Effluent limitation guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction in discharge from such point source normally exhibit a pH equal to or greater than six before treatment.
In this blog post, we aim to give you an overview of some of these regulations, standards, and wastewater discharge limits.
Please make certain reservations that this information can be outdated at the time of reading. LiqTech is not to be held responsible for possible mistakes, typing errors, or erratum. We recommend you keep updated about relevant wastewater discharge limits and requirements through local and national law.
The industrial effluent guidelines are promulgated by EPA (The United States Environmental Protection Agency). These guidelines include the national standards for industrial wastewater discharge to surface waters and publicity-owned sewage treatment plants. The discharge limits for wastewater are divided into different industries, and you will find a selection of different industries’ wastewater discharge limits.
Were you not able to find the industry relevant for you? Or do you need more information, then read more about the EPA regulations and limitations here.
The EPA standards depend on the amount of daily receiving of milk. The effluent limitations for existing stations receiving more than 150,000 lb/day milk equivalent.
| BOD5 | 0.48 |
| TSS | 0.71 |
| pH | 6–9 |
Effluent limitations for existing stations receiving 150,000 lb/day or less of milk equivalent.
| BOD5 | 0.63 |
| TSS | 0.94 |
| pH | 6–9 |
Effluent limitations for discharge by a new source.
| BOD5 | 0.10 |
| TSS | 0.13 |
| pH | 6–9 |
Effluent limitation guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction on discharge from such point source normally exhibit a pH of less than six before treatment.
| Iron, total | 7.00 |
| Manganese, total | 4.00 |
| TSS | 70 |
| pH | 6–9 |
Effluent limitation guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction in discharge from such point source normally exhibit a pH equal to or greater than six before treatment.
| Iron, total | 7.00 |
| TSS | 70 |
| pH | 6–9 |
Effluent limitation guidelines for new sources representing the degree of effluent reduction on discharge from such point source normally exhibit a pH of less than six before treatment.
| Iron, total | 6.00 |
| Manganese, total | 4.00 |
| TSS | 70 |
| pH | 6–9 |
Effluent limitation guidelines for new sources representing the degree of effluent reduction in discharge from such point source normally exhibit a pH equal to or greater than six before treatment.
| Iron, total | 6.00 |
| TSS | 70 |
| pH | 6–9 |
Effluent limitation guidelines for existing sources represent the degree of effluent reduction.
| Iron, total | 7.00 |
| Manganese, total | 4.00 |
| TSS | 70 |
| pH | 6–9 |
Effluent limitation for new sources represents the degree of effluent reduction.
| Iron, total | 6.00 |
| Manganese, total | 4.00 |
| TSS | 70 |
| pH | 6–9 |
The concentration of pollutants discharged in process wastewater pursuant to the limitations of this section shall not exceed the values listed.
| Total phosphorus (as P) | 5 |
| Fluoride (as F) | 70 |
| TSS | 150 |
| pH | 6–9.5 |
The concentration of pollutants discharged in contaminated non-process wastewater shall not exceed the values listed:
| Total phosphorus (as P) | 105 |
| Fluoride (as F) | 75 |
| pH | 6–9.5 |
Effluent limitation represents the degree of effluent discharge from any existing point source manufacturing iron or steel.
| TSS | 0.25 |
| Oil & Gas | 0.03 |
| Ammonia-N | 0.27 |
| Cyanide | 0.07 |
| Phenols (4AAP) | 0.00 |
| pH | 6–9 |
Effluent limitations for facilities that slaughter no more than 50 million pounds per year must achieve the following limitations.
| BOD5 | 0.24 |
| Fecal coliform | Maximum of 400 most probable number or colony forming units per 100 mL |
| O&G | 0.12 |
| TSS | 0.40 |
The following limitations apply to the application of effluent limitations for the discharge of process wastewater associated with the processing of hides derived from animals slaughtered at off-site locations.
| BOD5 | 0.04 |
| TSS | 0.08 |
Effluent limitation for facilities that slaughter more than 50 million pounds per year must achieve the following limitations.
| Ammonia (as N) | 8.00 |
| Total Nitrogen | 194 |
The regulation aspects of the directive require member states to comply with the following regulations for industrial wastewater.
