Circular No. 04/2015/TT-BXD dated April 03, 2015 of the Ministry of Construction guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Decree No. 80/2014/ND-CP dated August 06, 2014 of the Government on the waste water drainage and treatment

THE MINISTRY OF CONSTRUCTION

Circular No.04/2015/TT-BXD dated April 03, 2015 of the Ministry of Construction guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Decree No. 80/2014/ND-CP dated August 06, 2014 of the Government on the waste water drainage and treatment

Pursuant to the Government s Decree No.80/2014/ND-CP dated August 06, 2014 on drainage and wastewater treatment;

Pursuant to the Government s Decree No.62/2013/ND-CP dated June 25, 2013 defining the functions, tasks, entitlements and organizational structure of the Ministry of Construction;

At the request of Director General of Department of Technical Infrastructure;

The Minister of Construction promulgates the Circular providing guidance on a number of articles of the Government’s Decree No. 80/2014/ND-CP dated August 06, 2014 on drainage and wastewater treatment.

Article 1. Managing decentralized wastewater treatment

1. Entities applying decentralized wastewater treatment solutions must comply with provisions set out in Clause 1, Article 23 of the Government’s Decree No. 80/2014/ND-CP dated August 06, 2014 on drainage and wastewater treatment;

2. Decentralized wastewater treatment solutions:

a) On-site treatment: usually applied for private households with total amount of wastewater of less than 50^m3/day night. Equipment/treatment station must be placed within the premises of the households.

b) Treatment by group: usually applied for adjacent households with total amount of wastewater combined from 50^m3/day night to 200m³/day night; Depending on specific conditions, wastewater treatment station may be placed within the premises of the households or at a separate position convenient for collection of wastewater from the households;

c) Treatment by zone: usually applied within a specific administrative division with total amount of wastewater from 200^m3/day night to 1,000m^3/day night. Positions of the wastewater treatment station must conform to construction planning or drainage planning approved by competent authorities.

People’s committees of provinces shall decide choice of appropriate decentralized wastewater treatment solutions in reliance on sources of wastewater, receiving waters, economic conditions, topography, and capability of management and operation of wastewater treatment system in the locality.

3. Criteria for choice of decentralized wastewater treatment technology

a) Capacity of wastewater treatment plants;

b) Components and properties of wastewater, level of pollution, capacity of receiving waters, positions of discharging processed wastewater;

c) Level of energy consumption of necessary for collection of wastewater;

d) Requirements of technical regulations and standards on quality of processed wastewater;

dd) Technical and financial conditions, capability of management and operation of wastewater treatment plants;

e) Conditions of climate, topography, site geology, and hydrogeology;

g) Capability of expanding or increasing capacity and capability of connection with centralized wastewater treatment system in the future;

h) Other relevant environmental factors;

4. Decentralized wastewater treatment technologies:

a) Septic tank;

b) Aerobic & anaerobic filters with partitions;

c) Improved septic tank with partitions and upflow anaerobic filters;

d) Anaerobic tanks, aerobic & anaerobic tanks, stabilization ponds;

dd) Constructed wetlands

e) Batch reactor;

g) Other technologies;

5. The investor shall decide choice of appropriate decentralized wastewater treatment technologies in reliance on construction planning, or drainage planning and specific conditions in the locality.

Article 2. Managing sludge from drainage system

1. Alternatives of handling sludge from drainage system:

a) Treat sludge at wastewater treatment plants with a sludge treatment area within range of the plant;

b) Treat sludge at sludge treatment areas or at solid waste treatment facilities under the planning approved by competent authorities;

Drainage organizations shall decide choice of appropriate sludge treatment alternatives in reliance on amount of sludge to be processed, locations of solid waste treatment areas/facilities, treatment technologies and socio-economic conditions in the localities.

