Clean Water Current

(December 18, 2020) – NACWA’s Pretreatment & Pollution Prevention Committee met on December 8 to discuss implementation of the Dental Amalgam Rule and discuss PFAS issues.

The 2017 rule, which requires that dental offices install dental amalgam separators and follow best management practices (BMPs), went into effect in July. One-time compliance reports from dental offices to their wastewater utility were due by October 12. Committee members reported a wide range of compliance rates from their dentists, and different instructions on enforcement have been received by utilities from state and EPA region pretreatment coordinators.

NACWA asks that member agencies report any problems with implementing the rule to Cynthia Finley, NACWA’s Director of Regulatory Affairs.

The Committee also discussed PFAS discharges from industrial users. EPA recently announced an interim strategy to address PFAS through wastewater discharge permits issued by EPA in the states and territories where the Agency has permitting authority, with a recommendation for monitoring at facilities expected to discharge PFAS. Some pretreatment programs are beginning to consider which industrial users may be discharging PFAS

Other topics discussed by the committee included pandemic impacts on pretreatment programs, water reuse, and wipes.

For more information on the NACWA Pretreatment & Pollution Prevention Committee, please contact Cynthia Finley, NACWA’s Director of Regulatory Affairs.