Industrial Pretreatment

Overview
 

The Industrial Pretreatment Program is an EPA-mandated regulatory program which is designed to protect the City's sanitary sewer system, wastewater treatment plant, and the Missouri River by reducing conventional and toxic pollutant levels discharged by industries and other non-domestic wastewater sources. 

All businesses within the City of Great Falls' area is required to meet the requirements of the City’s Industrial Pretreatment Program.   

What is Pretreatment?
 

Pretreatment refers to the treatment an industrial user must provide to its wastewater before it is discharged to the sewer system. Pretreatment reduces the amount of pollutants and neutralizes wastewater to meet discharge requirements. Types of pretreatment can include pH neutralization, solids separation, metals removal and oil/water separation. 

Pretreatment Program Focus
 

• To prevent the introduction of pollutants into the Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW)
• To prevent pass-trough of untreated pollutants which results in the discharge of pollutants into the Missouri River
• To protect the health and safety of the POTW, residents, and the environment
• To enable the City to comply with its Montana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (MPDES) permit conditions

Pretreatment Program Activities

Permits - The city requires businesses to submit a Pretreatment Survey to determine whether a Pretreatment Permit will be necessary to regulate the discharge from the industrial user. Certain industries with the potential to discharge harmful pollutants will be issued a permit to implement discharge limits and monitoring requirements. 

Inspections - The Industrial Pretreatment Specialist will regularly inspect all permitted industries along with any new industries coming into the City of Great Falls. They will inspect wastewater processes, discharge points, and pretreatment equipment. 

Permit Reporting and Administration - The specialist reviews monthly reports from permitted industries to track pollutant monitoring and determines permit compliance. The program submits an annual report to the EPA to show compliance with the pretreatment requirements.

Compliance and Enforcement - Staff manages industrial compliance with wastewater permits and issues enforcement actions to bring Industrial Users (IU's) back into compliance through the use of the Enforcement Response Plan (ERP - linked below).  

Who might need a Permit?

• An Industry the discharges, on average, 25,000 gallons per day or more of process wastewater to the POTW
• An Industry that is subject to Categorical Pretreatment Standards under 40 CFR 403.6 and 40 CFR chapter I, subchapter N
• An Industry that contributes a process waste stream with makes up 5% or more of the average dry weather hydraulic or organic capacity of the POTW
• An Industry that has reasonable potential for adversely affecting the POTW's operation or violating and Pretreatment Standard or Requirement