Pretreatment
Publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) collect wastewater from homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities and transport it via a series of pipes, known as a collection system, to the treatment plant. The POTW removes harmful organisms and other contaminants from the sewage so it can be discharged safely into the receiving stream. Generally, POTWs are designed to treat domestic sewage only. However, POTWs also receive wastewater from non-domestic (industrial and commercial) users. The General Pretreatment Regulations establish responsibilities of Federal, State, and local government, industry and the public to implement Pretreatment Standards to control pollutants from the industrial users which may pass through or interfere with POTW treatment processes or which may contaminate sewage sludge.
Within EPA Region 2, the Division of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) and the Division of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance (DECA) carry out the bulk of pretreatment program activities. The Division of Environmental Science and Assessment (DESA) may at times provide support through sampling, analysis, and quality assurance. In addition, the Office of Regional Counsel provides support and input on legal and policy issues.
General Pretreatment Regulation Changes
EPA made changes to the General Pretreatment Regulations published in the Federal Register on October 14, 2005. The regulations provide clarifications to regulations and, under certain specific conditions, allow for:
- reduced sampling for pollutants not expected to be present in the discharge
- use of general control mechanisms (e.g., permits)
- equivalent concentration limits for flow-based standards
- a change to the definition of significant noncompliance with regard to late reports
- equivalent mass for concentration limits
- reduced oversight of categorical industrial users
These changes do not affect the regulated community in New York or Puerto Rico. New York and Puerto Rico laws have not been changed to allow for the implementation of these provisions. For information regarding how these changes may affect the regulated community in New Jersey, contact New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).
New Jersey
NJDEP was authorized to implement the pretreatment program on April 13, 1982. NJDEP implements pretreatment through approval and oversight of publicly owned treatment works (POTW) programs and through direct permitting of significant industrial users/categorical industrial users (SIUs/CIUs) in areas not covered by approved POTW programs. Within the Division of Water Quality, staff in the Bureau of Pretreatment and Residuals (BPR) are responsible for the oversight of the industrial pretreatment program.
New York
New York State is not authorized to implement the pretreatment or sludge National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program components. EPA Region 2 implements these two programs and oversees the State NPDES permit program. In addition, EPA Region 2 is responsible for NPDES permitting on Indian lands.
The pretreatment universe includes 58 approved local industrial pretreatment programs, which regulate over 1,100 significant industrial users (SIUs) and over 40 categorical industrial users (CIUs) which are under direct oversight by EPA Region 2.
Approved programs in New York State:
NPDES # | SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT | NPDES # | SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT |
NY0026875 | ALBANY CO SD NORTH WWTP | NY0025950 | AMHERST (T) WWTF #16 |
NY0020290 | AMSTERDAM (C) WWTP | NY0021903 | AUBURN (C) STP |
NY0026514 | BATAVIA (C) WPCP | NY0025976 | BEACON (C) WPCP |
NY0024414 | BINGHAMTON-JOHNSON (C) JNT STP | NY0028410 | BIRD ISLAND WWTP |
NY0020681 | BLASDELL (V) WWTP | NY0025968 | CANANDAIGUA (C) WWTF |
NY0035742 | CHEMUNG CO ELMIRA SD STP | NY0027961 | DUNKIRK (C) WWTP |
NY0027669 | ENDICOTT (V) WPCP | NY0095401 | ERIE CO/SOUTHTOWNS SEW TRT FAC |
NY0028339 | FRANK E VAN LARE WWTP | NY0026301 | FULTON (C) WPCP |
NY0026620 | GLEN COVE (C) WTP | NY0029050 | GLENS FALLS (C) WWTP |
NY0026042 | GLOVERSVILLE-JOHNSTOWN JOINT WWTP | NY0028533 | HAVERSTRAW JOINT REGIONAL STP |
NY0036528 | HERKIMER CO SD WWT FAC | NY0026638 | ITHACA AREA WWTF |
NY0027570 | JAMESTOWN (C) WWTP | NY0029351 | KINGSTON (C) WWTF |
NY0027561 | LE ROY R SUMMERSON WWTF | NY0022403 | LITTLE FALLS (C) WWTP |
NY0027057 | LOCKPORT (C) WWTP | NY0026701 | MAMARONECK SANITARY SD WWTP |
NY0027049 | MARSH CREEK WWTP | NY0027081 | METROPOLITAN SYRACUSE WWTP |
NY0022331 | MIDDLEPORT (V) WWTF | NY0026450 | NCSD#2 - BAY PARK STP |
NY0022446 | NEW WINDSOR (T) STP | NY0029475 | NEWARK (V) WWTP |
NY0026310 | NEWBURGH (C) WPCP | NY0027774 | NEWFANE (T) WWTP |
NY0027979 | NIAGARA COUNTY SD#1 WWTP | NY0026336 | NIAGARA FALLS (C) WWTP |
NY0026280 | NORTH TONAWANDA (C) WWTP | NY0027901 | OCSD #1 HARRIMAN STP |
NY0027162 | OLEAN (C) WWTF | NY0029831 | OGDENSBURG SECONDARY WWTP |
NY0026051 | ORANGETOWN (T) SD#2 STP | NY0025780 | ONEIDA COUNTY WPCP |
NY0026018 | PLATTSBURGH (C) WPCP | NY0029114 | OSWEGO (C) EAST SIDE WWTF |
NY0087971 | RENSSELAER COUNTY SD#1 WWTP | NY0026255 | POUGHKEEPSIE (C) WPCP |
NY0030864 | ROME MUNICIPAL STP | NY0031895 | ROCKLAND COUNTY SD#1 STP |
NY0020516 | SCHENECTADY (C) WPCP | NY0028240 | SARATOGA CO SD# 1 WWTP |
NY0104809 | SUFFOLK COUNTY SD#3-SOUTHWEST | NY0022748 | SUFFERN (V) STP |
NY0021610 | WALTER W BRADLEY WPCF | NY0026395 | TONAWANDA (T) SD#2 WWTP |
NY0025984 | WATERTOWN (C) WPCP | NY0026131 | WARD ISLAND WPC |
Puerto Rico
EPA Region 2 implements the NPDES program in Puerto Rico, including oversight of pretreatment program implementation for POTWs in Puerto Rico. In 1985 EPA approved the pretreatment program for the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA), which operates all POTWs on the island. This is the only approved pretreatment program in Puerto Rico. PRASA issues control mechanisms that implement applicable pretreatment standards and requirements to the SIUs in the Commonwealth.
U.S. Virgin Islands
There are no known facilities subject to pretreatment requirements in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The U.S. Virgin Island Department of Planning and Natural Resources is not delegated to administer the pretreatment program.
Regional Policy
June 9, 1992 memo interpreting the monitoring considerations for the four day average limit in the 40 C.F.R. § 413 Electroplating Point Source Category (PDF, 210K, 4pp)
For questions concerning the pretreatment program in Region 2, please contact Virginia Wong of the Division of Environmental Compliance & Assistance at (212) 637-4241, or Jacqueline Ríos of the Division of Environmental Planning & Protection at (212) 637-3859.