Pretreatment Program Definition
Federal law mandates pretreatment programs. The Regional Water Quality Board mandates the program as part of the SCRWA Plant's permit to operate and discharge. The program's intent is to control pollutants discharged to a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) from non-domestic sources. The Clean Water Act of 1972 sets forth the following objectives:
To prevent upset, interference1 and pass-through2 in the POTW. Specifically, the SCWRA Plant.
Provide protection with regard to the health and safety of the public and the environment.
Provide protection of the structure and integrity of the collection system and safety for the personnel working the system.
To prevent deterioration of the quality standards of the receiving waters; to prevent contamination of POTW sludge which could affect their disposal or future use.
1Interference: A discharge by an Industrial User which inhibits or disrupts the treatment plant processes or operations. 2 Pass-Through: The discharge of pollutants through the treatment plant which causes a violation of any requirement of the treatment plant's permit from the State regulatory agency (the Regional Water Quality Control Board).