Sussex County Environmental Services
Industrial Wastewater Pretreatment Program Overview
By implementing the Industrial Wastewater Pretreatment Program, Sussex County regulates non-domestic wastewater discharges to its sanitary sewer.
The objectives of the EPA mandated Industrial Wastewater Pretreatment Program (IWPP) are to:
- Prevent the introduction of pollutants that interfere with operation of the County’s regional wastewater facilities
- Prevent the introduction of pollutants that pass through or are incompatible with the County’s regional wastewater facilities
- Improve opportunities to recycle and reclaim municipal and industrial wastewater and sludge
- Protect the health and safety of the general public and the County’s workers
The Program meets its objectives by issuing permits for Significant Industrial Users and routinely conducting comprehensive facility inspections.
Permitting program
All businesses located within the County's jurisdiction that generate non-domestic wastewater (known as industrial users) must comply with the Code of Sussex County Water and Sewers Chapter 110.
Under the industrial user permitting program, the County regulates Significant Industrial Users (SIUs). All SIUs must apply for a Sussex County Industrial Wastewater Discharge Permit (IWDP) by completing an IWDP application.
Sussex County routinely reviews the status of industrial users and works with new businesses to make a determination if a permit is required. Industrial users that are uncertain of their status may complete an IWDP application. The County will review the application and make a determination on the industry's status.
Applications can be submitted by email.
Contact the IWPP by email or phone:
UtilityCompliance@sussexcountyde.gov
Or
302-855-7730
What are the applicable regulations?
The regulations pertaining to industrial users can be found in the Code of Sussex County, Chapter 110 predominantly in Articles I, IV, V, VI, and Section 110-65.
Use this link to access Chapter 110 of the County Code: Sussex County, DE Water and Sewers.
What are the prohibited discharges?
The prohibited discharges are found in Article IV Sections 110-13 and 110-14. Use this link to review the prohibitions: Sussex County, DE Public Sewer Discharge Standards
Examples of prohibited discharges:
- Solids or viscous materials that cause obstruction to flow
- High or low pH; wastewater pH must be between 5.5 and 9.5
- High BOD, COD, suspended/ dissolved solids
- Fats, Oils and Grease
- Metals, Toxic Organics, and Trihalomethanes
- Flammable materials: gasoline, petroleum products, aldehydes
What is pretreatment?
Pretreatment is the reduction, elimination, or alteration of pollutants in wastewater to a less harmful state before discharging the wastewater to the wastewater collection system.
What is a pretreatment program?
It is a program mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency that requires Sussex County to regulate industrial discharges to the wastewater collection system, thereby reducing the amount of pollutants released into the environment by the County regional wastewater facilities.
Why does Sussex County have a pretreatment program?
The Clean Water Act established the responsibility of federal, state, and local government to implement National Pretreatment Standards in order to control pollutants from non-domestic sources that discharge to a Publicly Owned Treatment Works.