The city's industrial pretreatment program is a partner in a collaborative effort of Federal, State, and local regulatory environmental agencies whose shared objective is to protect water quality. Pretreatment is the removal, reduction, or alteration of pollutants in industrial or non-domestic wastewater prior to discharge or introduction into Publicly Owned Treatment Works (i.e., municipal sewer systems). The program is designed to reduce the level of pollutants discharged by industries and other non-domestic wastewater sources into Publicly Owned Treatment Works, and thereby, reduce the amount of pollutants released into the environment through wastewater.
The major goals of the industrial pretreatment program are:
- To prevent the introduction of pollutants into the Publicly Owned Treatment Works that will cause interference with its operation;
- To prevent the introduction of pollutants into the Publicly Owned Treatment Works that will pass through the Publicly Owned Treatment Works, inadequately treated, into receiving waters;
- To provide protection for public health and welfare and Publicly Owned Treatment Works personnel; and
- To improve opportunities for the beneficial reuse of reclaimed water, residuals, and industrial wastewaters and sludges.
Federal, State, and local regulations establish pretreatment rules and wastewater discharge standards. The city's industrial pretreatment program implements the rules and monitors the wastewater discharge from local industries and other non-domestic wastewater sources for compliance with the wastewater discharge standards. The program also collects samples of wastewater from all over the city's sewer system, monitoring conditions in the system and for unknown sources of pollutants.
The Wastewater Department issues enforceable wastewater discharge permits, as required by the program, to many industries and to all companies that transport waste from sources such as portable toilets and septic tanks to the city's treatment facility for disposal. The permits specify regulated pollutants, discharge standards, monitoring and reporting requirements, and various standard conditions.
For more information regarding the city's industrial pretreatment program, please see the following links or contact the program's coordinator at 813-247-3451, ext. 55222.