Industrial Pretreatment Program
The Water Pollution Control Department implements the City of Independence’s Industrial
Pretreatment Program, which was approved by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources
and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The National Pretreatment Program
was established under the Clean Water Act passed by the U.S. Congress. The National
Pretreatment Program is a cooperative effort of federal, state, and local environmental
agencies to protect water quality. The pretreatment program regulates discharges
to the sanitary sewer system from industries.
The term "pretreatment" refers to the requirement that industries discharging wastewater
to the sanitary sewer system must control their discharges and meet limits on the
amount of pollutants allowed to be discharged. The control of pollutants may necessitate
treatment prior to discharge to the sanitary sewer, or "pretreatment".
Pretreatment Program objectives
To protect the City’s sanitary sewer collection system and wastewater treatment
plant from adverse impacts resulting from the discharge of untreated industrial
wastewater, such as explosion, fire, or interference with the treatment process;
to prevent pollutants from industry discharges from passing through the City’s wastewater
treatment plant into receiving waters; and to improve the quality of sludge produced
during the treatment process.
Pretreatment Program activities
Identifying industries that need to be regulated
Issuing permits to Significant Industrial Users
Sampling and inspecting industries
Evaluating industrial user compliance with pretreatment requirements
Taking enforcement actions, as warranted
Significant Industrial Users
Seven Significant Industrial Users (SIUs) have been identified that discharge to
the City of Independence sanitary sewer system. SIUs are industries that are regulated
by national categorical pretreatment standards or that discharge at least 25,000
gallons per day of industrial process wastewater. The Water Pollution Department
can also designate other industries as SIUs if they have a reasonable potential
to cause adverse impacts on the City’s wastewater treatment plant.
Questions?
For additional information on the Independence Industrial Pretreatment Program,
please contact the Water Pollution Control Department, Office of Environmental Compliance,
at 325-7711.
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