Pretreatment Program
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Summary:
The Pretreatment Program provides the regulatory basis to require non-domestic dischargers to comply with pretreatment standards to ensure that the goals of the Clean Water Act are attained.
Published On:
4/14/2008Last Updated:
4/21/2008The City of Yuma collects wastewater from homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities and transports it via a series of pipes, known as a wastewater collection system, to the treatment plant. Here, the City of Yuma removes harmful organisms and other contaminants from the wastewater so it can be discharged safely into the Colorado River. In general, the City of Yuma treatment plant was designed to treat domestic wastewater only. However, the City of Yuma also receives wastewater from industrial (non-domestic) users.
As noted above, the City of Yuma treatment plants are not designed to treat toxics in industrial waste. As such, these discharges, from both industrial and commercial sources, can cause serious problems. The undesirable outcome of these discharges can be prevented using treatment techniques or management practices to reduce or eliminate the discharge of these contaminants. The act of treating wastewater prior to discharge to a treatment plant is commonly referred to as “pretreatment.”
The National Pretreatment Program, published in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 403, provides the regulatory basis to require non-domestic dischargers to comply with pretreatment standards to ensure that the goals of the Clean Water Act are attained. The objectives of the National Pretreatment Program are to:
- Prevent the introduction of pollutants into the wastewater collection system which will interfere with the operation of the treatment plant, including interference with its use or disposal of the bio-solids;
- Prevent the introduction of pollutants into the wastewater collection system which will pass through the treatment plant; and
- Improve opportunities to recycle and reclaim municipal and industrial wastewaters and sludges.
Does My Facility Need A Discharge Permit?
The City of Yuma Pretreatment Program uses the following criteria to determine if your facility will need a discharge permit.
Your facility is subject to any categorical standard.
- Discharges 25,000 gallons or more per average work day (includes sanitary, non contact cooling, and boiler blowdown wastewaters).
- Contributes a process wastewater that makes up five percent or more of the hydraulic capacity of any of the treatment plants.
- Designated by the Wastewater Treatment Manager upon a finding that the facility has a reasonable potential for adversely affecting the City of Yuma's treatment/collection operations or violating any pretreatment standard or requirement.
- Discharges any substances defined in Yuma City Code Title 19, Chapter 191, Sections 49-51.
- Has a discharge that is either domestic in nature, or has no discharge at all, but such facility does have significant quantities of pollutants that, if discharged, would be regulated.
If you feel your facility requires a permit, please contact the Pretreatment Section.
