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 information on the pretreatment program

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.

Information concerning Significant Industrial Users in New Jersey

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.