offices; and revise requirements for when a permittee can be relieved from the CAP.
DISCLAIMER: This table is for informational purposes only and is provided as a courtesy. This table shows the results of a calculation averaging the most recent 12-month flow reported on DMRs as a percentage of the treatment plant’s permitted flow. Missing or incorrect data may affect the calculation. The Department will verify results prior to notifying a treatment plant that the CAP threshold has been triggered.
User Customizable Report Tool:
DISCLAIMER: This tool can be used to create a report in order to determine if a treatment plant has reached or exceeded the CAP threshold of 95 percent (12-month average reported flow from DMRs vs permitted flow). Missing or incorrect data may affect the result. The Department works with permittees to resolve missing or incorrect data as quickly as possible. When using this tool, it is recommended that the 1st day of the first month be set as the start date and the last day of the twelfth month be used as the end date (i.e. 4/1/16 – 3/31/17).
