ECAR
Fact Sheet for Connecticut
Wastewater
Discharges
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The
following fact sheet was prepared by the ECAR Center staff. Once
prepared, each ECAR Center fact sheet undergoes a review process
with the applicable state environmental agency(ies). You can check
on the status of the review process here.
Please read the disclaimer on the status page. While we have tried
to present a summary of the essential information on this topic,
you should be aware that other items, such as local regulations,
may apply to you.
What
You Need to Know
An
auto recycling business may generate process wastewater from equipment
cleaning, car washing, paint spray booths or other sources. Wastewater
is rarely pure and may contain contaminants, such as chemical
residue from cleaners, oil and dirt. If not managed and disposed
of properly, wastewater and its contaminants can impact surface
and ground waters — the same waters used for drinking. Therefore,
proper management and disposal of wastewater is essential to protect
public health and Connecticut’s water quality.
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT-DEP) has prepared a guidance document
to help auto recyclers manage wastewater. Much of the information
is included in this fact sheet or you can visit CT-DEP website
for the complete Auto Recycling Compliance
Guide.
Regulations
Wastewater from auto recycling facilities can be subdivided into
two main types:
-
“Sanitary
wastewater” includes wastewater coming from normal use of
lavatories/washrooms, showers, drinking fountains, etc.
-
“Industrial
wastewater” includes wastewater going into floor drains in
areas such as dismantling, discharges from aqueous cleaning,
water from steam cleaning or equipment wash down, water used
for floor cleanup in dismantling areas (e.g., mop water),
or water from any other sources where it comes into contact
with dismantled parts or equipment.
Sanitary wastewater can be discharged to a city sewer system or an
approved septic tank system. Industrial wastewater is regulated
differently than sanitary wastewater. If you combine sanitary
and industrial wastewater, then the mixed wastewater is regulated
like industrial wastewater. All industrial wastewater discharges
are regulated by federal and state regulations.
Discharge Options. There
are three primary options for disposing of industrial wastewater
from auto recycling facilities:
- Collect the wastewater and haul it to an approved
treatment facility. Before you haul wastewater you must perform
a hazardous waste determination. This may involve getting
it tested by a laboratory. If the wastewater is “hazardous”
you must manage it as a hazardous waste. If the wastewater is non-hazardous,
it must still be managed properly and you should maintain
test records that support your determination.
- Discharge it to a sanitary sewer system. You
will first need to obtain an individual permit or register
under a General Permit to discharge to your local sewer system.
- Discharge it to a stream, pond, lake, wetland
or other water source. This is an option, but only if you
first obtain a NPDES permit (National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System). To meet the discharge requirements of
the permits, you may need to install treatment equipment such
as an oil/water separator to prevent oil and sludge from being
discharged to the sewer. This is referred to as “pretreatment”.
The oil and sludge collected by pretreatment equipment will
have to be periodically removed and disposed of, possibly
as a hazardous waste.
*It is important to remember that
discharging industrial wastewater to a septic tank is not a viable
option and could cause contamination of your property.
Links
to the Regulations and Forms. Use the following links to view the regulations and permit forms pertaining
to wastewater.
Connecticut Water Quality Standards
Connecticut Stormwater Permitting
Federal Safe Drinking Water
Act Requirements
Self-Audit
Checklist
When
an inspector comes to your facility, there are certain things
he or she checks to see if you are in compliance with environmental
regulations. It makes good sense for you to perform a "self-audit"
and catch and correct problems before they result in penalties.
Also, there are some compliance incentives associated with self-audits
(see Audit
Policy Page).
Use
the following list to audit your wastewater management activities.
- Does your facility discharge process wastewater?
Are the discharges authorized by a permit? Check all uses of water and
steam within the industrial areas of your facility. Determine
where wastewater is generated and discharged. You must have
a permit or written authorization for all industrial water
discharges.
- Has the water been pretreated? Depending on which POTW you discharge to, you may be
required to obtain a pretreatment permit from the POTW or
from IDEM. Check to make sure you have the appropriate permits.
- Is oil or solvent discharged to the sewer? Federal and state laws prohibit
the discharge of oil or flammable solvents to the sewer system.
These are regulated wastes that must be properly disposed
of.
Best
Management Practices (BMPs)
Most
regulations tell you what you have to do to be in compliance,
but they don’t explain how to do it. That’s where "best
management practices" come into play. BMPs are proven
methods that help you to get into compliance and stay there. The
following BMPs are recommended for wastewater management.
- Limit water use and the volume of water discharged
through conservation methods and by reusing water whenever
possible.
- Train employees to use water efficiently.
- Don’t use water for cleaning floors and equipment
unless absolutely necessary. Use dry cleanup methods for spills.
- Post signs at all floor drains and sinks in industrial
areas of your facility to discourage employees from using
the drains to dispose of oil, other vehicle fluids, solvent,
paint or similar liquids. Review these rules with your employees.
- Use only non-toxic soaps to clean floors and
vehicles instead of hazardous materials.
- If you have floor drains at your facility that
are not in use, consider having them capped or plugged to
prevent misuse or accidental discharges.
- Prevent drips and spills from reaching the floor.
- Check your floor drains and make certain you
know where they discharge.
- Setup and use a maintenance schedule for inspection
and cleaning of floor drains, oil/water separators, traps,
etc.
- Never have floor drains where hazardous materials
are stored.
- If your wastewater is nonhazardous, you may want
to purchase evaporating equipment to evaporate your wastewater.
It should be noted that evaporators may require an air permit
or registration, and evaporator bottoms may be considered
a hazardous waste.
- Don’t use degreaser solvents to clean engines.
Most engine degreasers are hazardous and should not be discharged
to a POTW. Even if you use nonhazardous degreasers, the oil
and grease concentration in the spent degreaser may exceed
the limit allowed by your sewer authority.
Contacts
-
For more information, contact the CT-DEP Bureau
of Water Management at 860-424-3018.
- To report a spill or leak, immediately call
the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection,
Oil and Chemical Response Division at 860-424-3338, 24 hours/day.
Should this number become unavailable for any reason, call
860-424-3333.
- To report an environmental incident or complaint,
contact the nearest regional
office.
Related
ECAR Fact Sheets
- Stormwater
Other Relevant Resources
- Connecticut
DEP’s Auto Recycling Compliance Guide
- Guidance for Disposal of Vehicle Wash Water
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