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OVERVIEW OF POTWS AND DISCHARGES TO THEM Some wastewater dischargers do not discharge their wastewater directly into a surface waterbody like a stream or river, but discharge into a sanitary sewer system/sewage treatment plant. The wastewater is transported to a local agency's treatment plant where it is treated and usually discharged into a river or stream. These dischargers are known as "indirect users". Although not all indirect users require individual NJPDES permits, all must comply with at least minimum regulatory requirements under N.J.A.C. 7:14A-21.2. When this type of discharge meets one or more specific criteria, the discharger becomes a significant indirect user (SIU), and requires a permit (see FAQs for more detail). The criteria include discharging from specific operations, discharging high strength or high volume wastewaters, being subject to Federal Categorical Pretreatment Standards and failure to comply with regulatory requirements under N.J.A.C. 7:14A-21.2. SIUs are important from a regulatory standpoint because the wastewater they produce is often much stronger than the normal domestic sewage generated by residential uses. As a result, improperly pretreated wastewater from an SIU may upset the biological processes of a treatment plant, which may ultimately pollute the receiving waterbody, and it may contaminate the sludge to a level where it is unsuitable for beneficial reuse. If not regulated properly, an SIU's wastewater may also create hazardous conditions in a sewage collection system and at a treatment plant. Each local agency must develop local limits to protect itself according to EPA Guidance, or demonstrate that they are not necessary. In New Jersey, SIUs are regulated by delegated local agencies (click for printable list) in some sewer service areas and directly by the Department in remaining areas. The Department may grant "delegated" status to a local agency which demonstrates to the department that it has the legal authority, procedures, and resources to adequately administer an SIU permitting program, as required under the Federal Pretreatment Program (see 40 CFR 403, available in ADOBE Acrobat pdf format) and NJPDES regulations. Such a program requires both setting appropriate discharge limits for SIUs and enforcing those limits to ensure compliance. Once a pretreatment program has been delegated to a local agency, SIU permits are no longer issued by the Department in that service area. To determine if a location is served by a delegated local agency, click here. The Bureau of Pretreatment and Residuals is responsible for overseeing the administration of delegated to local agency pretreatment programs as well as for issuing SIU permits for discharges into treatment works of non-delegated local agencies which do not have approved pretreatment programs. Annual reports are required to be submitted by local agencies indicating the status of dischargers to local agency sewer plants and of the local agency's pretreatment program. Guidance is available for Delegated Local Agencies (view Adobe PDF document) and is also included in NJDEP's "Guidence Manual for Pretreatment Program Compliance For Non-Delegated Local Agencies (view Adobe PDF document). 
Regulatory Bureaus
SIU Permitting Information |
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