Section One
PRETREATMENT PROGRAMS AND SYSTEMS
1    IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER
PRETREATMENT PROGRAM
Paul C. Martyn, Supervising Civil Engineer
Jay G. Kremer, Head, Industrial Waste Section
County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
Whittier, California 90607
BACKGROUND
The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County were established in 1925 under authority granted by
the State of California, County Sanitation District Act of 1923. This act is currently embodied in
Sections 4700 through 4894 of the California Health and Safety Code. The statutes associated with
this act permitted the creation of sanitation districts to treat and dispose of wastewater on a regional
basis, generally according to logical drainage areas, irrespective of city boundaries. As part of the
authority granted by this act, sanitation districts had the ability to extend treatment services to areas
even outside their boundaries by developing separate sewer service contracts.
There are now 27 separate sanitation districts within the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
which provide sewerage service to most of the Los Angeles County area outside the City of Los
Angeles. In the central service area, 15 sanitation districts operate as the Joint Outfall System to
service over 9,000 industrial companies and about four million people. Within the Districts, 75 cities
provide the local collector sewer system while the Districts operate the large trunk sewers and wastewater treatment plants. In the Joint Outfall System, five inland tertiary activated sludge treatment
plants provide about 150 mgd of treatment capacity. Treated wastewater from these plants is used for
many reclamation purposes such as irrigation, industrial water supply and recharge of the underground domestic water supply. The Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) in Carson currently treats about 360 mgd of wastewater by advanced primary and partial secondary treatment wilh
the effluent discharged into the Pacific Ocean. Secondary treatment is provided for about 200 mgd at
the JWPCP.
Certain sections of the Joint Outfall System service area contain significant industrial development.
Included in this group of industrial dischargers are some 20 petroleum refineries, several major
secondary fiber paper mills, food processing industries, chemical manufacturing plants, and 520
electroplating companies, as defined by Federal categorical regulations. Inherent in such a large
industrial base is the need to control toxic discharges and high strength wastes. A failure to provide
such control may result in wastewater qualities which are incompatible with conventional municipal
treatment processes.
Although the Districts have had a defined industrial waste control program since about 1952, a
comprehensive "modern" program was first established in 1972. At this time it became evident that
such control was needed to prevent major secondary treatment plant upsets and to protect the quality
of reclaimed water. Concurrently the developing environmental movement gave impetus to this step.
OBJECTIVES OF AN INDUSTRIAL WASTE PRETREATMENT PROGRAM
At the Districts the objectives of an industrial waste program include the following:
1. Protect Districts' sewer and treatment plant capital facilities against damage from industrial wastes.
2. Prevent adverse effects on Districts' employees or Districts' wastewater conveyance,
treatment or disposal processes.
3. Prevent harm to private property or adverse effects on public health.
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