Industrial discharge guidelines

The following may not be discharged into any sanitary sewer:

  • Any liquid with a temperature higher than 150 degrees Fahrenheit or which will inhibit biological activity in the POTW treatment plant resulting in interference, but in no case waste water with a temperature at the introduction into the POTW which exceeds 104 degrees Fahrenheit unless the POTW treatment plant is designed to accommodate such temperatures.
  • Any water or waste containing nonemulsified fats, wax, grease or oils, in excess of one hundred (100) mg/l or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between 32 degrees and 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Any gasoline, benzene, kerosene, hexene, naphtha, fuel oil or other solid or gas, which by reason of their nature or quantity are, or may be sufficient either alone or by interaction with other substances to cause fires or explosions or be injurious in any way to the waste water system. At no time shall two successive readings on an explosion hazard meter, at the point of discharge into the wastewater system, be more than 15 percent nor any single reading more than 20 percent of the lower explosive limit (L.E.L.).
  • Any garbage that has not been properly shredded.
  • Any ashes, cinder, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, animal parts, whole blood, paunch manure, tar, plastics, wood or any solid or viscous substance capable of causing obstructions to the flow in sewers or other interference with the proper operation of the sewerage works.
  • Any waters or wastes containing strong acid iron pickling wastes or concentrated plating solutions whether neutralized or not.
  • Any water or wastes containing chemical constituents and/or similar objectionable or toxic substances that exceed the Local Discharge Limits.
  • Any waters or wastes exerting an excessive chlorine requirement.
  • Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste or odor producing substances in such concentrations exceeding limits which may be established by the Director, Division of Water Quality, as necessary, to meet the requirements of state, federal or other public agencies of jurisdiction for such discharge to the receiving waters
  • Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed the following limits:
  • Gross beta activity shall not exceed 1,000 picocuries per liter.
  • Activity from dissolved strontium 90 shall not exceed 10 picocuries per liter.
  • Activity from dissolved alpha emitters shall not exceed three picocuries per liter.
  • Materials which exert or cause:
    • Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids (such as but not limited to fuller's earth, lime slurries and lime residues) or of dissolved solids (such as but not limited to sodium chloride and sodium sulfate).
    • Excessive discoloration (such as but not limited to dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions).
    • Unusual BOD, chemical oxygen demand or chlorine requirements in such quantities as to constitute a significant load on the sewage treatment plant.
    • Unusual volume of flow or concentration of wastes constituting slugs, as defined.
  • Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amenable to treatment or reduction by the wastewater treatment processes employed, or are amenable to treatment only to such degree that the sewage treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of other agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters.
  • Any water or waste having a pH lower than 5.5 or higher than 10.5 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment and personnel of the sewerage works.
  • Any water or waste containing a toxic or poisonous substance in sufficient quantity to injure or interfere with any wastewater treatment process, constitute a hazard to human or animals or create hazards in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant.
  • Any waste or wastewater classified as a hazardous waste by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) without, at least, a 60-day prior notification and approval of such discharge to the director of Water Quality. This notification must include the name of the waste, EPA hazardous waste number, type of discharge, volume/mass of discharge and time of occurrence. The director of Water Quality may deny or condition this discharge at any time.
  • Any noxious of malodorous gas or substance capable of creating a public nuisance.
  • Any pollutants with a closed cup flashpoint of less than 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Centigrade).


If you are not sure, contact LexCall at 311 or (859) 425-2255 and ask to speak with Water Quality’s Compliance and Monitoring section. 

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