National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
PRETREATMENTOverview
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. Here, the POTW removes harmful organisms and other contaminants from the sewage so it can be discharged safely to receiving waters. Generally, POTWs are designed to treat domestic sewage only. However, POTWs also receive wastewater from industrial (non-domestic) users. The 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. The Water Boards ensure that POTWs and industrial users comply with federal Pretreatment regulations.
New Developments
- Streamlining Rule – On September 27, 2005 USEPA signed final changes
to its General Pretreatment Regulations. These changes were published in the
Federal Register on October 14, 2005.
- California’s Perspective on Pretreatment - State Water Board presentation
at the 2006 California Water Environment Association, Pretreatment, Pollution Prevention,
and Stormwater Conference.
Contacts
- State Water Board
Jenny Chen (main contact)
(916) 341-5570
hjchen@waterboards.ca.govAdam Laputzi
(916) 341-7338
alaputz@waterboards.ca.gov
- Regional Water Boards
Regional Water BoardContact(s) Phone 1
(707) 576-2670
(707) 576-27522
San Francisco Bay Michael Chee (510) 622-2333 3
(805) 549-3695
4
(213) 576-6760
5F
(559) 445-6190
5R
(530) 224-4993
5S
(916) 464-4660
(916) 464-4623
(916) 464-46556
(760) 241-2434
7
(760) 674-8142
(760) 776-89648
(951) 320-6362
9
(858) 467-2952
Related Links