All food facilities in the County of Santa Cruz are required to have grease interceptors or traps to remove grease from their sewer lines before it reaches public sewer mains. Any new food service facility or a current facility that wants to make changes in its operations or capacity must complete a Food Service Permit Application prior to beginning any new operations. The information will be used to determine the size of the grease interceptor or trap that must be installed. New grease interceptors must be approved by Environmental Compliance staff prior to operation.
Dental Facilities
All dental facilities in Santa Cruz County and Freedom County Sanitation Districts, which meet the specified requirements in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 403 & 441 must install an approved amalgam separator and abide by Best Management Practices. Amalgam separators prevent mercury from entering the sanitary sewer system and ultimately the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. For additional information on this requirement, please visit the EPA Dental Amalgam Rule Effluent Guidelines at: https://www.epa.gov/eg/dental-effluent-guidelines In response to these EPA requirements, all dental practices within the service areas of Santa Cruz County and Freedom County Sanitation Districts are required to fill out and submit this One-Time Compliance Report by March 31, 2020. If a dental practice transfers ownership of the facility, the new owner must submit a new, one-time compliance report no later than 90 days after the official transfer date.
Best Management Practices SCCSD One Time Certification Form FCSD One Time Certification Form
Mobile Cleaners
Monterey Bay Area Mobile Cleaner Resources
Industrial Wastewater Permits
The first step to obtaining a permit is to submit a Wastewater Survey. Based on the information obtained in the survey and a site visit, your business may be required to submit a Baseline Monitoring Report, which will require analyzing wastewater for certain contaminants. To obtain and complete a survey, please download one of the following:
Brewery General Industrial Machine Shops Survey Photo Processing/X-Ray
Remediation Sites Self Monitoring Report Federal Regulations Local Regulations
Change of Ownership: Wastewater permits are non-transferable. If your business has recently undergone a change of ownership or relocation, you must reapply for a wastewater permit by submitting a Wastewater Survey. Indicate on the survey that the reason for submittal is a change of ownership.
Vehicle Service Facilities
All commercial car wash wastewater must be collected, treated, and then discharged to the sanitary sewer. Environmental Compliance staff require a minimum 1500-gallon clarifier to treat car wash wastewater. However, a larger size may be required depending on the number of cars being washed. Clarifiers must be completely pumped out at least once a year, sometimes more frequently if there is evidence of excessive oil and solids. For instructions on maintaining a clarifier and a list of pumpers known to work in the area, please refer to Best Environmental Management Practices for Vehicle Service Facilities.
Automotive Permit Application Clarifier Design Criteria
Best Management Practices
Carpet Cleaning Dry Cleaners Machine Shops Medical Facilities Paint Contractors Photo Processing Printers Responsible Car Washing Restaurants Restaurants (Spanish) Surf Board Shapers Vehicle Service Facilities
Pretreatment Program
The Pretreatment Program is a Federal program that was designed to protect the municipal sewer system from industrial wastewater discharges that may harm the Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) and damage the environment. The Santa Cruz County Sanitation District is required to implement the program locally.
The Santa Cruz County Sanitation District Environmental Compliance Unit (ECU) manages the Pretreatment Program within the County of Santa Cruz. The ECU issues wastewater discharge permits, conducts commercial industrial inspections, and performs environmental sampling. The Environmental Compliance Unit has also developed a pollution prevention program that provides services to businesses, homeowners, and the public to help with issues pertaining to the sanitary sewer. The ECU is committed to protecting our public sewer system and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. If you need assistance with environmental regulations or have any concerns you can contact the ECU.
Federal Local Pretreatement Annual Report Wastewater Discharge Limitations