5.

3 Environmental Management System (EMS)

Environmental Management System (EMS) is a set of processes and practices that enable an
organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase the efficiency of the operation. It
also monitors environmental performance, like a financial management system that monitors
expenditure and income. An EMS integrates environmental management into a company's daily
operations, long term planning and other quality management systems. A successful EMS
implementation may lead to ISO 14001 certification.
The primary goal is to ensure that wastewater is treated using technologies and practices that
minimize harmful environmental impacts, and the sludge is removed during the treatment of
wastewater. The other objective is to maintain a registry on effluent quality (i.e. on the treatment
performance) of wastewater treatment systems.
For the HJR industry wherein their wastes and wastewater can affect the environment, an
EMS is necessary. This will improve the environmental performance of the company and achieve
sustained compliance in existing and forthcoming regulations. To implement EMS, the company
must have a strong commitment from the management, proper allocation of appropriate
resources, and development of a strategy to be implemented within a specified period of time,
and implementation using a combination of internal and external resources. Also, audits can be
made to ensure whether EMS is really implemented or not. From the side of the auditor, he
should ensure that each wastewater treatment plant is classified properly; quarterly or even
weekly summary reports of wastewater quality; the sludge from wastewater treatment are treated
or disposed of according to regulations.