Industrial Pretreatment Program
Industrial wastewater discharges – typically large in volume and highly concentrated in the pollutants they contain – can affect the chemical and biological balance of MSD’s wastewater treatment processes and inadvertently put MSD’s regulatory compliance record at risk. To prevent these undesirable outcomes, MSD operates a pretreatment program for industrial customers. The program helps protect the sewer system from accidental industrial releases, avoids interference with MSD wastewater treatment processes, and maintains MSD’s compliance with federal regulations.
Under the program, MSD issues permits to 125 Significant Industrial Users (SIUs), establishes local limits for each user, and requires sampling of the wastewater discharges from their facilities. MSD determines regulatory and permit compliance by conducting regular sampling and inspection at each SIU site, at least annually. When an SIU’s wastewater discharge exceeds the allowable levels, MSD begins enforcement actions that may result in penalties for the SIU. In certain cases, SIUs can offset portions of the penalties by undertaking Environmental Enhancement Activities. This allows for environmentally beneficial projects or practices that resolve or address compliance violations, such as making changes in manufacturing processes. In 2009, MSD recorded 8 companies in significant non-compliance and invoiced roughly $13,000 in fines.
MSD also issues permits to approximately 75 non-SIUs to help them employ Best Management Practices for their operations. For companies involved in enforcement actions, MSD encourages the company to invest in solving their compliance problem in lieu of paying penalties.
MSD and Food Company Wornick Collaborate for a Win-Win
MSD and Wornick Foods recently collaborated to achieve a sustainable solution for both organizations. Wornick is a leading supplier of ready-to-serve foods. Since 1995, the company has discharged process water from food sterilization at its Blue Ash facility into MSD sewers.
In 2009, Wornick embarked on a $3 million capital project to recycle its process water and add chilling capacity. To be completed by the end of 2010, this initiative will reduce water usage by 80 percent and proportionately reduce wastewater discharge to MSD. The resulting cost savings amount to more than $1 million annually.
Even though MSD will lose revenue from the resulting sewer flow reduction, MSD will benefit from freed-up sewer line capacity. The reduction in Wornick’s wastewater discharge could result in fewer sewer overflows and lower equipment operating costs at #700 (in Reading), the sanitary sewer line that serves Wornick and which overflows during heavy rains. #700 is the highest-volume SSO in the MSD system. It passes wastewater through three 1.2-million-gallon settling tanks to a chemically enhanced, high-rate treatment facility and ultraviolet system, prior to discharging into Mill Creek.
“We are the biggest industrial user in this area,” said Michael Hyche, VP of Operations for Wornick Foods. “We’re reusing our process water instead of discharging it to MSD, and MSD is gaining additional capacity in its sewer line.”
Prior to the start of the project, MSD Superintendent Beverly Head (of the Division of Industrial Waste) and Mike Cappel met with Wornick personnel to review preliminary engineering plans. “We try to work closely with our industrial customers to meet their needs,” said Ms. Head. “They’ll be our customers for a long time if they can control their own costs and be satisfied with our service.”