Industrial Waste Pretreatment

The COA Pretreatment (Industrial Waste) Program consists of the following elements:

• Industrial Monitoring Programs
• Industrial Inspection Program
• Liquid Waste Permitting Program
• Grease Trap Inspection Program 
• Pollution Prevention (P2)
  • P2’s basic premise is that waste is the result of inefficiency, whether it stems from management, production flow, material selection, operations, or from the organization’s general culture.
  • Identifying P2 Opportunities: which includes material selection, process design, process improvements/material substitution, energy conservation, and environmental management system. 
  •  P2 techniques include changes to raw material, modifications to process, improving O/M procedures, source control, and recovery, reclamation, and reuse. 
  •  Simple Concept- cost associated with managing a waste can be significantly reduced by improving processes to use all raw materials more efficiently or by recovering the spent material for reuse. 
  •  Enforcement

The City of Amarillo is obligated to provide for a pretreatment program by the 1972 Clean Water Act. Sections 307(b) and (c) of this Act authorized the EPA to develop national pretreatment standards for new and existing dischargers to Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs).

The objective of the pretreatment program is to provide for the following:

1. To prevent the introduction of pollutants into POTWs which will interfere with the operation of a POTW, including interference with its use or disposal of municipal sludge.
2. To prevent the introduction of pollutants into POTWs, which will pass through the treatment works, or otherwise be incompatible with such works.
3. To improve opportunities to recycle and reclaim municipal and industrial wastewaters and sludges.

The City of Amarillo is required to develop and obtain approval for a Pretreatment Program. This is a part of the City’s permits to discharge treated water from its wastewater treatment plants, without an approved program the City could not discharge from its plants.

The City of Amarillo is obligated to provide for the following permit requirements:

• Establish legal authority.
• Develop procedures to ensure compliance with the Program.
• Provide adequate funding.
• Develop and implement a Local Limits Program.
• Develop and implement an Enforcement Response Plan.
• Prepare and maintain a list of industrial users.

Permits are required for all significant users that fit the following categories:

• The facility qualifies as a Categorical User.
• Industrial Users discharging >25,000 GPD.
• Other Industries as designated by the City.