The national pretreatment program requires nondomestic dischargers that introduce pollutants to Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) to comply with pretreatment standards to ensure the goals of the Clean Water Act are attained. The objectives of the pretreatment program are to prevent the introduction of pollutants into a POTW that will interfere with its operation, including interference with its use or disposal of municipal sludge, prevent the introduction of pollutants into a POTW that will pass through the treatment works or otherwise be incompatible with it, and improve opportunities to recycle and reclaim municipal and industrial wastewaters and sludges. The Altoona Water Authority (AWA) adopted an EPA approved pretreatment program on the 18^th day of June, 1984. An Industrial Pretreatment Program Resolution (No. 17-05-852) was adopted by the AWA on the 18^th day of May, 2017. This Resolution sets forth uniform requirements for dischargers into the POTW and enables the Authority to comply with state and federal laws required by the Clean Water Act of 1977, and the General Pretreatment Regulations, 40 C.F.R. Part 403. The program started with eight (8) permittees in 1984 but has grown substantially. As of January 2021, permits have been issued to the following:

• 18 Industries
• 36 Waste Haulers
• 120 Food Service Establishments
• 4 Super Markets
• 19 Dental Facilities

Significant Industrial Users

Significant Industrial Users (SIUs) are sources of industrial wastewater that, by federal definition, require a specific level of regulatory attention. This attention consists of periodic sampling and inspections of the SIU by the pretreatment program, as well as the issuance of specialized discharge permits to the SIU. These permits stipulate self-monitoring and reporting requirements as they apply to effluent limitations, sample collection, reporting schedules, record keeping, hazardous materials management and more. An SIU is defined as an industrial user that meets any one of the following criteria:

• Is subject to Categorical Pretreatment Standards under 40 CFR 403.6 (Exit to gpoaccess.gov) and 40 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter N (List of categorically regulated processes).
• Discharges an average of 25,000 gallons per day or more of process wastewater to the city's sanitary sewer (excluding sanitary, non-contact cooling and boiler blow-down wastewater).
• Contributes a process waste stream that makes up 5 percent or more of the average dry weather hydraulic or organic capacity of the city's wastewater treatment plant.
• Is designated on the basis that the industrial user has a reasonable potential for adversely affecting the operation of the city's treatment plants or collections system, or for violating any pretreatment standards or requirement.

All new businesses must submit an Industrial User Survey. (Please see attachment below)

Businesses required to receive a Wastewater Discharge Permit must submit an Industrial User Permit Application. (Please see attachment below)