Commercial Pretreatment Program Overview
In 1978 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the "General Pretreatment Program Regulations." Pretreatment is defined as the treatment of a wastewater before it is discharged to the municipal sewage treatment plant. These regulations and amendments require States and local wastewater districts to enforce national pretreatment regulations. The national pretreatment program is a collaboration between federal, state, and local environmental regulatory agencies to protect water quality.
Wastewater Treatment Facilities discharge into public waters. As a "direct discharger" to these waters, the facilities must meet the requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Rather than discharging to waters of the state, your business discharges to the town's WWTP as an "indirect discharger", subject to the regulations and requirements of the Town of Carbondale per Municipal Code 13-7-20 and Municipal Code 13-7-50 .
Therefore, the town sets standards and guidelines for commercial and industrial businesses (which discharge other than normal domestic wastewater) to meet requirements. The town requires some businesses to install a pretreatment device (grease removal device, oil/sand interceptor, etc.) or other Best Management Practices so that certain pollutants (e.g. sand, solids, petroleum products, fats, oil and grease) are removed from wastewater prior to discharging into the sanitary sewer system. At a minimum, this reduces treatment plant issues, sanitary sewer blockages, sanitary sewer overflows, costly system maintenance and repairs. A few types of commercial & industrial businesses applicable to the Pretreatment Program are described below.
Food Service Establishment (FSE)
Food Service Establishments or (FSEs) are any facility that prepares food or beverage for consumption either on or off the premises, including but not limited to restaurants, cafes, commercial kitchens, caterers, hotels/motels, schools, hospitals, nursing homes or any other facility preparing and serving food/beverage. Food Service Establishments (FSEs) are the main source of Fats, Oils & Grease (FOG) and are required to install a FOG removal device as part of the Commercial Pretreatment Program. For more information see the FOG Program.
Petroleum, Oil and Sand (POS)
Petroleum, Oil and Sand or (POSs) are facilities including but not limited to manufacturing, automotive service or repair, machine shops, car-washing facilities, automotive care centers and auto body shops. To help minimize the impact, POS related businesses are required to install and maintain a water-oil-sand separator as an integral part of the Commercial Pretreatment Program. For more information see the POS Program.
Alcohol Beverage Manufacturers (ABM)
Alcohol Beverage Manufacturers or (ABMs) are facilities that use various grain products and yeast to produce alcohol, which includes breweries, wineries and distilleries. These facilities generate various concentrated quantities and types of liquid and solid wastes during the manufacturing process. These high-strength wastes can require additional costs to treat, generate odors, cause corrosion, and adversely impact the Wastewater Treatment Facility's biological organisms. Excessive amounts of high-strength waste discharged to the town's sanitary sewer system may result in a high strength sewer surcharge. For more information see the ABM Program.