Industrial Facilities

Industrial Pretreatment Program

The City of Grand Prairie administers local, state and federal regulations affecting area businesses and the quality of the wastewater discharged to the City’s sanitary sewer.  The City of Grand Prairie sends its domestic and commercial wastewaters to the Trinity River Authority for treatment before being released into the Trinity River.

In 1977 the Clean Water Act established guidelines for improving the water quality of the nation’s waterways through regulation of industrial wastewater. These regulations were implemented to protect the wastewater treatment process and workers, allow beneficial re-use of bio-solids, allow reclamation of treated effluent for other purposes, and maintain exceptional water quality in the receiving streams.  Industrial wastewater may contain pollutants such as heavy metals, cyanide, toxic organic compounds, oil and grease, as well as many other pollutants which can interfere with treatment of the wastewater.

The City of Grand Prairie’s Pretreatment Program is locally regulated under Ordinance 6807, Chapter 13, Article XVI – Industrial Wastewater Discharges as well as state and federal requirements under the Clean Water Act.  Some major elements of the City’s Pretreatment Program include:

  • Review of Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy for possible regulation under the program
  • Issuance of applicable permits
  • Publication of quarterly informational newsletter
  • Performance of inspections and collection of samples
  • Review of permittee reports

Industrial Facilities Ordinance

Wastewater Permits

A permit to discharge industrial wastewater to the sanitary sewer is required for certain types of industrial facilities. Every commercial or industrial facility is considered to be an industrial user and Grand Prairie regulates all wastewater discharge from certain types of industrial facilities:

  • General Industrial Users
  • Monitored Industrial Users
  • Significant Industrial Users, Categorical and Non-Categorical

General Industrial Users (IU) include any industrial or commercial facility that discharges wastewater into the City’s sanitary sewer. This type of facility is subject to on-site inspections upon opening and every couple of years. These industries are not subject to the federal categorical pretreatment regulations, do not fit the definition of a significant industrial user, and a permit to discharge wastewater to the sanitary sewer is generally not required. The City has the right to permit, inspect and monitor any of these facilities at any time and all facilities must comply with all applicable environmental regulations.

Monitored Industrial Users (MIU) are those facilities whose process and wastewater discharges do not necessarily fall under the categorical pretreatment regulations or the definition of a significant industrial user, but are of special interest to the City. Some examples are food manufacturers and box manufacturing and printing. These types of facilities do not require a permit to discharge wastewater; however, they are inspected annually and are monitored by the City for pollutants of concern.

Significant Industrial Users (SIU) are sources of industrial wastewater that, by federal regulation, require an increased level of regulatory attention. An SIU is defined as an industrial user that meets any one of the following criteria:

  • Is subject to Categorical Pretreatment Standards under 40 CFR 403.6 and 40 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter N.
  • Discharges an average of 25,000 gallons per day or more of process wastewater to the City’s sanitary sewer.
  • Contributes a process waste stream that makes up 5 percent or more of the average dry weather hydraulic or organic capacity of the wastewater treatment plant.
  • Is designated as such on the basis that the industrial user has a reasonable potential for adversely affecting the operation of the treatment plant or the City’s collection system, or for violating any pretreatment standards or requirements.

SIUs must obtain a wastewater discharge permit to discharge any industrial wastewater to the City’s sanitary sewer.  A wastewater discharge permit application is required 60 days prior to commencement of discharge.

Inspections and Sampling

The Pretreatment staff conducts inspections, surveillance and monitoring of industrial wastewater sources discharging to the City’s wastewater collection system. The inspections and sampling are performed in order to independently verify compliance with all applicable pretreatment standards. The pretreatment program is required to use EPA approved sampling and analytical methodologies as per 40 CFR Part 136.

Inspection and Sampling Frequencies

  • Inspections of Significant Industrial Users are performed at least once a year and may be announced or unannounced
  • Sampling of all Significant Industrial Users (both Categorical and Non-Categorical) is conducted at least once during each semi-annual period and is unannounced
  • Inspections of Monitored Industrial Users are performed once a year and may be announced or unannounced
  • Sampling of Monitored Industrial Users is conducted at least once during each semi-annual period and is unannounced
  • Inspections of General Industrial Users are performed upon opening and once every three years and can be announced or unannounced

Additional inspection and sampling activities are conducted on an as needed basis or according to the compliance history of the facility.

Tier II Chemical Reporting

Facilities covered by The Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) are required to file the Tier II report if they meet the following criteria:

  • stored 10,000 pounds of a hazardous chemical during the previous year, or
  • stored 500 pounds or the Threshold Planning Quantity (TPQ) of any Extremely Hazardous Substance during the previous year.

All Tier II Reports must be submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) using the online Tier II Reporting system available through STEERS. Facilities are also required to submit copies to the LOCAL Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC), and the local fire department. Grand Prairie facilities should submit copies to the Dallas County LEPC, Tarrant County LEPC and Grand Prairie Office of Emergency Management(PDF, 41KB) .

Tier II forms require basic facility identification information, employee contact information for both emergencies and non-emergencies, and the following information about chemicals stored or used at the facility:

  • The chemical name or the common name as indicated on the material safety data sheet (MSDS);
  • An estimate of the maximum amount of the chemical present at any time during the preceding calendar year and the average daily amount;
  • A brief description of how the chemical is stored;
  • The location of the chemical at the facility; and
  • Whether the owner of the facility elects to withhold location information from disclosure to the public.

Annual reporting is required by both federal and state law. You are required to report the hazardous materials you stored on-site during the previous calendar year by March 1 each year.

Visit the TCEQ Website for information on Tier II Chemical Reporting