Operations » Laboratory & Environmental Compliance

Laboratory & Environmental Compliance

Maintaining the health of natural resources such as the Ocmulgee River is a vital goal.  The MWA Laboratory/Environmental Compliance Department conducts tests and monitoring to help make sure the environment is protected.

More than 5,000 samples each year are analyzed according to US EPA requirements.  Over 15 different tests are regularly performed in the MWA's laboratory and in the field – tests that include biochemical oxygen demand 5 day (BOD5), total suspended solids (TSS), ammonia nitrogen (NH3:N), dissolved oxygen (DO2) and fecal coliform bacteria.  A computerized Laboratory Information Management System is used to record all samples and test results.  Quality Assurance and Control procedures ensure results meet needed quality.

The Macon Water Authority, like every utility that discharges treated wastewater in America, is issued National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits, with requirements from US EPA.  In Georgia, these permits are carried out by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), which sets forth requirements for the MWA’s Rocky Creek and Lower Poplar Water Reclamation Facilities.  The Laboratory/Environmental Compliance department has responsibility for a number of key parts of the MWA’s NPDES permits.

Testing of samples from the Rocky Creek and Lower Poplar Water Reclamation Facilities is done to guarantee these operations meet NPDES specifications and the quality of the Ocmulgee River is maintained.  Department staff does this testing at least 6 days per week throughout the year.

One of the most important public services provided by the MWA Laboratory/Environmental Compliance Department is to ensure that the sewage released by industries to the MWA system – and eventually back into the Ocmulgee River – won’t cause any harm.  Oversight and monitoring of our local industries help make them even better environmental stewards and partners with our community.