King County
Public Rules and Regulations

Public Rules

Title: King County Industrial Waste Local Discharge Limits

Document Code No.: PUT 8-13 (PR)
Department/Issuing Agency: Department of Natural Resources/Industrial Waste Program
Effective Date: February 12, 1999
Approved: /s/ Ron Sims
Type of Action: Revise the Local Discharge Limits issued on November 26, 1990.

1.0 SUBJECT TITLE: King County Industrial Waste Local Discharge Limits

2.0 PURPOSE:

2.1 To maintain local discharge limits for discharging to the Metropolitan Sewer System restricting the following parameters: metals, organics, pH, temperature, fats, oils, and greases of animal or vegetable origin, fats, oils, and greases of mineral origin and other toxic substances as required including those defined in applicable state and federal regulation; and to redefine the violation criteria for the daily minimum pH limit and the violation criteria for the daily average limit for metals and cyanide. K.C.C.28.84.060.F provides that the director shall publish and revise local discharge limits. This Public Rule is promulgated pursuant to this authority.

3.0 ORGANIZATIONS AFFECTED:

3.1 Any person, meaning any individual, company, partnership, association, corporation, society, joint stock company, trust, estate, governmental entity, or any other legal entity or group, or their legal representatives, agents, or assigns discharging wastewater into the metropolitan sewer system.

3.2 King County Department of Natural Resources; Wastewater Treatment Division; Water and Land Resources Division; Industrial Waste Program.

4.0 REFERENCES:

4.1 K.C.C. 28.84.060.

4.2 Revised Code of Washington (RCW) Title 35.58.

4.3 Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.).

4.4 General Pretreatment Regulations (40 CFR 403).

This King County Public Rule is a continuation of Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (METRO) Public Rule 1.90, "Local Discharge Limits." The METRO rule was approved by the Executive Director effective November 26, 1990 under the same water pollution abatement policy that is now a function of King County (K.C.C. 28.81.020.). The King County Code may be accessed on-line at: www.metrokc.gov. Laws of Washington may be accessed on-line at: http://www.leg.wa.gov. The federal register and regulations may be accessed on-line at: www.usace.mil/net/functions/cw/cecwo/reg.

5.0 DEFINITIONS:

In addition to the definitions listed in Section 5 of this Public Rule, all definitions included in K.C.C. 28.82.010 -.1000 (Appendix 9.2) are hereby adopted by reference.

5.1 "Director" shall mean the Director of the Department of Natural Resources of King County or a duly authorized designee.

5.2 "Cyanide" shall mean all of the CN groups in cyanide compounds that can be determined as the cyanide ion, CN-. The cyanide compounds in which cyanide can be obtained as CN- are classed as simple and complex cyanides.

5.3 "Metropolitan sewer system, metropolitan sewerage system, or metropolitan system" shall mean all or any part of the sewerage facilities acquired, constructed, or used by King County.

5.4 "pH" shall mean the negative logarithm (base 10) of the concentration of hydrogen ions expressed in grams per liter of solution. Neutral water, for example, has a pH of 7 and a hydrogen ion concentration of 10e-7).

5.5 "Wastewater" refers to the liquid and water-carried industrial or domestic waste from dwellings; commercial, industrial and governmental activities; industrial facilities; and institutions, together that may be present, whether treated or untreated, that is contributed into or permitted to enter the POTW.

5.6 "Water and Land Resources Division" shall mean the division established in the Department of Natural Resources responsible for implementation of industrial waste and pretreatment programs defined by the Clean Water Act of 1972, as amended, the General Pretreatment Regulations (40 CFR Part 403), other applicable federal laws and regulations, and K.C.C. 28.84.060.

6.0 POLICIES:

6.1 In addition to the prohibitions and restrictions established in K.C.C. 28.84.060, no person shall discharge any of the following substances in excess of the limitations contained in this public rule.
6.1.1 Flammable or Explosive Materials
Any pollutant, as defined in 40 CFR 401.11, that creates a fire or explosion hazard in any sewer or treatment works, including, but not limited to, wastestreams with a closed cup flashpoint of less than 140 degrees Fahrenheit or 60 degrees centigrade using the test methods specified in 40 CFR 261.21.

At no time shall two successive readings on an explosion hazard meter, at the point of discharge into the system (or at any point in the system), be more than five percent (5%), nor shall any single reading be more than ten percent (10%) of the Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) of the meter.

