Last Modified on September 13, 201109/12/2011 14:58:11The Industrial Pretreatment Program is a federally mandated program under the Clean Water Act, which controls the discharges of selected industrial and commercial facilities, called Significant Industrial Users (SIUs) to the sanitary sewer system. Goals of our Pretreatment Program are: Industrial Pretreatment Program
Contact Environmental Quality Specialist Terrance Romaine (602)534-2085 or email at terrance.romaine@phoenix.gov.
- Prevent the introduction of pollutants into our treatment plants that will interfere with treatment operations.
- Prevent the introduction of pollutants into those plants that will pass through the treatment works and be incompatible with the environment.
- Improve the feasibility of recycling and reclaiming the municipal and industrial wastewaters and biosolids.
- Enforce applicable EPA standards.
- Generally reduce the health and environmental risk of pollution caused by wastewater discharges to treatment plants.
Significant Industrial User and Pretreatment Requirements
The EPA, for specific categorical facilities, has developed federal wastewater discharge limits. The city of Phoenix developed local limitations that generally apply to specific industrial processes. The City issues Class “A” industrial wastewater discharge permits to:Refer to the City of Phoenix Code - Chapter 28 that spells out the various requirements and permit costs. The FAQ section provides briefer relevant Chapter 28 excerpts.
- Significant Industrial Users (SIU) operating federally regulated processes subject to categorical pretreatment standards under Title 40 the Code of Federal regulations; and
- Companies that discharge an average 25,000 gallons per day of process wastewater to City sewers.
The City has developed a Civil Penalty Policy containing detailed procedures as to how the Pollution Control Division will calculate civil penalties for instances of industrial user noncompliance.
Permitting Flowcharts
Questions about whether a Class “A” or Class "B" permit is required?
Review this flowchart.Like to know more about the permit process?
Review this flowchart.
One Time Discharge Permits
One-time Discharge/Manhole Entry permits may be issued for the disposal of contaminated groundwater and other one-time discharges into the City of Phoenix sanitary sewer system. Requests for one-time/manhole entry permits must be in writing and mailed to the P2 Program Supervisor two weeks prior to the anticipated discharge date(s). The request must include the following information:
- The source of the water/wastewater including a list of well numbers if applicable
- Job number if applicable
- Name and address where water/wastewater was generated
- Description of the contaminant(s) contained in the water/wastewater
- Volume in gallons of the water/wastewater to be discharged
- Reason the water/wastewater was generated; anticipated discharge date(s)
- Description and location of the City of Phoenix sanitary sewer point of entry. If the point of entry is a City manhole, include:
- The manhole number,
- Quarter section number,
- And a street/address description of where the manhole is located.
If the point of entry is not a City manhole, include
- A description of what the point of entry will be, (i.e. clean out), and
- Where it is located.
Submit with the request Laboratory results, Material Safety Data Sheets, product information, or other relevant information that will assist the P2 section in evaluating the water/wastewater’s compliance with the Phoenix City Code, Chapter 28.
Report Examples
The following forms are provided for your review (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
- Sample IPP Permit Application
- SMR Reporting Forms Self Monitoring Reports (six in all)
- TISM Temporary Increase in Self Monitoring form
Compliance Academy
Contact (602) 262-1859 for more information.
The Industrial Pretreatment Compliance Academy consists of six, two-hour classes that educate the public about Industrial Pretreatment Program requirements and how they can be met. Although each class is designed to stand-alone from the others, completion of all six is recommended. Choose any of the below topics for more information:
- Compliance Academy Description
- View a Listing of Available Classes
- View the List of Dates when classes are held
Regulatory Activities
To achieve the greatest degree of compliance by industrial users, the city of Phoenix uses a variety of enforcement actions. Enforcement actions available might range from a simple reminder telephone call, to termination of services and assessment of penalties. While enforcement of laws and securing penalties for violations is a part of the city's responsibilities we work closely with our regulated industries to prevent problems from happening.
The Pollution Control Division annually conducts 12-15 Show Cause Meetings designed to thoroughly investigate alleged Wastewater Discharge Permit violations, ensure that the cause of the problem was identified, and reduce the probability of future problems. Significant Industrial Users are afforded the opportunity to fully explain their actions taken to discover how problems occurred and how they were resolved. Show Cause Meetings typically conclude with a Pretreatment Settlement Agreement (PSA) between the city of Phoenix and the company.