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Industrial Waste Fact Sheet

Industrial Waste & Pollution Prevention Section

Purpose

Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES), a division of the Metropolitan Council, provides wastewater services that protect the public health and environment while supporting regional growth.

MCES oversees two core businesses: 1) collecting and treating wastewater; and 2) developing plans to preserve the region’s water resources. MCES owns and operates eight wastewater treatment plants and 600 miles of interceptor sewers, which convey wastewater from municipalities to the plants. MCES also has regional responsibilities for surface water planning, nonpoint source pollution abatement, industrial wastewater management, and air and water quality monitoring and reporting.

MCES treatment plants process approximately 300 million gallons of wastewater every day from 2.5 million residents in 103 communities. MCES treatment plants discharge treated wastewater to the Minnesota , Mississippi , St. Croix and Vermillion Rivers .

Industrial Waste & Pollution Prevention Section

The Industrial Waste & Pollution Prevention (IWPP) Section, located within MCES’s Environmental Quality Assurance Department, regulates and monitors industrial discharges to the sewer system to ensure compliance with local and federal regulations. The section also responds to sewer-related spills and community sewer problems. These functions protect MCES and community collection/treatment facilities, process efficiency, operating personnel and the environment.

IWPP Section staff issue Industrial Discharge Permits to industrial users of the Metropolitan Disposal System (public sanitary sewers). Currently, 806 permits are in effect. Each permittee is required to conduct self-monitoring and submit reports to the section on a routine basis. These reports are one means of determining compliance with the MCES Waste Discharge Rules.

Compliance determinations are also made through monitoring by the IWPP Section, using specialized equipment such as automatic samplers, flow meters, and pH recorders. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires MCES to inspect and monitor significant industrial users at least once per year. The samples obtained are analyzed by the Laboratory Services Section of the Environmental Quality Assurance Department. MCES’s laboratory performs approximately 22,000 analyses per year for industrial monitoring conducted by the IWPP Section at about 400 industrial facilities. MCES has earned an “Award of Excellence” from the U.S. EPA’s Region 5 for outstanding implementation of its industrial waste pretreatment program.

Liquid Waste Haulers

The IWPP Section also regulates liquid waste haulers (septage pumpers). About 85 liquid waste haulers are permitted to dispose of household septage, commercial wastes and certain industrial wastes into the sewer system. Another special program regulates discharges of leachate and contaminated groundwater. More than 105 special discharge permits are in effect for these sources, which often result from remedial actions related to underground tank or pipeline leaks or disposal site cleanups.

Emergency Response

Another important task of the IWPP Section is responding to spills, accidental discharges and other problems that may adversely affect MCES facilities or the sewer system. Examples include chemical spills, transportation accidents (tank truck or railcar releases), industrial fires (toxic fire-fighting water can result), underground tank/pipeline leaks, and various sewer blockage or damage problems. The section conducts about 35 response actions of various types each year.

Pollution Prevention

The IWPP Section is actively involved in promoting “Pollution Prevention” among industrial users. Pollution Prevention (P2) involves preventing the generation of waste, which would then require disposal. Staff were trained through a U.S. EPA grant to MCES, and P2 technical assistance has now been integrated into many ongoing activities involving industrial users. Efforts within the commercial user sector also are under way.

Mercury Reduction

Mercury source identification and reduction has received increasing attention in recent years. MCES treatment plants face very restrictive mercury limits for both water discharges and air emissions. The MCES Local Limitation for mercury was reduced in 1998, and the IWPP Section is enforcing the new limit with permitted industrial users. In addition, the section has investigated both commercial and residential mercury sources. Because mercury is present in dental clinic wastewater, MCES entered into a partnership with the Minnesota Dental Association in 1998 to study this issue and take action. A “Voluntary Dental Office Amalgam Separator Program” was developed and adopted in 2002, with the goal of having all Metro Area dental offices install approved amalgam separators by February 2005. The program has received a “MnGREAT! Award,” which stands for Minnesota Government Reaching Environmental Achievements Together, and a “Technical Innovation Award” from the Minnesota Chapter of the American Public Works Association.

Verifying Community Flows

The IWPP Section also performs special community flow measuring projects to verify metered wastewater flows and check unmetered discharge volumes. This helps ensure that communities served by MCES are accurately billed for treatment costs. MCES also assists local communities in industrial or commercial wastewater-related discharge problems.

Accountability

The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the seven-county Twin Cities area. It runs the regional bus and light rail system, collects and treats wastewater, coordinates regional water resources, plans regional parks and administers funds that provide housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals and families. The Council is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Minnesota Governor. The Council’s Environment Committee is the principal committee that oversees MCES. Environment Committee meetings are held twice monthly and are open to the public. For more information about the Metropolitan Council, call the Council’s Data Center at 651-602-1140.

Contact: Tim O’Donnell 651-602-1269