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Regulations under the Clean Water Act (CWA): Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) commonly known as sewage treatment plants, collect wastewater from homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities. Through a series of pipes, known as the collection system, wastewater is transported from the point of origin to the [sewage] treatment plant. At the treatment plant, harmful organisms and other contaminants are removed from the sewage, so the effluent can be discharged safely to the receiving water. In the Reno metro area, the receiving water is the Truckee River; for the Las Vegas Valley, the receiving water is Lake Mead.
Through a permitting process, the Division of Environmental Protection regulates POTWs with permits covering the collection system, the treatment process, and the effluent discharge from the treatment plants.
Generally, POTWs are designed to treat domestic sewage. However, POTWs also receive wastewater from commercial and industrial users, and these users (such as dry cleaners) are required by the respective POTWs to ensure hazardous wastes like PCE are not disposed in the sewer system. It's worth noting, however, that trace amounts of PCE are often found in sewer systems.
As way of background, under the Clean Water Act (CWA), a commercial or industrial user must obtain authorization to discharge to a POTW collection system under a pretreatment program. The CWA requires implementation of pretreatment standards to control pollutants from the commercial and industrial users that may pass through the plant or interfere with POTW treatment processes.
In the State of Nevada, the communities of Carson City, Clark County, Elko, Henderson, Las Vegas, Lyon County, Reno, and Sparks have received authorization from the US EPA to administer local pretreatment programs. These local governments have adopted pretreatment ordinances that govern permitting programs, inspections, enforcement, etc., of non-domestic discharges (such as PCE) to their collection systems.
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Compliance is accomplished through site inspections, enforcement actions, and technical assistance. As potential generators of hazardous waste, dry cleaning facilities are inspected by NDEP and/or local officials. Inspections conducted by local officials follow state procedures.
(such as labeling, compatibility and leaks) and record review (such as disposal records, emergency contact information and container inspection records) are the primary focus of an on-site evaluation.
