Pretreatment Permits
The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (department) was delegated the authority for the Pretreatment
Program from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a part of the NDPDES permits program in 2005.
The basis and implementation for the Pretreatment Program is defined in 40 CFR 403. The Pretreatment Program regulates
the discharge of industrial process wastewater into the Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs). The goal of the pretreatment
program is to prevent industrial wastewater discharges from interfering with or passing through the POTW treatment system into
the environment. The program is also designed to protect POTW worker health and safety as well as ensure biosolids left over
after treatment can be safely disposed of through the POTW chosen disposal method. You may visit the
EPA National Pretreatment Program
website for additional information on the Pretreatment Program.
North Dakota currently has delegated the authority for the Pretreatment Program to five cities, which include Bismarck, Fargo,
Grand Forks, Mandan, and West Fargo. Industrial facilities located in a city with an approved Pretreatment Program are regulated
by that respective city. Industrial facilities located in cities without an approved Pretreatment Program are regulated by the
department.
For more information on North Dakota Pretreatment Permits, please contact the NDPDES program at 701.328.5210.
Dental Amalgam Rule
On June 14, 2017, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the dental effluent guideline rule
which is defined at 40 CFR 441. The goal of this rule is to reduce mercury discharges from dental amalgam to POTWs,
as such this rule falls under the Pretreatment Program. All dental offices are required to submit a One-Time Compliance
(OTC) Report. For dental offices which do not place and/or remove dental amalgam, submitting the OTC is the only
requirement. For dental offices that do place and/or remove amalgam in addition to submitting the OTC, the requirements
are as follow:
- An amalgam separator or equivalent device must be installed and operated and;
- Specific best management practices (BMPs) must be in place and;
- Records must be kept in accordance with 40 CFR 441
Submission of the OTC Report was required by July 14, 2020. However, if there was a change of ownership or the facility
recently opened an OTC Report is required within 90 days. If a OTC Report has not been submitted, please submit one as
soon as possible. Dental offices within the cities of Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, Mandan, and West Fargo should contact
that respective city for regulating information.
For more information on the Dental Amalgam Rule, please contact the NDPDES program at 701.328.5210.
