Do You Recover?

[squirtgun]

Most storm drainage systems discharge directly to waters of the United States without treatment, which means anything that discharges into a storm drain is the same as putting it directly into the waterbody receiving the storm drain discharge.

Discharging wash water to a municipal sanitary sewer system that treats the wastewater before discharging from the wastewater treatment plant to waters of the U.S. Most municipalities have a pretreatment program requiring some type of pretreatment such as discharging through a sand filter and grease trap.

We have always been told of if we filtered as described above,we could dump in the on site SANITARY sewer.I guess the people with local code enforcement don't have a clue.Can someone please clarify?

[Beth n Rod]

Scott is right, and the keyword is "most". You really need to know locally where the systems go.

For example, in Maryland, there are specific drains that are marked as "Chesapeak Bay" and warn you not to drain to them. (duh!) We also have sanitary sewers, and we have properties that have dry wells ( newer properties).

If you don't know, berm off the area, let your water puddle and evaporate if you have no reclaim. If it goes to the wrong drain, you can get into huge trouble. We have seen more enforcement here as well. We have also seen an increase in hydrant monitoring.

I knew of a guy a year or so back ( PWing company) who was working down in Georgetown ( DC) down at the waterfront. He was washing a building with no chems, just water. He was letting the water go right into the Potomac. He tried to tell me it was ok, since he had no chems. See, that's not right...the pollutants qualify as hazmat waste and are not allowed in the water. I have to say, it took either an incredible amount of stupidity or chutzpa for him to do this - in DC - home of the Govt that wrote the law. The fines are HUGE. Big enough to shut you down for good.

Beth

p.s. we have never washed a boat dock either, although we have been asked to...

[One Tough Pressure]

Ron,
You need to stop guessing at what my laws are, as they are different than what you post. ASU or not, you are not giving correct info to folks outside of your area.
There is no legal sanitary sewer that drains straight into the ocean or any other body of water. Those lines go to the treatment plant, and then after meeting all necessary
limits may be discharged to the ocean.
In all areas that I serve,Hauling around recycled water is legal, and does not require any special license or permits. It is also legal to discharge that water to the sanitary sewer, provided that it is prefiltered correctly. No oil, sand, silt, solids or large quanities of chemicals.
Many cities around here use reclaimed water to irrigate landscape, and yes I water my own lawn with it, legal as long as it does not runoff and go in the drain.
Bottom line, know your area and know it well, because when someone from Out of State tries to help, they will usually be wrong.
Call me part timer or whatever else suits your need, but you really have no idea what I am doing with my time.

[Dave O]

Ron

I tried it you were wrong.

We flushed the kids little boat down the sanitary sewer and it didn't come out at the lake end. Now we want our money back. She is so upset about her toy now. Please send 19.99 to her LOL

[Mike Williamson]

Originally Posted by One Tough Pressure

Bottom line, know your area and know it well, because when someone from Out of State tries to help, they will usually be wrong.
Call me part timer or whatever else suits your need, but you really have no idea what I am doing with my time.

Amen to that.

Why is it that some think that if you're part time, you're not a serious contractor, your living doesn't rely on it, you're not doing things properly, etc etc?

[Scott Stone]

Ron,
You are confusing sanitary sewers with Storm sewers. If you discharge to those little grates on the side of the road, it is a storm sewer. If it is in your sanitary sewer line at your home, then it is sanitary sewer.
Now for hauling waste water, if you are hauling over 100 gallons of waste water you need to be properly licensed and permitted. The clean water people will tell you that it is no problem, but your local DOT people will come unglued. It is a different area of enforcement, and as is typical with the Governement, the right hand does not know (Or Care) what the left hand is doing.
Alan, I have driven a truck in your state, and been pulled over by the DOT, and hauling an unlimited amount of waste water is not legal in your state. There is a limit, and if you would talk to one of your CHP men, especially those in the pickups, I am sure that they would inform you as to what the exact laws and requirements are and how they are enforced. Now, enforcement and legality are two different areas. SO you can keep that in mind. There are a lot of laws and regulations that are not enforced until necessary. Then you will run into serious problems. Just like having your MSDS sheets in you truck, etc. No one is going to stop you to see if you have them. I have only had one customer ask me for them on the job site. But if you are in an accident and depending on the attitude of the police officer, he can make your life miserable if you do not have them on hand.


Scott Stone

[Ron Musgraves]

I'm Laughing real hard now. 98% of treatment water wind up in US waters. only less Than 2% get used to water lawns and other Uses.