Pollutants subject to this prohibition include, but are not limited to, gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, benzene, toluene, xylene, ethers, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, peroxides, chlorates, perchlorates, bromates, carbides, hydrides, and sulfides, and any other substance that King County, a fire department, Washington State, or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have notified the user are a fire hazard or a hazard to the system.

6.1.2 Settleable Solids - Volumetric

Settleable Solids Limit: 7.0 ml/L

The settleable solids - volumetric procedure is a volumetric approximation of the amount of matter that will not stay in suspension after a period of time.

6.1.3 Organic compounds

No person shall discharge any organic pollutants that result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors, or fumes within a public or private sewer or treatment works in a quantity that may cause acute worker health and safety problems. Organic pollutants subject to this restriction include but are not limited to:

Any organic compound listed in 40 CFR Section 433.11(e), Total Toxic Organics (TTO) definition (Appendix 9.1).

Acetone, 2-butanone (MEK), 4-methyl-2-pentanone (MIBK), xylenes.

Dischargers are required to implement "housekeeping" and best management practices in order to prevent the discharge of a concentrated form of any of the above organic pollutants.

Individual permit limits for specific industrial discharges may be established for the above organic pollutants. Such limits shall be established on a case-by-case basis pursuant to K.C.C. 28.84.060 and shall be based on:

1. Conditions in public or private sewers downstream of the discharge, including dilution by other wastes upstream;
2. Worker safety and public health standards;
3. Type of chemical compound (toxicity, volatility, solubility);
4. Proximity to other discharges that may cause adverse conditions in combination with the discharge in question;
5. Technological achievability of removal; and
6. Potential impacts to public, private, or side sewers; treatment works; biosolids; or receiving waters.

6.1.4 Hydrogen Sulfide

Atmospheric Hydrogen Sulfide Limit: 10.0ppm
(As measured at a monitoring manhole designated by King County)

Soluble sulfide limits may be established on a case-by-case basis depending upon volume of discharge and conditions in the receiving sewer, including oxygen content and existing sulfide concentrations.

6.1.5 Corrosive substances

      Limits
      Maximum                  pH 12.0 (s.u.)
      Instantaneous Minimum    pH 5.0 (s.u.)
      Daily Minimum            pH 5.5 (s.u.)

The instantaneous minimum pH limit is violated whenever any single grab sample or any instantaneous recording is less than pH 5.0.

The daily minimum pH limit is violated whenever any continuous recording of 15 minutes or longer remains below pH 5.5 or when each pH value of four consecutive grab samples collected at 15-minute intervals or longer within a 24-hour period remains below pH 5.5.

Discharges of more than 50 gallons per day of caustic solutions equivalent to more than 5% NAOH by weight or greater than pH 12.0 are prohibited unless authorized by King County and subject to special conditions to protect worker safety, the collection system, and treatment works.

6.1.6 Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG)

6.1.6.1 FOG Accumulations and Obstructions
Discharges of FOG shall not result in significant accumulations which either alone or in combination with other wastes are capable of obstructing flow or that interfere with the operations or performance of sewer works or treatment facilities.

6.1.6.2 Non Polar FOG (mineral origin)

Non Polar FOG Limit: 100mg/l

The limit for non polar FOG is violated when the arithmetic mean of the concentration of three grab samples, taken no more frequently than at five (5) minute intervals, exceeds the limitation.

Companies which violate the non polar FOG limit may be required to complete, for King County review and approval, a FOG control plan as outlined in Section 6.1.6.4.

6.1.6.3 Polar FOG (animal and vegetable)

Dischargers of polar FOG shall minimize free floating polar FOG. Dischargers may not add emulsifying agents exclusively for the purposes of emulsifying free floating FOG. Companies which discharge free floating polar FOG will be required to complete, for King County review and approval, a FOG control plan as outlined in Section 6.1.6.4.

6.1.6.4 FOG Control Plans

The goal of the FOG control plan is to implement reasonable and technically feasible controls of free floating FOG. The basic components of the FOG control plan should include:
1. A written policy articulating management and corporate support for the plan and a commitment to implement planned activities and achieve established goals.

2. A description of the facility type and a summary of the products made and/or service provided.

3. Quantities of FOG brought into the facility as raw product, amounts contained in products, and quantities discharged to the sewer.

4. Schematics of process areas illustrating drains and discharge points connected to the sewer.

5. A description of current reduction, recycling, and treatment activities.

6. Identification of a full range of potentially feasible reduction opportunities.

7. A description of the reduction or control opportunities selected for implementation, process(es) affected, and estimated reductions to be achieved.

