Wastewater control ordinance & discharge limits

EBMUD's Wastewater Control Ordinance regulates wastewater discharges into our wastewater system and includes discharge limits (local limits) for select pollutants.

Wastewater Control Ordinance

EBMUD's Wastewater Control Ordinance provides legal authority for EBMUD to implement the pretreatment program. The ordinance establishes regulations and charges for the collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater, as well as penalties for violations.

Document Type Size
EBMUD's Wastewater Control Ordinance PDF <1 MB

Wastewater Discharge Limits

Some industrial customers of EBMUD may also be subject to federal regulations for specific categories of businesses. These "categorical industries" are subject to additional regulations that include discharge limits (pretreatment standards) for pollutants specific to the category. If a pollutant has both a local limit and federal limit, the more stringent limit is applied. The federal regulations can be viewed on the U.S. EPA website by scrolling down to "Subchapter N - Effluent Guidelines and Standards" and selecting "Parts 400 - 424" or "Parts 425 - 471".

EBMUD Local Limits

Arsenic 2 mg/L
Cadmium 1 mg/L
Total Identifiable Chlorinated hydrocarbons (TICH) 0.5 mg/L
Chromium (total) 2 mg/L
Copper 5 mg/L
Cyanide 5 mg/L
Iron 100 mg/L
Lead 2 mg/L
Mercury 0.05 mg/L
Nickel 5 mg/L
Oil and Grease

100 mg/L

pH not less than 5.5 S.U.
Phenolic compounds 100 mg/L
Silver 1 mg/L
Temperature 150°F
Zinc 5 mg/L

mg/L - milligrams per liter
S.U. - standard units

Total Identifiable Chlorinated Hydrocarbons (TICH) - The sum of the concentrations of all quantifiable values equal to or greater than the detection limit for all chlorinated hydrocarbons identified by EPA Method 624.