INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Industrial Waste Pretreatment Program
The Metropolitan Council’s Industrial Waste and Pollution Prevention (IWPP) section regulates and monitors industrial discharges to the sanitary sewer system in the metropolitan area to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.
We also respond to sewer-related spills and community sewer problems. These functions protect regional and municipal collection and treatment facilities, process efficiency, operating personnel, and the environment.
Industrial Waste is defined as any solid, liquid, or gaseous wastes, excluding domestic waste, resulting from any industrial, manufacturing, commercial, institutional or business activity, or from the development, recovery, or processing of a natural resource.
Ensuring environmental compliance
Our staff issue industrial discharge permits to industrial users of the Metropolitan Disposal System (public sanitary sewers within the Metropolitan Council’s service area). Approximately 1800 permits are in effect today.
All permittees are required to submit reports to IWPP on a routine basis and a portion are required to conduct self-monitoring of their wastewater discharge. The reports and self-monitoring results are one means of determining compliance with the Met Council’s Waste Discharge Rules.
Additionally, our staff inspects and monitors permitted industrial users to determine compliance with their permits. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires us to inspect and monitor permittees that are classified as significant industrial users at least once a year.
Our laboratory performs approximately 22,843 analyses from 1,544 samples from industrial users every year.
Permitting industries and approving discharges
Our staff carry out ongoing efforts to identify industrial users discharging to the Metropolitan Disposal System to determine if they are subject to regulation and meet our permitting criteria. Permits and approvals are issued accordingly.
Permit types issued
Standard Industrial Discharge Permits – Permits issued to industrial users with a wastewater discharge connection to the public sewer and containing specific conditions and requirements applicable to the industry.
General Industrial Discharge Permits – Permits issued to a specific industry group when regulatory oversight is necessary, but a standard permit is not needed.
Special Discharge Requests and Permits – Permits or Approvals issued to industrial users who discharge leachate, contaminated groundwater (usually from remediation sites), or other wastes to public sewers that are subject to specific or individual discharge requirements.
Liquid Waste Hauler Permits – Permits issued to industrial users who transport and discharge liquid waste to Metropolitan Council’s Liquid Waste Receiving facilities. Wastes include septage, commercial wastes, and industrial wastes.
Responding to spills
Our staff respond to spills or releases to the public sanitary sewers within the Metropolitan Disposal System. We may require any business or person to submit and implement written plans for the prevention and control of spills to the public sanitary sewers to protect our treatment facilities, personnel and the environment.
We have procedures in place that must be followed in the event of a sanitary sewer spill to the Metropolitan Disposal System: Spill Reporting Requirements and Procedures
Assisting communities
Our staff will assist communities experiencing problems within their local sanitary sewers, particularly regarding fats, oils, grease and rags build up.
Fats, Oils, Grease, and Rags
Authority and Rules
State law authorizes the Metropolitan Council to enforce its Waste Discharge Rules and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pretreatment regulations concerning wastewater discharges into the sanitary sewer and the Metropolitan Disposal System.
Legal authority is based on Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 473.501 - 473.549. Chapter 473.504, Subd. 4 empowers the Metropolitan Council to carry out elements of the federally mandated pretreatment program.
Connect With Us
Open Channel News – A biannual news bulletin containing important pretreatment program information and news
Customer Workshops – Annual workshops for industrial customers to provide input in the rate-setting process and to share ideas and concerns on pretreatment program issues that may affect their businesses.