EPA Waste Water Regulations

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as the federal agency that regulates issues relating to the environment, has regulations in place on how waste water from industrial and other pollutants must be managed. Classified under effluent management, EPA's guidelines cover waste water that is discharged from an industrial unit to surface water and to publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). The aim of these regulations is to reduce the levels of pollution these units spill out into the environment and to regulate the nation's effluent-bearing waters through the use of technologies that reduce harm.

Categories of Regulation

• Regulations are in place to create different industrial categories and sub-categories. This means different units that throw out similar effluents are grouped together under the regulations. Regulations also address the economic viability of waste water management and technologies. Finally, the third class of regulations aims to encourage looking at waste water management holistically, in coordination with a wide variety of programs that overlap with other departments.

Clean Water Act

• The Clean Water Act is the piece of EPA legislation that contains the most regulation of waste water. One of its main provisions relates to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). This is a permit program carried out by the EPA designed to control the flow of polluting water that passes through man-made pipes and other outlets. Whenever an industrial unit's effluent water reaches the municipal water drainage or sewer system, the unit's owner has to have a permit from the concerned local authority under this regulation.

International Organization for Standardization

• Units that throw out effluents into water bodies must be certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the international body that promotes voluntary private and public safety standards. These units must obtain accreditation under ISO 14000 and 14001, which require environmental auditing, labeling, evaluation and life-cycle assessment.

Animal Feeding Operations

• The EPA also has regulations on how waste water from large animal feeding operations must be disposed of. Rules passed in November 2008 stipulate that nutrients must be mixed with animal waste from large farms when it is disposed of into rivers and other water bodies. This regulation is aimed at neutralizing the bad effects of these wastes that contain millions of pounds of nitrogen and phosphorus, which can be a pollutant. Owners of such farms must also apply for a permit with the local authorities under the Clean Water Act.