The EPA notes that nutrient-recovery technologies provide palpable and verifiable nutrient reductions, which can allow for the elimination of the uncertainty ratios.
Water quality trading (WQT) was introduced in the 1960s, and it’s a great concept. Since its introduction, WQT has been tried approximately 60 times around the world, but mostly here in the United States.
In 2009, there were approximately 21 water quality trading projects in existence or in development. Some were successful and ran their course, though most have struggled and only had limited success. Maryland is getting ready to relaunch its trading program in 2017 with a focus on point-nonpoint trading, which is trading between sewage treatment facilities or municipal separate storm sewers (MS4) and agriculture.