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Industrial Pretreatment Program
Our mission is to enhance water quality, reclaim valuable resources, and protect wastewater treatment staff and systems. We implement the National Pretreatment Program by:
- Establishing local discharge limits and regulations
- Equitably applying state and federal regulations across businesses
- Proactively partnering with local businesses through permits and inspections
- Collecting fees and surcharges to recover program costs
What is pretreatment?
Pretreatment is the reduction or elimination of pollutants in wastewater prior to discharge to the public sewers. Although physical, chemical or biological processes are the most common ways to reduce or eliminate pollutants, many businesses reduce pollutants through best management practices (BMPs). Pretreatment protects the City’s wastewater staff and equipment, ensures marketable biosolids and keeps harmful pollutants from entering local waterbodies.
Dental program and amalgam separators
Amalgam separators are devices that capture mercury from some fillings and prevent mercury from entering the sewer. In July 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a regulation requiring existing and new dental offices to certify an amalgam separator is installed and regularly maintained. Explore the resources below or contact IPT for more information about installing or maintaining an amalgam separator.
Getting approval to discharge industrial wastewater
Contact IPT to get started. Usually, an application and other documentation will be requested to understand the source and characteristics of wastewater – metal finishing, industrial laundry, food processing, and landfill leachate are some of the types of processes that require a permit to discharge to the sewer. Explore the resources below or contact IPT for more information about discharging industrial wastewater.
Technically-based local limits
Pollutant | Discharge limit |
---|---|
Arsenic | 0.5 mg/L |
Cadmium | 0.24 mg/L |
Chromium | 5.0 mg/L |
Copper | 3.0 mg/L |
Cyanide | 0.65 mg/L |
Lead | 1.89 mg/L |
Mercury | 0.1 mg/L |
Nickel | 2.83 mg/L |
Silver | 0.49 mg/L |
Zinc | 4.00 mg/L |
Nonpolar FOG | 200 mg/L |
pH | 5.0 s.u. to 11.0 s.u. |
Closed Cup Flashpoint | >140°F (>60°C) |
Fats, oils and grease
Fats, oils and grease (FOG) can clog private and City sewer lines and cause the sewer to overflow on your property, nearby streets and local streams. Because of these risks, City code requires many commercial kitchens to install a grease removal device to capture FOG before it reaches the sewer. Explore the resources below or contact IPT for more information about controlling FOG.
Construction dewatering
Discharge application process timeline
Please allow approximately three weeks for an initial review of your wastewater discharge permit application and 90 days before receiving the final Permit (if one is required). You may email pretreatment@everettwa.gov or call 425-257-8240 for an update on the status of your permit application.
Enforcement response plan
Federal, state and local wastewater regulations
Industrial Pretreatment is currently reassessing the current local limits and will be adopting newer technically-based limits in 2023. The new limits will be announced prior to adoption.
- Federal 40 CFR 403 Wastewater Discharge Regulations
- Washington State Administrative Code WAC 173-216-030
- City of Everett Pretreatment Regulations EMC 14.40
- City of Everett Grease Control EMC 14.42
PBDE/PFAS/Emerging contaminants of concern
Pretreatment forms
- Annual NSCIU report (opens in new tab)
- Annual zero discharge report (opens in new tab)
- Semiannual TTO report (opens in new tab)
Send hardcopy reports to Industrial Pretreatment at 3200 Cedar Avenue, Everett, WA 98201. You may also email report copies to pretreatment@everettwa.gov.
Sampling
- BOD SM 5210
- Closed Cup Flashpoint ASTM D93 and EPA 1010B
- Cyanide SM 4500-CN and EPA 9014
- FOG EPA 1664A and SM5520
- Mercury SM 3500, EPA 245.1, EPA 1631, and EPA 7471B
- Metals SM 3110, EPA 200.8, and EPA 6020B
- pH SM 4500-H+
- Semivolatile Organics SM 6410 and EPA 625.1
- TSS SM 2540
- Volatile Organics SM 6200 and EPA 624.1
Surface and stormwater
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Industrial Pretreatment Program
Mailing Address
3200 Cedar St.
Everett, WA 98201
Phone: 425-257-8240Fax: 425-257-8243Emergency Phone: 425-257-8821