Pretreatment is defined as the treatment of a waste before it is discharged to the municipal sewage treatment plants. Municipal sewage treatment plants are sometimes referred to as publicly-owned treatment works or "POTWs," but will hereinafter be referred to as municipal sewage treatment plants. A municipal sewage treatment plant is a system, owned by a state or municipality, used in the treatment of liquid municipal sewage or liquid industrial wastes. Pretreatment requirements control pollutants that are incompatible with, or will interfere with, the treatment process. Pretreatment requirements are also established for pollutants that will pass through the treatment plant and cause problems in the receiving stream or lake. In addition, pretreatment requirements improve opportunities to recycle and reclaim domestic and industrial wastewaters and sludges.

Do The Pretreatment Requirements Apply To Your Community?

Yes, if your community's municipal sewage treatment system has non-domestic users (for example, food processing plants or metal finishers) discharging pollutants that could pass through your sewage treatment plant untreated or interfere with operations, you may have to implement a pretreatment program to satisfy your sewage treatment plant's National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements. As discussed in the previous section, your community must obtain an NPDES permit if it operates a municipal sewage treatment plant and discharges directly into a body of water.

Your current NPDES permit may contain requirements for you to regulate non-domestic discharges into your collection system. These pretreatment requirements are designed to ensure that you protect your municipal sewage treatment plant, receiving stream, and municipal sludge quality.

Actions Your Community Should Be Taking

If your community is required to establish a pretreatment program, you will need to establish local ordinances and other procedures to carry out the pretreatment requirements, as well as identify personnel responsible for ensuring the program is administered and enforced.

Your community's municipal sewage treatment plant must develop pollutant-specific limitations that will be applicable to local non-domestic users who discharge their wastewaters to your sewage treatment plant. These limitations will allow local municipal sewage treatment works to protect human health and safety, receiving water quality, sludge quality and the operation of the treatment works.

If your community wants to establish a local pretreatment program, even though it is not required to do so through your National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit, contact your state agency or EPA for assistance.

Additional Information

The general pretreatment regulations are published in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 403. Industry-specific pretreatment standards are published in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 405-471.

Environmental Regulations and Technology-The National Pretreatment Program EPA/625/10-86/005 (see pages 111?112).

Your state agency or U.S. EPA will be able to provide additional details on your pretreatment program.

(See Resource Section for wastewater contacts)