Pretreatment

The primary purpose of the Pretreatment Program is to protect the operational performance of the wastewater treatment facility and the water quality of the receiving stream through control limits on industry discharges into the sewer collection system. Industries must meet specific wastewater constituent limits in their discharge before a permit is issued by the City.

The Pretreatment section:

• Issues permits to industrial wastewater dischargers

• Samples permitted dischargers

• Ensures compliance with all laws and regulations

Sample data collected by the pretreatment section are used in the calculation of surcharge fees.

The Industrial Pretreatment Program is responsible for:

Noncompliance occurs when any discharge regulation is violated. Regulations are outlined in the City Code, Chapter 31, Section 31:51-52. Illegal discharges should be reported to the City of Chattanooga POTW.

• Weekly river monitoring program to determine the impact of the activities of Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant
• River samples are collected from the Tennessee River upstream and downstream from the treatment plant outfall

• Inspects all food service establishments to ensure proper removal of Fats, Oils, and Grease wastes
• Primary purpose is to prevent sanitary sewer system blockages, obstructions, and overflows due to FOG

Residential FOG Best Practices include:

1. Don’t wash food scraps down the drain, dump them in the toilet, or grind them up in the garbage disposal
2. Use mesh drain strainers to catch solid food scraps for disposal in a trash can
3. Pour liquid food scraps such as sauces into a container and place in the trash can
4. Don’t use water to "pre-wash" plates; scrape plates over the trash can or dry wipe with a paper towel
5. Don’t pour used oil down the drain; pour used oil into a container with a top for reuse, recycling, or disposal in the trash can
6. Don’t pour hot grease down the drain; pour cooled grease into a grease can or other container for disposal, or wait until the grease cools and absorb it with paper towels or newspaper for disposal in the trash

• Outlined in the City Code, Chapter 31
• Enforcement actions taken as a result of noncompliance by industrial facilities

The City's Pretreatment Program presents an Industrial Pretreatment Excellence Award annually to an industrial user that had no violations the previous calendar year and has exhibited excellent performance in the treatment of industrial wastewater.

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