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Business information

Information for industry-specific wastewater discharge requirements.

Industries must pretreat the water they use before they send it to the sewer. They must remove substances that could harm the workers, environment, wastewater treatment process, or recycled products. This is important because sewage treatment plants are designed to treat biological waste and substances such as heavy metals and oils will not break down in the treatment process. 

Industrial wastewater includes wastewater produced from commercial and industrial processes, contaminated groundwater from remediation sites, and process wastewater from construction sites. Industrial wastewater may: 

  • Be more acidic or caustic than domestic wastewater,  
  • Contain chemicals that the wastewater treatment process can’t break down, like metals or petroleum-based oils, or  
  • Be full of fats and food waste that clog our sewer pipes. 
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