The Goa Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has officially exempted small sewage and effluent treatment plants from the earlier mandate to install Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring Systems (OCEMS). This decision was made during the 162nd Board Meeting held on 21 May 2025, in response to industry representations seeking relief for smaller units.
📜 Background of the OCEMS Mandate
In its 156th Board Meeting, GPCB had the following mandates:
- Installation of OCEMS for:
- Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) with capacity above 100 KLD
- Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) with capacity above 50 KLD
- The purpose was to strengthen real-time effluent quality monitoring and connect the systems to the Board’s central server.
🗣️ Industry Representations and Review
Following the directive, several units submitted representations requesting exemption for smaller STPs and ETPs due to:
- Operational scale and cost constraints
- Non-industrial or residential nature of installations
In light of this, the matter was placed before the 162nd Board Meeting for re-evaluation.
🏛️ Final Decision of the 162nd Board Meeting
After detailed deliberation, the Board decided the following:
🔹 OCEMS installation is now exempted for:
- STPs above 100 KLD
- ETPs above 50 KLD
This exemption aligns with the guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and ensures consistency across state and national policy.
📌 What Remains Unchanged
- All other provisions under remain unchanged.
- Units are still required to:
- Comply with discharge norms
- Maintain logbooks and operational records
- Allow inspection by PCB officials
- Submit monthly effluent data reports, if applicable
📊 Summary of Compliance Status
| Treatment Type | Capacity | OCEMS Requirement |
| STP | ≤ 100 KLD | ❌ Exempted |
| STP | > 100 KLD | ❌ Exempted (now) |
| ETP | ≤ 50 KLD | ❌ Exempted |
| ETP | > 50 KLD | ❌ Exempted (now) |
📣 Action for Stakeholders
- Units that have not yet installed OCEMS due to the above capacity thresholds need not proceed further.
- Units are still advised to refer to the original circular (dated 23/05/2024) for other applicable compliance instructions.
- Ensure that effluent parameters are within prescribed limits and records are maintained for inspection.