Dentists, Industrial Waste, King County

Industrial Waste

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King County regulations for dental wastewater discharged to the sewer

Dental waste program |
Technical assistance for dentists | Useful links for dentists | Update your practice's contact information

The dental waste program
Dental practices that discharge mercury into the King County sewage system must be in compliance with the county limits for mercury. To demonstrate compliance a dental office can install an approved amalgam separator unit or sample its wastewater and apply for a permit to discharge. Our program conducts compliance inspections at dental offices on an ongoing basis.

Has the installation of Amalgam Separator Units in King County made a difference?

Technical assistance for dentists:
KCIW wants to help dentists join with us in keeping harmful pollutants out of the environment. To do this, we have prepared the documents and offer other technical assistance below:

Download:

Discharging Dental Wastewater
into the King County Sewer System Fact Sheet

Fact sheet with overall information about how to comply. The dental wastewater fact sheet

Learn about King County dental wastewater compliance inspections.

What to do with your used amalgam waste;

What to do with your used x-ray fixer;
including information about companies that transport dental office waste to licensed treatment, storage, disposal, or recycling facilities (TSDRs).

Equipment and waste management log provided as a resource for recordkeeping.

Amalgam Separators Approved by King County chart: down-loadable as an Adobe PDF file.(52KB)

Links to companies that sell King County approved amalgam separators.

The Dental Wastewater Discharge Permit Application and instructions are available to download as a Microsoft Word files.

Useful links for dentists:

(July 2008) Patricia Magnuson, an Industrial Waste Program compliance investigator, was invited to provide testimony on the Dental Waste Program and its outcome to date at a U.S. Congress Domestic Policy subcommittee hearing, Assessing State and Local Regulations to Reduce Dental and Mercury Emissions. Link to the King County news release.

The final King County Dental Project report (external link) presents data on the quantities of dental waste generated by dental offices in King County and documents the disposal methods for those wastes. It also describes the hazardous waste management improvements that were achieved through the cooperative efforts of Local Hazardous Waste Management Program (LHWMP) staff and the dental community. The report was produced by Public Health - Seattle & King County as part of LHWMP in King County, January 2005.

Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology's) Dental Office Best Management Practices (external link)

Learn more about Ecology's Mercury Chemical Action Plan, a part of the agency's Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxins strategy.(external link)

For information about laboratory accreditation in Washington State visit Ecology's Internet page.(external link)

The Environmental Protection Agency's-- links for Best Management Practices for Dental Offices (external link)

Naval Dental Research Institute--dental mercury environmental issues. (external link)

Companies that take back unwanted pharmaceuticals: a list of reverse distributors that dental offices can use to properly dispose of expired, unused pharmaceuticals. Disposal to the trash and sewer are not permitted. Produced by the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County with Public Health - Seattle and King County.

Local Hazardous Waste Management Program (King County)-- Envirostars Program
Dental practices which are in compliance with King County Industrial Waste regulations may well qualify for EnviroStars certification. EnviroStars, a service of the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program of King County, is a program that certifies businesses for their efforts in preventing pollution and reducing hazardous waste. Certified EnviroStars businesses are given a two-to-five star rating based on their commitment to reducing hazardous waste. The higher the star rating, the more proactive the business has been in protecting the environment.

Update your practice's contact information:
Is yours a new dental office - or have you recently relocated your office within King County? Please contact the Industrial Waste Program by e-mailing: Patricia Magnuson(patricia.magnuson@kingcounty.gov) or by calling 206-263-3021 or TTY: 711, and provide the following information: name, name of practice, address, phone, business e-mail.

(Page updated 7/11/08. For further information, e-mail Patricia Magnuson). For address, phone and fax click on "Contacts and Map" left.

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