Industrial Waste Pretreatment Requirements

LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN) manages the Industrial Pretreatment Program to protect community sewer infrastructure and local waterways. By requiring commercial and industrial facilities to eliminate, reduce, or alter contaminants before releasing process wastewater into the sewer system, we prevent toxic pollutants from damaging sewer lines or escaping into rivers and ocean waters. Facilities achieve effective pretreatment by using physical, chemical, or biological treatment processes on site. Additionally, the program has drastically reduced the number of sanitary sewer overflows in the City of Los Angeles.

Cleaner River and Ocean
Treating wastewater at the source ensures our water reclamation systems operate cleanly and efficiently. Through rigorous monitoring and industry compliance, the Industrial Pretreatment Program has achieved a dramatic reduction in heavy metal pollutants flowing into the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant. This reduction protects our local marine ecosystems and keeps beaches safe for Angeleno families.

The City of Los Angeles, in cooperation with the California Dental Association (CDA), identified ways to reduce or eliminate dental amalgam (may or may not contain mercury) and other dental wastes (silver from photographic X-ray processing and lead from foil shields) contained in industrial wastewater through implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs).

The City regulates industrial wastewater discharges from dental offices and clinics into the City's sewer system. We established Dental Operations BMPs as part of the Industrial Wastewater Permit requirements.

Dental Office Requirements

The City's Industrial Waste Control Ordinance requires the following from dental offices:

• Dental offices and clinics that generate industrial wastewater containing dental amalgam, photographic, disinfectant, and preservative wastes must obtain an Industrial Wastewater Permit to discharge to the CIty's sewer collection system.
• Dental offices and clinics must comply with Best Management Practices to reduce dental amalgam and other dental wastes from entering the City's sewer collection system.
• Dental offices and clinics that fail to comply with Best Management Practices are subject to in enforcement actions.

The City has worked closely with the CDA to develop outreach and educational materials such as the Dental Offices Best Management Practices brochure entitled "Clean Water, Making It Happen" and the video "Amalgam Management: Environmentally Responsible Dentistry" to increase awareness among dental offices and clinics of the potential adverse environmental impacts of dental wastes in wastewater.

LASAN is responsible for maintaining the City's sewer system and clearing blockages. Blockages can cause sewage to overflow into the environment.

Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) build up in the sewer lines and restrict flow, causing blockages. The FOG also interferes with the operation of sewage pumping stations resulting in increased maintenance costs.

In order to prevent sewage overflows into the environment, LASAN has developed a comprehensive program to reduce the discharge of FOG to the sewer system. This program includes:

• Regulatory control of FSEs
• Public outreach to residences
• Improved preventive maintenance

The FOG Control Program requirements are specified in the Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 64.30 (refer to "Related Documents" below) and the Board of Public Works' Rules and Regulations Governing Disposal of Industrial Wastewater into Publicly Owned Treatment Works of the City.

Summary of the FOG Control Ordinance

Shown below is a summary of sections from the Industrial Waste Control Ordinance and the Board of Public Works' Rules and Regulations pertaining to FOG Control Program.

• All food service establishments that discharge grease will be required to obtain an industrial wastewater permit. A one-time $616.00* application fee and annual $428.00* inspection and control fee will be assessed to the FSE.
• All food service establishments will be required to use best management practices (BMPs) to reduce the grease discharged to the sewer system.
• The use of garbage grinders in food service establishments is prohibited, unless specifically allowed.
• Any FSE that is known to cause grease-related sewage spills or fails to implement BMPs will be required to install a grease interceptor or a grease trap.
• All new construction of FSEs must include the installation of a grease interceptor.
• All existing FSEs planning a remodel valued at $100,000.00 or more will be required to include the installation of a grease interceptor.
• Exemptions, conditional waivers or variances will be available to the FSEs that do not generate grease or have very limited space in their property such that installation of a grease interceptor is unfeasible.

*These fees are current as of July 1st, 2018, and valid until June 30, 2019. They are subject to yearly adjustments on July 1st of each year.

The City inspects the facility, determines the industry type, quality and quantity of flow, wastewater process, pretreatment required, etc. The City approves the application and issues the industrial wastewater (IW) permit that will authorize the LIU to discharge to the City sewers.

The issuance of the permit also authorizes the City to legally enter the LIU premises to inspect and sample the facilities to determine compliance. These and other provisions are written in the permit for the City and the LIU to comply.

Who are LIUs?

Industrial users that meet all of the following criteria are designated as LIUs:

• An industrial user that discharges less than an average of 25,000 gallons per day of process wastewater
• An industrial user that is only subject to the City's local limits
• An industrial user that does not adversely affect the POTW operations

LIUs are excluded in the pretreatment program annual report.

Septage and Private Septage Disposal Facilities

Residences and commercial facilities that are not connected to the City sewer discharge their wastewater into cesspools, septic tanks, portable toilets or other holding devices. The accumulated liquid is known as "septage." They hire haulers to pump out their septage and discharge it into a disposal site designated by the City.

This program involves the regulation of the septage haulers through a permitting process, control of the quality and quantity of septage, and recovery of cost for treatment of septage and administering the program.

Septage manifests help to track information on truck count of accepted and rejected loads, total tank capacity, total actual volume reported, and relative percentage from sources inside and outside of the City.

LA Sanitation operates a disposal facility for septage hauler companies. The disposal facility accepts wastewater from portable toilets, septic tanks, cesspools and other sanitation holding devices from within Los Angeles County.

Discharges from recreational vehicles (RVs) are not accepted. RV owners must contact Los Angeles County or call 1-888-CLEAN LA (1-888-253-2652). A Septage Disposal Permit is required prior to disposal. 

A SIU is defined as:

• Any industrial user conducting processes subject to EPA Federal Categorical Pretreatment regulation
• Any industrial user that discharges an average of 25,000 or more gallons per day
• Any industrial user designated by the City to adversely impact the sewer system

If the preliminary information indicates that the industrial user is a potential SIU, a joint audit by Inspection and Engineering staff will be conducted. During the joint audit of the facility, inspectors gather the basic information, while the permitting engineers examine in detail the industrial unit processes, sources and volume of wastewater, pretreatment system, etc., required to create the Fact Sheet. 

SIUs are classified as either Federal Categorical or Non-Categorical.

Who are Federal Categorical Industrial Users?

Federal Categorical Industrial Users are also known as Categorical Industrial Users (CIUs). 

Certain industries fall into the categories regulated by the National Categorical Standards as defined by the Federal Codes of Regulation. The EPA has developed regulations for over twenty industrial categories. Examples of facilities classified as CIUs include:

• Electroplating shops
• Steam electric power plants
• Pharmaceutical facilities

In addition to the federal discharge limitation, CIUs are subject to the City's local limits.

Who are Non-Categorical Significant Industrial Users?

The Non-Categorical Significant Industrial Users (NSIUs) that meet any one of the following criteria are designated as SIUs:

• Any industrial user that is subject to federal reporting requirements in addition to the City local limits
• Any industrial user that is not a Categorical Industrial Users but discharges an average of 25,000 gallons or more per day of process wastewater, or
• Any industrial user that has the potential to adversely impact the POTW operations.

These NSIUs are subject only to City's local limits.