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Wastewater

Industrial Pretreatment

When an industry applies for sewer service from the City of Columbia, federal law requires that the City determine if that discharge must be regulated under the Federal General Pretreatment Regulations.

Some industries may be required to complete a more comprehensive Wastewater Discharge Permit Application. Based on information given in this application, an industry may be classified as a Categorical Industry or a Significant Non-categorical Industry. These types of industries are then issued a permit outlining certain conditions and limitations that must be met in order to receive sanitary sewer service from the City.

Fees

Annual Industrial Wastewater Permit Fee: $200.00
Industrial Surcharge Fee: Based on the amount and nature of compliance monitoring and analysis requirements and any other associated costs for services.

Details

The permittee shall pay to the City of Columbia an annual fee for the industrial wastewater permit of $200.00. The permittee shall also pay to the City of Columbia an Industrial Surcharge based on the amount and nature of compliance monitoring and analysis required and any other costs associated to with the Permittee for services under the Industrial Pretreatment Program. This surcharge will be invoiced annually.

Inspections

The City of Columbia will randomly sample and analyze the effluent from Industrial Users and conduct surveillance activities in order to identify, independent of information supplied by the Industrial Users, occasional and continuing noncompliance with Pretreatment Standards. The City will inspect and sample the effluent from each Significant Industrial User at least once a year.

The Industrial Site Inspections Form outlines what the inspector will be looking for. The wastewater inspector will fill one out when inspecting the regulated facility.

Enforcement

How violations are calculated:

  • Chronic SNC is calculated if 66% or more of the measurements exceed the same daily maximum limit or the same average limit in a 6-month period (any magnitude of exceedance).
  • Technical Review Criteria (TRC) Violations are calculated when 33% or more of the measurements exceed the same daily maximum limit or the same average limit by more than the TRC IN A 6-month period. TRC for conventional pollutants (BOD, TSS, and FOG) is 1.4 X Permit Limit. The TRC for other Pollutants (Organics and metals) except pH is 1.2 X Permit Limit.
  • Other SNC violations concern effluent discharges that interfere or pass-through; or endanger the health of the sewage treatment personnel or the public.

 

Important Documents, Forms, and Applications

Forms and Applications

Informational Documents

Industrial User Requirements