This type of costs comprise all costs, which can not be assigned to the other cost types:

• Internal laboratory services
  Self-monitoring and analysis of water authorities

• pollution charges

• pollution charges are often levied by local or national governments on the discharge of water into the Environment, i.e. mostly into surface waters. They are usually imposed on operators of treatment plants and industrial dischargers. The charges are generally calculated based on actual quantities and/or pollution loads of the effluent. There is a variety of charging systems into place to determine the pollution charges on wastewater discharge. For treatment plants the pollution charge is often calculated based on the number of inhabitants served by the plant or the pollution load of specific chemical, biological and biochemical parameters. Additional information are given in Lesson D4.

• Administrative costs like insurances, office equipment etc.
  In some municipalities administrative costs are paid centrally, in some these costs are allocated to the wastewater treatment plant.

• Rents and tenancies
  Some municipality own their land and buildings and have theses costs on their capital budget. Others pay rents and tenancies.

• External costs for consultants, maintenance works, laboratory analysis

The miscellaneous costs can differ between 5 and 15 % of the total operation costs. If pollution charges have to be paid to the authorities, pollution charges are the main contributor to the total miscellaneous costs (4 - 8 %).