I Dont care What anyone says, I'm correct. You guys are nuts. I suppose some of you think they recycle it back to us and we drink it. You guys are crazy....You guys have got to take a tour of your treatment facility. find out yourself. Ocean streams river and lakes. Some is pumped directly into the lower aquffers.

Opps, lets not even talk about this anymore.

Just put your money where your thoughts are, If you want alan or anyone else. I'll take cash to prove to you your sanitary sewers ultimatly go to all types of US waters.

Get real, Think about the billions of gallons daily...........DUH

[Ron Musgraves]

Scott, I'm surprised You even said that when you live next to what you live by. You can throw a STone to the US waters That Scott lives By. Take a guess where the City discharges our water? Wet land preserve and The salt river.

As a matter of fact the neighboring city didnt build a Bypass for the toilet water that Scotts city lets run into there lake. \

Scotts familiar with this because its been on the News about a million times. Scott Poops in the toilet and it go down Stream to Tempe. of course they rely on reclaimations but its not totally reclaimated. No i dont know what the percentages are. ADEQ standars Ha ha Ha

[Ron Musgraves]

Many cities around here use reclaimed water to irrigate landscape, and yes I water my own lawn with it, legal as long as it does not runoff and go in the drain.

Alans Quote above



Alan,

Funny, they dont want that nasty reclaimated water going down Drains? Brother make up your mind,


You cannot takes waiste water treated water haul it away and water lawns. You would be potentily contaminating someones property. Much less lets no let it get into a drain. WHY? Because its contaminated? YES



You folks keep hauling water and dumping without permits. Your lucky you have not been caught.


Alan Stay away from my Lawn, Thanks

[Ron Musgraves]

Discharging wash water to a municipal sanitary sewer system that treats the wastewater before discharging from the wastewater treatment plant to waters of the U.S. Most municipalities have a pretreatment program requiring some type of pretreatment such as discharging through a sand filter and grease trap.

Squirt Gun.


Most do require a pretreatment Prior to dumping. I dont recall any of us having a facility. Not your equipment, a facilty.........


This is a true statement above all I have ever talked with require this.

someone that has checked with local people. ( this process is required in my area by Industrial users) Not required by domestic users. we however are not domestic. WOW

[squirtgun]

My quote came directly from the EPA website.

As it applies to me,in my area,the locals authroies could care less if I reclaim.They are more concerned with people dumping old tires and refrigerators in to the environement.

We use oil absorbing booms and screen filters to get the water we put into the sanitary sewer clean enough to satisfy the requirements as they have been laid out to us by the local water authority.

I have been to the local water treatment plant and watched how it works.There may be some cities that pump sewage directly to US waterways,but not around here.

[Mike Williamson]

Originally Posted by Ron Musgraves

I'm Laughing real hard now. 98% of treatment water wind up in US waters. only less Than 2% get used to water lawns and other Uses.

The key word here is TREATMENT. Raw sewage is not dumped into the ocean, lake, river, or stream. It is treated. Of course it isn't sent back out into the clean water supply, but it IS treated. I mean, how ridiculous are you going to get with this?

If you want to get extreme, I really can't let my wash water evaporate, since it may wind up in the ocean or other US waters in the form of rain. I also can't let it soak into the ground, since it may evaporate from the soil and wind up in the ocean or other US waters as rain. I suppose I now need to set up a catch basin all around the house to catch ever drop of water I spray on a house, so I can reclaim it.

You're getting silly with this, Ron. Sometimes it IS ok to be wrong....

BTW, how long have you been reclaiming?

[One Tough Pressure]

Ron,
You deal with your area, I will deal with mine. You are assuming that things are the same here as they are there and that is not reality.
Water discharged from the treatment plant has to meet ppm standards, so stop being a smarty pants.
If the water is so contaminated, then why is it legal to discharge to a grassy area?
Reclaimed water that is used for irrigation is just that, used for irrigation. They do not want it to go in the storm drain, as it is then out of it's intended area.
Water that is filtered for reuse in the wash process, is not considered haz mat and is legal to be transported for wash purposes. Wash with recycled water and rinse with fresh. The major no no in my area is transporting across County lines and dumping, as each treatment plant is not created equal.

[Ron Musgraves]

Federal Standards are in fact the same, Solid material off vehicles are hazordous no matter what state you live in.

CWA in a federal mandate and applys to me and you. Sorry! wrong again. your local laws can differ But those will apply to everyone. And if you use any federal HWYS to transport your toxic material then it also applys.

Wrong again wrong again...


Scott, you have done your homework. Thanks

[Ron Musgraves]

BTW, how long have you been reclaiming?

before most here, since 1988