Industrial Wastewater
Industrial wastewater is a by-product of industrial or commercial activities. After treatment, industrial wastewater may be reused or released into a sanitary sewer. NIH facility operations that generate industrial wastewater are regulated primarily under the Clean Water Act. To comply with environmental regulations, NIH maintains National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for those water treatment plants that discharge to state surface waters. The permit is designed to protect the quality of the body of water receiving the discharge.
Municipal Wastewater
Municipal wastewater includes wastewater from laboratories, offices, and industrial processes at NIH. Municipal wastewater also contains sanitary sewage and is normally treated before environmental release. The collection and treatment of municipal wastewater is vital to public health and clean water. The NIH Bethesda campus operates under a Discharge Authorization Permit (DAP) issued by WSSC. The DAP sets limits on certain parameters of the NIH wastewater which enters the sanitary sewer. The permit also prohibits certain discharges to the sewer, including but not limited to: flammable/explosive material, corrosive substances, and pathogenic waste. To maintain compliance with the permit, NIH samples the wastewater and prepares quarterly reports for submittal to WSSC. If there are any instances of non-compliance (e.g. sampling results outside of limits, unauthorized discharges, etc.), notice must be given to WSSC within 24 hours of becoming aware of the issue. In the event WSSC issues an NOV, NIH DEP will investigate the issue and initiate corrective actions to resolve the issue.
The NIH municipal wastewater program also performs pretreatment at certain locations on the NIH Bethesda campus. The main pretreatment process is chemical neutralization of the effluent pH to maintain levels within permit limits. Some buildings on the Bethesda campus have facility wide pretreatment to further maintain the pH levels of the wastewater entering the sanitary system.
Activities requiring notification to DEP:Process Batch Discharges: Process batch discharges include wastewater discharges from maintenance activities such as air conditioning, chilled/steam water processes, fire suppressant, condenser water systems, and domestic water systems, among others. These discharges are classified as non-routine and have the potential to cause interference at the POTW. Prior to process batch discharges into the sanitary sewer, notice must be given to DEP and an NIH Process Batch Discharge (to Sanitary) Request Form needs to be filled out. The form is included below. WSSC needs to approve the batch discharge request prior to the discharge taking place. The request form needs to be submitted to DEP at least a week prior to the discharge request date. Depending on the constituents of the wastewater being discharged, WSSC may not approve the Process Batch Discharge Request if they have concerns. Failure to receive approval from WSSC/DEP prior to discharging the process wastewater may result in non-compliance with the WSSC permit and enforcement action from WSSC.