8. Specific performance goals and implementation schedule.

6.1.7 Metals and Cyanide

                 SIUs(1) & IUs >5,000 gpd       All other IUs

                 Daily       Instantaneous      Daily
                 Average(2)  Maximum(3)         Maximum(4)
                 (ppm)       (ppm)              (ppm)
                 ____________________________________________
     Arsenic     1.0         4.0                4.0
     Cadmium     0.5         0.6                0.6
     Chromium    2.75        5.0                5.0
     Copper      3.0         8.0                8.0
     Lead        2.0         4.0                4.0
     Mercury     0.1         0.2                0.2
     Nickel      2.5         5.0                5.0
     Silver      1.0         3.0                3.0
     Zinc        5.0         10.0               10.0
     Cyanide(5)  2.0         3.0                3.0

1. SIU, or Significant Industrial Users as defined in 40 CFR 403.3(t), includes federal categorical dischargers and all dischargers that have a reasonable potential for adversely affecting treatment works operation.

2. The daily average limit for metals is violated when a composite sample exceeds the limit or when a grab sample from a discharge with a duration of less than one hour exceeds the limit. A composite sample for metals shall consist of four or more grab samples of equal volume collected at minimum intervals of 15 minutes and/or maximum intervals of 2 hours within a 24-hour period.

The daily average limit for cyanide is violated when a composite sample exceeds the limit or when a grab sample from a discharge with a duration less than one half-hour exceeds the limit. A composite sample for cyanide shall consist of a minimum of two samples collected at intervals of 15 minutes or greater within a 24-hour period.

3. The instantaneous maximum is violated whenever the concentration of any gab sample, including a grab within a series used to calculate daily average concentrations, exceeds the limitation.

4. The daily maximum is violated whenever any sample exceeds the limitation.

5. The limits for cyanide shall pertain to the amount of cyanide amenable to chlorination and not total cyanide.

6.2 Discharges subject to federal categorical discharge limits shall be subject to those limits, or to King County discharge limits, whichever is most restrictive.

6.2.1 K.C.C. 28.84.060 provides that "permit limitations shall be established to the extent necessary to enable the County to comply with current national Pollutant Discharge Elimination System requirements as promulgated by the EPA or the Washington State Department of Ecology [WSDOE], and .... with requirements for the protection of sewerage facilities and treatment processes, public health and safety and the receiving waters and when determined by King County to be necessary for the protection of water quality and avoidance of nuisance in the metropolitan area." Consistent with this directive, individual permit limits for specific companies may be established for compounds not specifically listed or for listed compounds at levels higher or lower than the above limits, dependent upon a case-by-case evaluation. Such limits shall be calculated based on the following factors:
1. Volume and concentration of the discharge;
2. Proximity to treatment works;
3. Type and size of treatment works operation;
4. Proximity to other industrial waste discharges that may cause adverse conditions;
5. Characteristics of chemical compound (volatility, solubility, and toxicity, including toxicity in treatment works effluent);
6. Dilution in collection system and treatment works;
7. Technological achievability of removal, including achievability of treatment off site;
8. Potential impacts to public, private, or side sewers; treatment works; biosolids; or receiving waters.

6.2.2 In addition to concentration limits, permit limits may also include mass limits stated as total pounds of a pollutant allowed per day.

7.0 PROCEDURES:

Action By: DNR

Action:

7.1 The Director shall publish and revise from time to time local discharge limits developed according to guidelines promulgated by the EPA and/or WSDOE using data specific to the metropolitan sewerage system and its industrial users.

7.2 The Director shall develop and implement an enforcement response plan that contains guidelines indicating how the County will investigate and respond to instances of industrial user noncompliance.

7.3 The Director shall publish and revise from time to time rules regarding the acceptance of clean water or unpolluted water(cooling water, contaminated groundwater, and construction dewatering) into the metropolitan sewerage system.

8.0 RESPONSIBILITIES:

8.1 Dischargers of Wastewater into the Metropolitan Sewer System are responsible for ensuring that their wastewater meets the requirements of K.C.C. 28.84.060 and the local discharge limits contained in this Public Rule.

8.2 The King County Department of Natural Resources, Industrial Waste Program, is responsible for the enforcement of the local discharge limits contained in this public rule.

9.0 APPENDICES:

These appendices are available from the Department of Natural Resources, Industrial Waste Program. Please call 206-689-3000 for copies.

9.1 40 CFR Section 433.11 (e) Total Toxic Organics (TTO) Definition.

9.2 K.C.C. 28.82.010 -.1000, Definitions.