2. Treatment of sludge from drainage system includes the following subject matters:

a) Preliminary dewatering, sludge stabilization, removal of decomposed organic matter;

b) Preliminary treatment of sludge, increasing amount of water released from sludge;

c) Drying sludge;

d) Transport and detoxification of sludge;

dd) Use of sludge for different purposes;

e) Treatment of sludge, sewage sludge to meet technical regulations as regulated;

3. Sludge treatment technologies:

a) Disposal;

b) Anaerobic decomposition to recover biogas;

c) Bio stabilization ponds and constructed wetlands;

d) Composting;

dd) Direct or indirect drying;

e) Burning sludge for energy and ashes;

g) Other technologies;

The investor shall decide choice of appropriate sludge treatment technology in reliance on economic, technical, environmental and other specific conditions in the locality.

4. Re-use of sludge after treatment must be based on:

a) Actual demand for the output from raw sludge;

b) Different purposes ensuring satisfaction of technical regulations concerning the output from raw sludge;

c) Determination of proportion of sludge used on purpose, land environment standard, content of heavy metal contained in soil, annual proportion of excess metal and limit value of pollutants contained in sludge, quantity and nutrition absorbed by trees;

5. Quality of treated sludge must ensure satisfaction of relevant technical regulations and standards, including:

a) Regulations on odor;

b) Physiological and nutritional standards (pH, content of water, total amount of nutrients, organic matter, phosphor and potassium);

c) Regulations and standards on safety by limit value of pollutants and epidemic prevention and sanitation safety;

d) Regulations on limits on concentration of pollution by limit value of heavy metal contained in sludge (total chrome, arsenic, nickel, zinc, copper, mercury, alkali...) and organic pollutants;

dd) Regulations on epidemic prevention and sanitation safety by limit value of disease causing bacteria during the use of sludge;

e) Regulations on sampling, inspection and monitoring;

6. Criteria for choice of location for use of treated sludge;

a) Topography: advantageous, restrict use of sludge at high places, eroded areas; take appropriate measures to combat erosion and avoid repetition of pollution when it rains;

b) Soil: Soil that is suitable for use of sludge such as clay, soil of poor or moderate osmosis, soil of alkalinity or neutrality, soil of good drainage;

c) Level of underground water: Figures of underground water level by seasons to avoid use of sludge that may cause pollution to underground water;

d) Ensure safety distance environmentally from civil works, housing works, domestic water supply works according to applicable technical regulations;

7. Responsibilities of drainage units for management of sludge from drainage system:

a) Collect, transport and process sludge from drainage system of their management;

b) Document management of sludge from drainage system; Subject matters of the documentation include:

Chart of drainage system and positions of connection works;

Plan for dredging and collection of sludge;

Regular sludge dredging and collection schedule;

Amount of sludge dredged, collected, transported and processed on each sewage line, ditch and headwork in respective phases;

Budget for collection, transport and treatment of sludge;

c) Establish the plan for collection, transport and treatment of sludge as regulated and under the contract for management signed with owner of the drainage system;

d) Conduct a survey and assess the needs and capability of using treated sludge, establish and present the plan for using treated sludge to the owner for approval;

dd) Cooperate with relevant units in organizing the implementation of the approved plan.

8. Responsibilities of owners of drainage system for management of sludge:

a) Organize instruction, management and monitoring of the collection, transport, treatment and re-use of sludge as regulated;

b) Organize assessment and approval of the plan for using treated sludge (expand and utilize treated sludge) in accordance with specific conditions in the locality;

c) Organize checking and assessing environmental effects on the use of treated sludge;

d) Organize instruction and checking standards for use of treated sludge and submission to competent authorities for supplements and adjustment as appropriate;

dd) Propose specific policy supporting investment in construction, sludge treatment technology to competent authorities for promulgation or promulgate within competence;

Article 3. Managing septic tank sludge

1. Requirements for collection and transport of septic tank sludge;

Facilities, equipment, vehicles that are used for collection and transport of septic tank sludge must be vehicles specialized and eligible for operation according to the law on traffic and environmental protection.

