Nutrient Credit Marketing

Client: Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority

Project: Nutrient Credit Marketing

Project Type: Additional Services

Industry: Utilities

Location: Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Nutrient Trading Program (PANTP) enables wastewater treatment plants that treat their effluent to a greater degree than their permitted limits to generate nutrient “credits,” which can be sold to point sources who are seeking nutrient credits to meet their NPDES permit obligations. In the fall of 2012, the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority (WVSA) was faced with selecting an option to sell the considerable number of nutrient credits generated at its wastewater treatment plant.

The WVSA hired Material Matters to evaluate whether renewing a contract with a third party vendor to sell their credits or selling directly to other treatment plants was the most cost-effective method to pursue. Material Matters evaluated historic nutrient trading data and determined that selling credits without a third party had potential to be more cost effective, assuming a minimum amount of credits was sold. Material Matters was then assigned by the WVSA to market their credits to municipalities and industrial dischargers across the state.

The marketing campaign was an immense success, resulting in a sale of more than 90% of the WVSA’s available total nitrogen and total phosphorus credits during the initial program compliance year (2014). Material Matters has continued to provide marketing services, resulting in sales of 100% of generated credits in all but one year.