How does the CSO Control Policy address combined sewer overflows?
EPA’s CSO Control Policy, published April 19, 1994, at 59 FR 18688, is the national framework for control of CSOs. The Policy provides guidance on how communities with combined sewer systems can meet Clean Water Act goals in as flexible and cost-effective a manner as possible. The Policy contains four fundamental principles to ensure that CSO controls are cost-effective and meet local environmental objectives: • Clear levels of control to meet health and environmental objectives. • Flexibility to consider the site-specific nature of CSOs and find the most cost-effective way to control them. • Phased implementation of CSO controls to accommodate a community’s financial capability. • Review and revision of water quality standards during the development of CSO control plans to reflect the site-specific wet weather impacts of CSOs. The first milestone under the CSO Policy was the January 1,1997, deadline for implementing minimum technology-based controls (the “nine minimum controls”). The
