Protecting the safety and integrity of our shared sewer resources
We are steadfast in our commitment to providing safe and reliable wastewater treatment and resource recovery for our owner communities. To do that, the District adheres to safeguards outlined in various permits and state statute. In addition, because all dischargers play a role in maintaining the safety and integrity of our system, the District’s Sewer Use Ordinance outlines our authority and regulates how communities and businesses can use our shared collection system and wastewater treatment plant.
Permits
The District operates under permits issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The purpose of the permits is to ensure that District operations are conducted in a manner that protects public health and the environment. These permits include limits, monitoring and reporting requirements, compliance schedules and other relevant information.
The District holds three permits:
- A wastewater permit issued under the Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) program that regulates monitoring requirements and quality of treated effluent prior to discharge to the environment. As part of this permit, we have also developed a Capacity, Management, Operations and Maintenance (CMOM) Plan. The CMOM outlines efficient operation and maintenance of collection system assets to minimize performance failures and overflows.
- An air permit that regulates emissions and monitoring requirements from various processes and equipment, such as natural gas or biogas-fired boilers, engine generators and flare at the plant.
- A general industrial stormwater permit issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that protects groundwater and surface water from potentially contaminated stormwater runoff.
Sewer Use Ordinance
The District is enabled to fulfill its mission through a chapter in Wisconsin state statutes that governs the powers and duties of metropolitan sewerage districts.
To further define our authority, the District has developed a Sewer Use Ordinance. This ordinance specifies the types of wastes that can be discharged into the sewerage system, imposes requirements on industrial waste dischargers, and provides a mechanism for issuing permits to certain users. The ordinance also enables the District to comply with administrative provisions, water quality requirements, pretreatment effluent standards and other discharge criteria that are required or authorized by the State of Wisconsin or federal law.
