Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Natural Resources
NR 200-299 - Environmental Protection - Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
Chapter NR 211 - General Pretreatment Requirements
Section NR 211.03 - Definitions

Universal Citation: WI Admin Code ยง NR 211.03

Current through August 26, 2024

The following special definitions are applicable to terms used in this chapter. Definitions of other terms are set forth in ch. NR 205 and ch. 283, Stats.

(1) "Average daily flow" means a reasonable measure of the average daily flow for a 30-day period. For new sources, flows shall be estimated using projected values.

(1e) "Best management practices" or "BMPs"means maintenance or operating procedures, schedules of activities, prohibited practices, treatment requirements and other management practices to implement the prohibitions listed in s. NR 211.10(1) and (2) or to control plant site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or waste disposal, or drainage from raw materials storage areas.

(1m) "Bypass" means the intentional diversion of waste streams from any portion of an industrial user's treatment facility.

(2) "Categorical pretreatment standard" means any standard specifying quantities or concentrations of pollutants or pollutant properties which may be discharged to a POTW by industrial users in specific industrial categories.

(2e) "Centralized waste treater" means an industrial user that treats wastes generated by activities located at a site other than where treatment occurs and introduces the wastes into a POTW. This definition does not include an industrial user whose generating facility and treatment facility are owned by the same entity, and who do not accept wastes generated by entities other than the industrial user.

(2s) "Commencement of construction" means the beginning of any of the following activities as part of a continuous on-site construction program:

(a) The placement, assembly or installation of facilities or equipment;

(b) Significant site preparation work, such as clearing, excavation or the removal of existing buildings, structures or facilities if their removal is necessary for the placement, assembly or installation of new source facilities or equipment; or

(c) The making of binding contractual obligations for the purchase of facilities or equipment which are intended to be used in the new source's operation. Options to purchase or contracts which may be terminated without a substantial loss and contracts for feasibility, engineering or design studies do not constitute a commencement of construction.

(3) "Consistent removal rate" means a rate of consistent removal as calculated in accordance with s. NR 211.13(2).

(4) "Control authority" means the POTW in relation to POTWs which have a pretreatment program and means the department in relation to POTWs which do not have a pretreatment program.

(4m) "EPA" means the U.S. environmental protection agency.

(5) "Existing source" means any source which is not a new source.

(6) "Indirect discharge" means the introduction of pollutants into a POTW from any point source other than residential or commercial sources that discharge only domestic waste. Method of introduction includes, but is not limited to, by pipe, truck, or rail car.

(7) "Industrial user" means any source of indirect discharge.

(8) "Interference" means the inhibition or disruption of a POTW's sewer system, treatment processes, or operations by an indirect discharge which, alone or in conjunction with the discharge or discharges from other sources, causes a violation or increases the magnitude or duration of a violation of any requirement of the POTW's WPDES permit, or impairs the use or disposal of POTW sludge under chs. 281 and 283, Stats.

(8m) "Maximum allowable industrial loading" means the total mass of a pollutant that all industrial users of a POTW, or groups of industrial users identified by the POTW, may discharge pursuant to local limits developed under s. NR 211.10(3).

(9) "New source" means any building, structure, facility, or installation:

(a) That discharges or may discharge pollutants;

(b) For which the commencement of construction occurred after the publication in the federal register of proposed pretreatment standards that will be applicable if promulgated according to section 307 (c) of the federal clean water act, et seq.; and

(c) That is one of the following:
1. Constructed at a site at which no other source is located;

2. A total replacement of the process or production equipment that causes the discharge of pollutants at an existing source; or

3. Substantially independent from an existing source at the same site. Whether or not a source is substantially independent shall be determined based on, among other factors, the extent to which the new facility is engaged in the same general type of activity as the existing source, and the extent to which the new facility's production and wastewater generation are integrated with the existing source.

(9m) "Overflow" means any diversion of flow from a POTW before the POTW treatment plant.

(10) "Pass through" means the discharge of pollutants through the POTW to waters of the state in quantities or concentrations which, alone or in conjunction with the discharge or discharges from other sources, causes a violation or increases the magnitude or duration of a violation of any requirement of the POTW's WPDES permit.

(11) "POTW" or "Publicly owned treatment works" means a treatment works which is owned by a municipality and any sewers that convey wastewater to such a treatment works. This definition includes any devices or systems used by a municipality in the storage, treatment, recycling, and reclamation of municipal sewage or liquid industrial wastes. The term also means the municipality or local unit of government which has jurisdiction over the indirect discharges to, and the discharges from, such a treatment works.

(12) "POTW treatment plant" means that portion of the POTW which is designed to provide treatment, including recycling and reclamation, of municipal sewage and industrial waste.

(13) "Pretreatment" means the reduction of the amount of pollutants, the elimination of pollutants, or the alteration of the nature of pollutant properties in wastewater to a less harmful state prior to, or in lieu of, discharging such pollutants into a POTW.

(14) "Pretreatment program" means a program administered by a POTW that meets the criteria established in subch. II and which has been approved by the department in accordance with subch. III.

(15) "Pretreatment requirement" means any substantive or procedural requirement related to pretreatment, other than a pretreatment standard, imposed on an industrial user.

(16) "Pretreatment standard" means any regulation which applies to industrial users and which contains pollutant discharge limits promulgated by the department in accordance with s. 283.21(2), Stats. This term includes both prohibited discharge standards set forth in or established under s. NR 211.10 and categorical pretreatment standards set forth in s. NR 211.11 and in chs. NR 221 through 297.

(17) "Prohibited discharge standard" means any standard specifying quantities or concentrations of pollutants or pollutant properties which may be discharged to a POTW by industrial users regardless of industrial category.

(18) "Regulated stream" means a stream regulated by a categorical pretreatment standard.

(19) "Removal" means a reduction in the amount of a pollutant in the POTW's effluent or alteration of a pollutant during treatment at the POTW. The reduction or alteration may be physical, chemical or biological and may be the result of designed POTW capabilities or incidental to the operation of the treatment system. Removal does not mean dilution of a pollutant in the POTW.

(19m) "Significant industrial user" means:

(a) Any industrial user subject to the categorical pretreatment standards in chs. NR 221 to 297, except as provided in s. NR 211.15(4) (d);

(b) Any industrial user which discharges an average of 25,000 gallons per day or more of wastewater to the POTW, excluding sanitary, noncontact cooling and boiler blowdown wastewater;

(c) Any industrial user that discharges to the POTW a process waste stream which makes up 5% or more of the average dry weather hydraulic or organic capacity of the POTW treatment plant; or

(e) Any other industrial user designated as a significant industrial user by the control authority.

(20) "Sludge requirements" means the following statutory provisions and regulations or permits issued pursuant to them: section 405 of the federal clean water act; et seq.; the solid waste disposal act (SWDA), et seq.; the federal clean air act, et seq.; the toxic substances control act, et seq.; the marine protection, research and sanctuaries act, et seq.; and ch. 281, Stats.

(20m) "Slug" means any nonroutine, episodic discharge, such as a discharge resulting from a spill or a noncustomary batch discharge.

(21) "Unregulated stream" means a stream not regulated by a categorical pretreatment standard.

(22) "WPDES permit" means a permit issued to a POTW under s. 283.31, Stats., for the purposes of controlling pollutant discharge.

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