Download EPA Model Ordinance

EPA MODEL PRETREATMENT ORDINANCE
Office of Wastewater Enforcement and Compliance
June 1992
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460

EPA MODEL PRETREATMENT ORDINANCE

This Model Pretreatment Ordinance has been prepared by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Office of Wastewater Enforcement and Compliance, Permits Division. It is intended for use by municipalities operating Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) that are required to develop pretreatment programs to regulate industrial discharges to their systems.

A municipality should not adopt the model verbatim. Instead, the model should be used as a guide for adopting new or revised legal authority to implement and enforce a pretreatment program that fulfills requirements set out in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The municipality must consider conditions at its POTW and consult State law to determine what adjustments may need to be made to the model. Many provisions in the model contain blanks or brackets; these indicate that the provision must be adapted to the POTW's circumstances. Also, bracketed notes in bold print are provided for certain provisions, explaining issues the municipality must consider when crafting its legal authority.

Some provisions in the model are not strictly required by the General Pretreatment Regulations (40 CFR Part 403); however, they have been included because they may be useful in ensuring that the municipality has adequate legal authority to implement effectively its local pretreatment program. These provisions are designated as optional. Where a municipality either must adopt a provision similar to the one in the model or develop its own means of accomplishing that section's objective, the section is preceded by a bracketed note explaining the municipality's options. Other provisions, such as the model's statement of purpose and effective date, are "necessary" only to the extent that they are typical of any local ordinance.

USEPA Regions and representatives of various States and municipalities provided valuable comments in helping to prepare this document. Special thanks are extended to members of the Association of Metropolitan Sewage Authorities for their participation in the document's preparation.

This EPA Model Pretreatment Ordinance also is available on diskette in Word Perfect 5.1 format. It may be obtained by writing to:

Pretreatment Ordinance Coordinator
Permits Division (EN-336)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460