A study conducted by Union Sanitary District (USD) in 1990’s focusing on wastewater discharges from automotive radiator shops to the sanitary sewer, found that in most cases levels of copper, lead, and zinc in the wastewater exceeded USD discharge limits and in some cases exceeded California hazardous waste discharge limits. The results indicated that the high levels of these pollutants were generated from various processes (hot tanks, flushing booths, floor drains, etc.) employed by many of these shops. As a result of the study, USD adopted the following discharge requirements for automotive radiator shops: 

A. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: 

All radiator shops located within Union Sanitary District's service area are required to reduce the concentration of pollutants in their wastewater discharge to comply with local discharge limits, or discontinue all process discharge to the sanitary sewer (this excludes bathroom discharges).

All used anti-freeze must be recycled or hauled off-site by a licensed waste hauler. Under no circumstances may any used anti-freeze be discharged to the sanitary sewer. 

No discharge of any kind may be redirected from the sanitary sewer to the storm drain. 

B. ZERO DISCHARGE OPTION: 

If a shop chooses to discontinue all process discharge to the sanitary sewer, all discharge points (including floor drains) must be disconnected and/or permanently plugged and sealed. The District must be notified when this action is completed. 

C. SANITARY SEWER DISCHARGE OPTION: 

If a shop chooses to continue discharging to the sanitary sewer, the following conditions must be met: 

Compliance with all USD local discharge limits shall be maintained at all times by installing and maintaining an approved pretreatment system. 

A completed permit application must be submitted to the District (including a wastewater characterization study). The applicant must pay all appropriate permit fees. The applicant is also required to sample the facility's process discharge once every quarter and have these samples analyzed by a California certified laboratory results submitted to the District. 

Please direct any questions you may have regarding these requirements to the environmental compliance department at Union Sanitary District. 

   

 

A study conducted by Union Sanitary District (USD) in the late 1990’s focusing on wastewater discharges from automotive machine shops to the sanitary sewer, found that in most cases, levels of copper, lead, nickel, zinc and oil & grease in the wastewater exceeded USD discharge limits and in some cases exceeded California hazardous waste discharge limits. The results indicated that the high pollutant concentrations were generated from various processes (hot tanks, solvent cleaning booths, floor drains, etc.) employed by many of these shops. As a result, USD has adopted the following discharge requirements for automotive machine shops: 

A. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• All automotive machine shops located within Union Sanitary District's service area are required to reduce the concentration of pollutants in their wastewater discharge to comply with local discharge limits, or to discontinue all process discharge to the sanitary sewer (this excludes bathroom discharges). 
• All automotive shops, which possess a hot tank, must remove or permanently plug the tank's discharge port. 
• No discharge of any kind may be redirected from the sanitary sewer to the storm drain. 

B. ZERO DISCHARGE OPTION: 

If a facility chooses to discontinue all process discharge to the sanitary sewer, all discharge points (including floor drains) must be disconnected and/or permanently plugged and sealed. The District must be notified when this action is completed. 

C. SANITARY SEWER DISCHARGE OPTION: 

If a facility chooses to continue discharging to the sanitary sewer, the following conditions must be met: 

• Compliance with all USD local discharge limits shall be maintained at all times. 
• A completed permit application must be submitted to the District (including a wastewater characterization study). If a permit is determined to be required, then the applicant must pay all appropriate permit fees. The applicant is also required to sample the facility's process discharge once every quarter, have these samples analyzed by a California certified laboratory, with the results submitted to the District. 

If at any time, the facility's process discharge is found to be out of compliance with any pollutant covered under USD local or Federal discharge limits, the facility shall install the appropriate pretreatment system. 

Please direct any questions you may have regarding these requirements to the environmental compliance department at Union Sanitary District.

Industrial Permit Fee Schedule 

Local Limits (For a printable copy, click here)

Sewer Use Ordinance No. 36, Section 2:  No person shall discharge wastes into the sanitary sewer which exceed the following limitations on wastewater strength: 

Pollutant	Limit for any 1 Sample		EPA Test Method+
Arsenic	0.35  mg/l		200.7
Cadmium	0.2   mg/l		200.7
Chromium (T)	2.0   mg/L		200.7
Copper	2.0   mg/l		200.7
Lead	1.0   mg/l		200.7
Mercury	0.01  mg/l		200.7
Nickel	1.0   mg/l		200.7
Silver	0.5   mg/l		200.7
Zinc	3.0   mg/l		200.7
Cyanide	0.65  mg/l		335.4
Formaldehyde	50.0  mg/l		6252.B·/8315
Oil and Grease (Animal &Vegetable)	300   mg/l		1664 A
Oil and Grease (Mineral)	100   mg/l		1664 A
pH	Between 6.0 and 12.0		150.2
Phenols	5.0 mg/l		604/625/420.1
Temperature	No higher than 150°F		2550B·
Total Toxic Organics1	2.13   mg/l		624/625
Ammonia2	Avg. Flow <10,000 gpd	225 mg/L as N	350.1 - 350.3
	Avg. Flow 10,000 – 25,000 gpd	150 mg/L as N
	Avg. Flow >25,000 gpd	75 mg/L as N

·     Standard Methods Number + Test methods listed are examples.  Analyses must be performed using Approved Methods listed in Code of Federal Regulations 40 (CFR) 136. 1 Total Toxic Organics (TTO’s) is the summation of all quantifiable values greater than 0.01 milligrams per liter for the organic pollutants listed below. 2 The Ammonia limit above is based on the discharger’s average daily flow rate as calculated annually to establish sewer service charges. Ammonia compliance determination shall be based on the average of all valid and representative analyses occurring within a 6-month period.

