Routine facility inspections and sampling are conducted by inspectors to independently verify compliance with all applicable pretreatment standards including the City's Ordinance and each industrial user's individual permit requirements. Inspectors also conduct surveillance monitoring at wastewater manholes, targeted areas in the City to inventory industrial users that require permits, and respond to treatment plant upsets or interference, which may require investigations of industrial users upstream of treatment plants.

Monitoring/sampling of industrial discharges is performed according to 40CFR Part 136.3(e). Inspections are conducted at facilities that may have a potential to impact the publicly owned treatment works (POTW) which include wastewater collection system, treatment plants, and workers.  

The purpose and objective of the compliance monitoring program (including inspections and sampling) are to:  

• Determine compliance of industrial users (i.e., industrial dischargers who uses City’s sanitary sewer system to discharge wastewater) with pretreatment permit conditions and City’s Ordinance  
• Determine if the industrial user has corrected problems identified in the previous inspections or enforcement actions  
• Evaluate the adequacy of the operation and maintenance of an industrial user's pretreatment system  
• Assess the potential for spills and slug discharges and evaluate the effectiveness of slug discharge control measures if implemented
• Ensure records of industrial users are maintained current and relevant
• Ensure that self-monitoring data from the industrial users are complete, accurate and representative  
• Evaluate Best Management Practices and pollution prevention measures, if applicable

Inspection and monitoring may also be a part of an investigation initiated subsequent to reports of suspicious activity, illegal dumping, or service interruptions. If you have any questions about any suspicious discharge to the sanitary sewer, please contact the IWS (832-395-5800 or [email protected]).