The Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP) ensures that the wastewater discharged into the City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge’s (C-P) wastewater collection system meets the local, state, and federal water quality regulations. Businesses are required to install, operate, and adequately maintain pretreatment devices and/or systems to remove pollutants that could otherwise damage or obstruct the wastewater collection system or interfere with the wastewater treatment process. Examples of these pollutants include but not limited to:

• Acidic or basic wastes from industrial operations
• Cyanides
• Fats
• Fluoride
• Grease
• Heavy metals
• Oils
• Toxic organics

Pretreatment means the reduction of the amount of pollutants, the elimination of pollutants, or the alteration of the nature of pollutant properties in wastewater to a less harmful state prior to or in lieu of discharging or otherwise introducing such pollutants into a publicly owned treatment works (POTW). The reduction or alteration can be obtained by physical, chemical or biological processes, or process changes by other means, except as prohibited by an applicable Pretreatment Standard.

Elements of the Program

Some major elements of the C-P’s Industrial Pretreatment Program include reviewing pretreatment designs, issuing permits, performing inspections, collecting samples, reviewing self-monitoring reports, and enforcing state and federal regulations and local ordinances. Enforcement of violations will be in accordance with the city-parish's Enforcement Response Plan .

Industrial Waste

Industrial facilities and commercial facilities that plan to discharge industrial waste to the C-P’s sanitary sewer system may be required to obtain an Industrial Wastewater Permit. For our purposes, 'industrial waste' is defined as:

All water-borne solids, liquids, or gaseous substances resulting from any process of industry, manufacturing, trade, business, food processing operation or any mixture of the waste with water or normal wastewater, or any waste which is distinct from normal domestic wastewater.

Categories

Under the IPP, Industrial Users (IU) are categorized into either Significant Industrial Users (SIU) or Non-Significant Industrial Users (NSIU) depending on the type and quantity of the wastewater being routed to the wastewater collection system. The permitting process and permit requirements are different for SIU and Non-SIU’s.