This report discusses a survey of phosphorus treatment approaches and accomplishments for all lower Great Lakes basin plants with flows greater than 1 mgd; field operation monitoring studies to evaluate the performance of four municipal treatment plants practicing phosphorus removal, including a determination of the bioavailability of the wastewater phosphours; and an analysis of costs at each of four plants monitored, including incremental costs to achieve a 0.5 mg/l standard. Of the 229 plants in this survey, 52 percent are achieving an effluent total phosphorus concentration of 1.0 mg/l, while only 8.3 percent (19 plants) are meeting a 0.5 mg/l standard.

Prepared by Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson College of Technology, for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, Ohio, submitted by Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson College of Technology, under grant no. R806817-01. Includes bibliographical references (pages 132-134).