Prohibited Wastes Include:

1. Flammable or explosive substances
2. Highly toxic and poisonous substances
3. Substances which may obstruct flow
4. Strongly odorous wastes
5. Uncontaminated water (such as one-pass cooling water, storm water runoff, etc.)
6. Sludges
7. Wastes with temperatures over 150o F
8. Most radioactive wastes (in excess of State Guidelines)
9. Wastes which contain or result in the production of toxic, corrosive, explosive, or malodorous gases
10. Organic solvents (including halogenated solvents) in excess of TTO limits.  

For a complete list of prohibited wastes, see District Ordinance No. 36.

Total Toxic Organics (TTO’s) is the summation of all quantifiable values greater than 0.01 milligrams per liter for the following organic pollutants:

Volatile Organics (624) Acrolein Acrylonitrile Benzene Bromoform (Tribromomethane) Carbon Tetrachloride (Tetrachloromethane)  Chlorobenzene Chloroethane 2-Chloroethy vinyl ether (mixed) Chloroform (Trichloromethane) Chlorodibromomethane Dichlorobromomethane 1,1-Dichloroethane 1,2-Dichloroethane 1,1-Dichloroethylene 1,2-Dichloropropane 1,3-Dichloropropylene (1,3-Dichloropropene) Ethylbenzene Methyl bromide (Bromomethane) Methyl chloride (Chloromethane) Methylene chloride (Dichloromethane) Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane 1,1,1-Trichloroethane (TCA) 1,1,2-Trichloroethane Toluene 1,2-Trans-dichloroethylene Trichloroethylene (TCE) Vinyl chloride (Chloroethylene)

Semi Volatile Organics (625) Acenaphthene Acenaphthylene Anthracene Benzidine 1,2-Benzanthracene (Benzo(a)anthracene) Benzo(a)pyrene (3,4-Benzopyrene) 1,12-Benzoperylene (Benzo(ghi)perylene) 11,12-Benzofluorantene (Benzo(k)fluoranthene) 3,4-Benzofluoranthene (Benzo(b)fluoranthene) Bis (2-chloroisopropyl) ether Bis (2-chloroethoxy) methane Bis (2-chloroethyl) ether Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 4-Bromophenyl phenyl ether Butyl benzyl phthalate 2-Chloronaphthalene 4-Chlorophenyl phenyl ether Chrysene 1,2,5,6-Dibenzanthracene  (Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene)  1,2-Dichlorobenzene 1,3-Dichlorobenzene 1,4-Dichlorobenzene 3,3-Dichlorobenzidine Diethylphthalate Dimethyl phthalate Di-n-butyl phthalate Di-n-octyl phathalate 2,4-Dinitrotoluene 2,6-Dinitrotoluene 1,2-Diphenylhydrazine Fluoranthene Fluorene Hexachlorobenzene Hexachlorobutadiene Hexachlorocyclopentadiene Hexachloroethane Indeno(1,2,3-cd) pyrene  (2,3-o-phenlene pyrene) Isophorone N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine N-nitrosodimethylamine N-nitrosodiphenylamine Naphthalene Nitrobenzene Phenanthrene Pyrene 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene

For additional information on Industrial Discharge Requirements, see Ordinance 36.            

Click link to view all USD Sewer Use Ordinances.

Accidental Discharge and Spill Notification Procedures 

In the event of an accidental discharge or spill that enters or threatens to enter the SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM:

1. Between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., call the Union Sanitary District’s Environmental Compliance Team at (510) 477-7500.
2. Between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., or on weekends and holidays, call the Union Sanitary District’s Emergency Contact Number at (510) 477-7500.

In the event of an accidental discharge or spill that enters or threatens to enter a STORM DRAIN, CREEK OR THE BAY:

1. At any time, during or after business hours, call:

• California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES): (800) 852-7550
• Union Sanitary District: (510) 477-7500
• National Response Center: (800) 424-8802
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife: (831) 649-2810
• San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board: (510) 622-2369

2. To contact your city (Fremont, Newark, or Union City) at any time call 911.

IMPORTANT:  If safe to do so, take all precautions to prevent or minimize the actual quantity of the spill entering the sewer or storm drain system. For example, dam up the point of entry and contain spillage for physical removal.

Accidental Discharge and Spill Prevention Measures 

Do	Don't
1.Institute good housekeeping practices which minimize liquid discharges.	1. Don’t allow non-storm water discharges to the City storm drain system.
2. Provide adequate and effective safeguards to prevent accidental spillage or liquids or solids to the collection system.	2. Don’t allow uncontaminated water (rain runoff or single-pass cooling water), to enter the sanitary sewer system.
3. Familiarize all employees with the nature of the liquids being handled.	3. Don’t allow discharge of batch-type commercial or industrial liquid wastes to the sanitary sewer system without prior approval.
4. Familiarize all employees with procedures to be followed in event of accidental discharges.	4. Don’t allow unnecessary solid materials to enter the sanitary sewer system.
5. Familiarize key operating personnel with the provisions of USD’s Wastewater Discharge Ordinance No. 36 and your Wastewater Discharge Permit.	5. Don’t allow discharge of any substance that could interfere with flow through the sanitary sewer system or the treatment process.
6. Maintain discharge control structures (sumps, grease traps, oil separators, etc.), and pretreatment equipment in good working order.  Inspect frequently and clean or repair as required.	6. Don’t allow organic solvents (gasoline, paint thinner, motor oil, etc.), or highly acidic or caustic substances to enter the sanitary sewer system.
7. Call the Environmental Compliance Team at  (510) 477-7500 whenever you have any questions concerning waste discharge regulations, waste discharge problems, or related matters.	7. Don’t allow discharge of any substance(s) known to be highly toxic.  When in doubt, ask us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spill Response & Prevention Resources

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