Annex A - International Effluent Standards for Sewage Treatment Plants
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Annex A - International Effluent Standards for Sewage Treatment Plants

  1. For the purpose of Regulation 3(1)(a)(i) of Annex IV to the Convention, a sewage treatment plant should satisfy the following effluent standards when tested for its certificate of type test by the Administration:

  • (i) Faecal Coliform Standard

    The geometric mean of the faecal coliform count of the samples of effluent taken during the test period should not exceed 250 faecal coliforms/100 ml M.P.N. (most probable number) as determined by a multiple tube fermentation analysis or an equivalent analytical procedure.

  • (ii) Suspended Solids Standard

    • (a) Where the equipment is tested on shore, the geometric mean of the total suspended solids content of the samples of effluent taken during the test period shall not exceed 50 mg/l.

    • (b) Where the equipment is tested aboard ship, the geometric mean of the total suspended solids content of the samples of effluent taken during the test period shall be not more than 100 mg/l above the suspended solids content of ambient water used for flushing purposes.

      Analysis for suspended solids should be conducted in accordance with gravimetric methods approved by the Administration.

  2. In addition to the above conditions, the plant should be so designed that the geometric mean of 5-day Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) of the samples of effluent taken during the test period does not exceed 50 mg/l.

 Administrations should satisfy themselves that the plant is designed to reduce both soluble and insoluble organic substances to meet this requirement.


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