Pretreatment Program

The National Pretreatment Program is a pollution prevention program that sets specific standards and requirements on the discharge of industrial waste. The Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works is authorized to implement its pretreatment program in an effort to eliminate contributions of pollutants that could cause harm to or interfere with the County wastewater collection system. The pretreatment program mitigates the introduction of conventional pollutants as well as the introduction of fats, oils, and grease (FOG). The goal of the program is to protect the infrastructure of wastewater treatment plants and their staff, while reducing conventional and toxic Wastewater Treatment pollution discharges into the environment.

Program Information

The Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works permits three categories of facilities:

Significant Industrial Users (SIUs) – industries who discharge greater than 25,000 gallons of wastewater per day, contributes 5 percent or more of the average dry weather hydraulic or organic capacity of the treatment plant, or is designated a SIU by Anne Arundel County based on the reasonable potential for adversely affecting the operation of the wastewater collection system

Non-Significant Industrial Users (NSICs) – an industry that is deemed by the County to discharge harmful types and/or volumes of process wastewater to the collection system

Commercial User (CU) – a business that is deemed by the County to discharge predominantly domestic wastewater and which may include wastewater harmful to the sewerage system

Important Notice:

All industries, commercial establishments, institutions, and dischargers of hauled wasted who discharge into the County sewer system must apply for an Anne Arundel County Wastewater Discharge Permit 

Permit Fees:

  1. Significant Industrial Users: $1,600 per application
  2. Nonsignificant Industrial Users: $100 per application
  3. Significant Commercial Users: $100 per application
  4. Users required to have and maintain a grease interceptor or oil separator: $100 per application
  5. Dischargers of hauled wastes: $100 per application

Administrative Fees:

  1. Significant Industrial Users: $3,200
  2. Nonsignificant Industrial Users: $1,300
  3. Significant Commercial Users: $100
  4. Users required to have and maintain a grease interceptor or oil separator: $100 per application

All permits are valid for 5 years from the date of issuance. All permitted dischargers are required to submit renewals 180 days prior to the date of expiration. Failure to do so can result in enforcement procedures outlined in the Anne Arundel County Pretreatment Program Enforcement Response Plan.

Four types of inspections are utilized in Anne Arundel County’s Pretreatment Program:

  1. Initial/Pre-permitting Inspection
  2. Routine Inspections*
  3. Spill Response Inspections
  4. Complaint Response Inspections

*Information about Routine Inspections:

a. All Significant Industrial users are inspected two times a year by a County representative
b. All Nonsignificant Industrial users are inspected once a year by a County representative
c. Commercial Users are inspected at no fixed frequency, but may be inspected initially at the time of permitting or at random

Users are subject to sampling visits conducted by County contracted laboratories, in addition to their submissions of mandatory self-monitoring compliance reports.

1. Significant Industrial Users

a. County sampling is conducted at random twice per year

b. Self-monitoring compliance reports are due quarterly each year: March 15th, June 15th, Sept 15th, and Dec 15th

2. Nonsignificant Industrial Users

a. County sampling/self-monitoring compliance reports required on annual basis and due by Dec 15th of each year

Discharge Sampling Parameters:

1. Environmental Protection Agency Priority Pollutant Metals List

2. Conventional and other pollutants:

  • Aluminum
  • Ammonia
  • Biological Oxygen Demand
  • Chemical Oxygen Demand
  • Cyanide amenable to Chlorination
  • Formaldehyde
  • Hexavalent Chromium
  • Ignitability
  • Lower Explosive Limit
  • Nitrate – Nitrogen
  • Nitrite
  • Oil & Grease
  • Petroleum Oil & Grease
  • pH
  • Total Suspended Solids
  • Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
  • Total Phosphorus
  • Total Toxic Organics

Under a Federal mandate, dental facilities are now required to meet new pretreatment standards that reduce the discharge of mercury-containing dental amalgam into municipal wastewater treatment plants. Effective as of July 14, 2017, this rule requires dental offices to use and properly maintain amalgam separators, and follow two “Best Management Practices” recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA).

More Dental Facility Requirement Information

Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) discharged by the food and beverage service industry are regulated under the Anne Arundel County Pretreatment Program. Controlling FOG helps municipal wastewater treatment plants prevent blockages that impact sanitary sewer overflows which can cause public health and water quality issues. Grease and and oil wastes may not be discharged into the County sewer system.


Important FOG Information for Businesses
 

All violations of Federal, State, or Local discharge limits will result in enforcement actions detailed in the Pretreatment Program Enforcement Response Plan.

Contact Information

Phone
(410) 222-8818