General Description

Summary of Federal Requirements

Regardless of whether the POTW is solely treating domestic wastewater and/or industrial wastewater, there are general prohibitions about what can be put down the drain as well as categorical discharge standards for apply to specific process wastewaters of particular industrial categories.

General Prohibitions

Do not discharge to the wastewater treatment works:

• pollutants that could cause pass through (a discharge which exits the POTW into waters in quantities or concentrations which, alone or in conjunction with one or more discharges from other sources, is a cause of a violation of any requirement of the POTW’s NPDES permit)
• pollutants that could cause interference (a discharge which, alone or in conjunction with one or more discharges from other sources inhibits or disrupts the POTW and causes a violation of any requirement of the POTW’s NPDES permit)
• pollutants which create a fire or explosion hazard in the POTW/FOTW, including but not limited to waste streams with a closed cup flashpoint of less than 140 °F (60° C)
• pollutants that will cause corrosive structural damage to the POTW/ FOTW
• discharges with a pH below 5.0
• solid or viscous pollutants in amounts that will cause obstruction to the flow (i.e., fish cleaning stations, sand and sediment)
• no pollutants, including pollutants with oxygen demand, at a flow rate or concentration that will cause interference with the POTW/FOTW
• heat in amounts that would inhibit biological activity at the POTW/ FOTW resulting in interference is not discharged (i.e., scrubber water, boiler blow down
• petroleum, oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral oil origin in amounts that would result in a pass through or interference (specifically check maintenance areas and oil/water separators)
• pollutants which would result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors, or fumes within the POTW/FOTW in quantities that would cause acute worker health and safety problems
• no trucked or hauled pollutants except at discharge points designated by the POTW/FOTW.

Do not discharge acutely hazardous waste to a FOTW.

Industrial users must:

• notify the POTW/ FOTW in advance of any substantial change in the volume or character of pollutants in their discharge
• notify the POTW, the Regional Waste Management Division Director, and state hazardous waste authorities in writing of any discharges into the POTW of a substance that would be a hazardous waste, (NOTE: An industrial User is defined as “a source of indirect discharge.”)

Categorical Discharge Standards

These are national, technology-based standards that apply regardless of whether or not the POTW has an approved pretreatment program or the industrial user has been issued a permit. The current categorical pretreatment standards are for the following:

• Dairy products processing point source category
• Grain mills point source category
• Canned and preserved fruits and vegetables processing point source category
• Canned and preserved seafood processing point source category
• Sugar processing point source category
• Textile mills point source category
• Cement manufacturing point source category
• Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) point source category
• Electroplating point source category
• Organic chemicals, plastics, and synthetic fibers
• Inorganic chemicals manufacturing point source category
• Soap and detergent manufacturing point source category
• Fertilizer manufacturing point source category
• Petroleum refining point source category
• Iron and steel manufacturing point source category
• Nonferrous metals manufacturing point source category
• Phosphate manufacturing point source category
• Steam electric power generating point source category
• Ferroalloy manufacturing point source category
• Leather tanning and finishing point source category
• Glass manufacturing point source category
• Asbestos manufacturing point source category
• Rubber manufacturing point source category
• Timber products processing point source category
• The pulp, paper, and paperboard point source category
• Meat products point source category
• Metal finishing point source category
• Coal mining point source category BPT, BAT, BCT limitations and new source performance standards
• Oil and gas extraction point source category
• Mineral mining and processing point source category
• The centralized waste treatment point source category
• Metal products and machinery point source category
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing point source category
• Ore mining and dressing point source category
• Transportation equipment cleaning point source category
• Effluent limitations guidelines for existing sources and standards of performance and pretreatment standards for new sources for the paving and roofing materials (tars and asphalt) point source category
• Waste combustors point source category
• Landfills point source category
• Paint formulating point source category
• Ink formulating point source category
• Gum and wood chemicals manufacturing point source category
• Pesticide chemicals
• Explosives manufacturing point source category
• Carbon black manufacturing point source category
• Photographic point source category
• Hospital point source category
• Battery manufacturing point source category
• Plastics molding and forming point source category
• Metal molding and casting point source category
• Coil coating point source category
• Porcelain enameling point source category
• Aluminum forming point source category
• Copper forming point source category
• Electrical and electronic components point source category
• Nonferrous metals forming and metal powders point source category.

A POTW/FOTW may impose on a user special/individual prohibitions as to what a user can put down the drain.

Summary of State Requirements

Laws and Statutes

Clean Water Act