Forms & Permit Requirements

Industrial/Commercial (I/C) Permit Application Process

The Engineering Department is responsible for the I/C Permit Application Process. As part of this permitting process, an I/C Connection Permit is required to be obtained for all industrial and commercial properties, as well as all residential structures with five (5) or more units.

Examples of when this permit is required include, but is not limited to the following: new commercial/industrial construction, building additions, expansions, renovations or demolitions and/or any changes in use, wastewater characteristics, discharge volumes, etc. Further, depending on the wastewater characteristics, discharge volume, sanitary main extension, etc., additional permits and approvals may be required. The I/C Permit Application Packet can be found below.

Prior to performing any sanitary sewer-related plumbing work, the I/C Permit Application must be submitted to Four Rivers Sanitation Authority for review and approval. Typical items required to be submitted as part of this review, include an engineered site plan, engineered interior plumbing drawings, engineered wastewater discharge calculations, sampling manhole application/detail and payment of the application review fee.

Wastewater Discharge Permit

Significant Industrial Users (SIUs) dumping into the Four Rivers Sanitation Authority’s sanitary sewer must apply for a general Wastewater Discharge Permit under the terms of any applicable Four Rivers Sanitation Authority regulations if any of the following criteria apply:

  1. The user has a discharge process flow of 25,000 gallons or more per average work day, or
  2. The user has a discharge flow greater than 5% of the flow in Four Rivers’s wastewater treatment system, or
  3. The user’s wastewater contains toxic pollutants as defined pursuant in Section 307 of the Act or State Statutes and Rules, or
  4. FRSA, IEPA, or USEPA finds the user’s wastewater has significant impact either singly or in combination with other contributing industries, on the wastewater treatment system, the quality of sludge, the system’s effluent quality, or air emissions generated by the system, or
  5. The user is a member of a National Categorical Pretreatment Standard promulgated by USEPA in accordance with Section 307(b) and (c) of the Act, and 40 CFR Part 403.6 which applies to industrial users.

“Processed wastewater” does not include sanitary, non-contact cooling, or boiler blow down wastewater for the purposes of this section. 

When must the application be submitted? 

The application is due 180 days following the final administration decision under 40 CFR Part 403.6(a) on a categorical finding (4).

Baseline Monitoring Report

Users who are subject to a USEPA-issued National Categorical Pretreatment Standard must submit a Baseline Monitoring Report, as required by 40 CFR section 403.12(b) (1-7).

Industrial User Change in Condition Report

Prior to the entry of additional wastewater or pollutants, or any significant change in the volume or characteristics of the wastewater being introduced into the POTW from the user’s activities, a Significant Industrial User must inform Four Rivers Sanitation Authority. Within thirty (30) days after such introduction, formal written notification should be made on the “Change of Condition” form supplied below:

Zero Wastewater Discharge Permit Application

Categorical major industrial users linked to the Four Rivers Sanitation Authority are required to apply for a Zero Wastewater Discharge under the provisions of all relevant Four Rivers Sanitation Authority bylaws if:

  1. The user creates wastewater from a manufacturing process that is subject to any NCPS, and 
  2. The User has chosen to transport the treated wastewater offsite for disposal rather than dump it into the sanitary sewer.

Any facility that processes wastewater that is subject to the National Categorical Pretreatment Standards promulgated by the USEPA in accordance with Section 307(b) and (c) of the Act, as well as 40 CFR, Section 403.5, which applies to industrial users, is considered a categorically significant industrial user. “Processed wastewater” excludes sanitary, non-contact cooling, and/or boiler blowdown wastewater for the purposes of this application.

When is the deadline for this application/report: 

This application/report is due 180 days following the final administrative judgment on a 40 CFR Part 403.6(a) category determination submission (4).

Self Monitoring Reports

All Categorically and Non-Categorically Significant Industrial Users are required to file semi-annual Self Monitoring Reports under the General Pretreatment Regulations and Four Rivers Sanitation Authority Code of Ordinances. By January 20 and July 20, these reports must be submitted to Four Rivers, detailing the sampling and analysis carried out during the previous six (6) months. Your Wastewater Discharge Permit specifies the minimal self-monitoring criteria.

If your facility monitors a pollutant more frequently than the permit requires, the data must be recorded on the relevant Self Monitoring Report Form and sent to Four Rivers on a monthly basis.

Following approval by Four Rivers, the findings of industrial self-monitoring will be combined with FRSA sampling and analytical data to establish compliance with all relevant pretreatment discharge standards. If the Self Monitoring Report Form specifies analyses of DRSA-provided split samples, the findings will be averaged with Four Rivers’s analytical results for the same sample, if authorized. 

The samples must meet the following criteria in order for the self-monitoring data to be accepted:

  • Must be collected at the discharge site specified in your permit, 
  • Must be taken in accordance with appropriate sample procedures, and 
  • Must be evaluated in accordance with the authorized procedures outlined in 40 CFR 136.

For questions regarding self monitoring reporting, call 815-387-7635 or 815-387-7636.

Self Monitoring Report forms and instructions can be downloaded below:

Wastewater Hauler Permit Application

Wastewater carriers must acquire a Wastewater Hauler Permit from Four Rivers Sanitation Authority in order to dump their wastes at our treatment facility. Septic tank pumpers are waste transporters who generally use the treatment facility for disposal. Certain industrial wastewaters may be allowed, but each situation must be evaluated individually. As stated by Federal and State laws, Four Rivers does not take waste grease from grease traps or interceptors, as well as industrial hazardous wastes.

A valid IEPA Special Waste Hauler Permit is required for every wastewater hauler seeking a permit to transport industrial special waste, as described in IAC 35, Subtitle G: Waste Disposal, Part 809. A FRSA manifest is required for each load of wastewater transported to the treatment facility. All shipments of industrial special waste must also have an IEPA Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest, and Four Rivers must get additional licenses from IEPA in order to accept the wastes.

Atypical Discharge Requests

Atypical wastewater generated by an industrial user may be released without disturbing or negatively impacting the treatment plant or collecting system on occasion. Prior to discharge, Four Rivers must examine and authorize all unusual discharges. An Atypical Release Request form is used to request permission to discharge atypical effluent.

Non Significant Categorical Industrial User Wastewater Discharge Permit Application

Categorical industrial users linked to Four Rivers Sanitation Authority are required to apply for an NSCIU Wastewater Discharge Permit under the requirements of the applicable Four Rivers Sanitation Authority bylaws if:

  1. ​​The user produces wastewater as a result of a manufacturing process that is subject to a National Categorical Pretreatment Standard (NCPS) and;
  2. The user never releases more than 100 gallons of total category wastewater per day (gpd) and:
    1. The user is a current facility that has always followed all relevant Categorical Pretreatment Standards and regulations, and
    2. The user never releases any concentrated wastewater that has not been treated, and
    3. During the last two years, the user has not been in Significant Non-Compliance (SNC).

When is the deadline for this application/report?

This application/report is due 180 days following the final administration decision on a 40 CFR Part 403.6(a) category determination submission (4).