2. Responsibilities of the units providing services of collection and transport of septic tank sludge;

a) Document client management as follows:

Name of householder/unit/number of persons;

Address;

Service supply contract;

Size and volume of septic tank;

Regular septic tank suction schedule;

Other information if necessary;

b) Septic tank sludge must be transported to a centralized treatment zone under the planning or permitted by competent agencies; encouragement shall be given to the treatment of septic tank sludge at centralized wastewater treatment plants on the basis of the plant’s capacity of reception and treatment, environmental conditions and budget;

c) Expenses for suction, transport and treatment of septic tank sludge paid by householders, administrative agencies, and production, trading and service facilities under the contract signed with service providers;

d) Establish work diary, document management of collection and transport of septic tank sludge and make regular reports to local state management agencies, take responsibility for such problems as dispersion and leakage of sludge that result in environmental pollution; Documentation of management of collection and transport of septic tank sludge include the following subject matters:

General information about collection and transport service providers;

Number of shipments of sludge sucked in a day/month/quarter;

Quantity of septic tank sludge to be sucked, collected and transported;

Types of septic tanks (from public sanitation facilities, households and agencies...) are subject to suction and collection of sludge. Reasons for suction are to cancel their operation for the construction of new works or to move them to new places...);

Positions for discharge of sludge (treatment station or a dumping ground as planned...);

Cost for transport and collection;

Other information if necessary;

dd) Septic tank sludge is transported by specialized vehicles that meet the following technical safety requirements:

Mechanically and chemically sustainable while operation;

No leakage, dispersion of sludge and odor to the environment;

Measures to tackle problems while operation;

3. Responsibilities of the septic tank sludge treatment units:

a) Receive and process sludge from owners of sources, collection and transport service providers under the contract signed between the two parties;

b) Regularly monitor and document quantity of sludge received for treatment; Subject matters of the documentation include:

General information about septic tank sludge treatment units;

Quantity/volume/number of shipments of sludge received;

Amount of biological/chemical preparations (if any);

Daily records of operation of treatment technology line (including treatment of problems...);

Amount of solid matter after treatment;

c) Treatment of septic tank sludge must meet regulations on environment; types of exhaust, wastewater, sludge, ashes, and slag must be analyzed, monitored, assessed to ensure satisfaction of the standards;

Article 4. Management and use of treated wastewater

1. Management and use of treated wastewater must be directed towards saving of water resources, safe uses and ensuring community health and environmental hygiene;

2. Treated wastewater is mainly intended for such purposes as agricultural irrigation, plant watering, road washing, car washing, re-use for industries, supplementing water to water basin serving entertainment landscape, or for other purposes. Quality of treated wastewater to be re-used must meet national technical regulations on water quality used for respective purposes and applicable regulations.

3. Responsibilities of owners of drainage works:

a) Organize direction and formulation of plans and alternatives for use of treated wastewater;

b) Organize checking and assessing environmental effects on the use of treated wastewater; work it out and learn experiences from the implementation;

c) Conduct regular monitoring, inspection and analysis of treated wastewater as regulated;

4. Based on applicable regulations, People’s committees of provinces shall promulgate mechanisms and policies prioritizing and supporting activities of employment of treated wastewater in the administrative division in conformity with local conditions; organize inspection and investigation into the management of use of treated wastewater within competence.

Article 5. Drainage service contract and contract for management, operation

Specimen contract for management and operation and specimen contract for drainage service are instructed in Appendices 1, 2 of this Circular;

Article 6. Implementation organization

1. This Circular takes effect since may 19, 2015 and replaces the Circular No. 09/2009/TT-BXD dated May 21, 2009 of the Ministry of Construction detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Government’s Decree No. 88/2007/ND-CP dated May 28, 2007 on urban and industrial zone drainage.

2. Any difficulties arising in the course of the implementation of this Circular should be reported to the Ministry of Construction for review and supplements./.

For the Minister

The Deputy Minister

Cao Lai Quang

*All appendices are not translated herein.