Certain industries discharging biodegradable wastewater directly to receiving waters or to the ground from plants must not exceed the following wastewater discharge limits. For example, discharge-specific effluent quality numeric limits for parameters such as BOD and ammoniacal nitrogen.
Find out more about the industrial wastewater discharge limits in the United Kingdom.
| Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5 at 20°C) without nitrification | 50 |
| Chemical oxygen demand (COD) | 250 |
Annual mean compliance limit for phosphorus and nitrogen.
| Total phosphorus | 2 | 80 |
| Total nitrogen | 15 | 70–80 |
Effluent limitation represents the degree of effluent discharge from any existing point source manufacturing iron or steel.
| Temperature | < 38°C |
| pH | 6–10 |
| Grass Solids | Non faecal gross solids shall have a maximum linear dimension of less than 20 mm and a quiescent settling velocity of less the 3 m/hr. |
| Grease & oil | 200 mg/l |
| Beach Grease | 100 mg/l |
| MBAS (methylene blue actives substance) | 500 mg/l |
| Ammonia plus ammoniacal ion (measured in N) | 100 mg/l |
| Kjeldahl Nitrogen | 150 mg/l |
| Total phosphorus (as P) | 50 mg/l |
| Sulphate (measured as SO4) | 2,000 mg/l |
| Sulphite (SO2) | 100 mg/l |
| Chlorine (Cl2) | 10 mg/l |
| Aluminum | 100 mg/l |
| Iron | 100 mg/l |
| Manganese | 100 mg/l |
In China, industrial units need to follow the national discharge standards (GB8978) to discharge wastewater.
The GB8978 standards provides the maximum allowable discharge concentrations of 69 different water pollutants. 10 different pollutants and indicators have been selected to provide insight into the industrial wastewater discharge limits in China.
The three classes of discharging standards are classified as:
| PARAMETERS | APPLICATION SCOPE | CLASS 1 |
CLASS 2 |
CLASS 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pH | All discharge work units | 6–9 | 6–9 | 6–9 |
| Colour (dilution ratio) | All discharge units | 50 | 80 | – |
| Suspended Solids (SS) | Mining, ore dressing, coal dressing industries | 70 | 300 | – |
| Gold-bearing vein dressing | 70 | 400 | – | |
| Alluvial gold dressing in outlying districts | 70 | 800 | – | |
| Municipal secondary wastewater treatment | 20 | 30 | – | |
| Other discharging industries | 70 | 150 | 400 | |
| Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) | Beet sugar processing, ramie degumming, wet method fibre board, dyes, fur treating industry | 20 | 60 | 600 |
| Cane sugar processing, alcohol, MSG, leather, and chemical fibre starch industries | 20 | 100 | 600 | |
| Municipal secondary wastewater treatment plants | 20 | 30 | – | |
| Other discharging industries | 100 | 150 | 300 | |
| Chemical oxygen demand (COD) | Beet sugar processing, synthetic fatty acid, wet method fibre board, dyes, fur treating, and organophosphorus pesticide industries | 100 | 200 | 1,000 |
| MSG, alcohol, pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical raw material, ramie degumming, leather, chemical fibre starch industries | 100 | 300 | 1,000 | |
| Petrochemical industry (including refining) | 60 | 120 | 500 | |
| Municipal secondary wastewater treatment | 100 | 120 | – | |
| Other discharging industries | 100 | 150 | 500 | |
| Petroleum hydrocarbons | All discharge work units | 5 | 10 | 20 |
| Vegetable and animal oils | All discharge work units | 10 | 15 | 100 |
| Volatile phenols | All discharge work units | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2.0 |
| Total cyanides | All discharge work units | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 |
| Sulphides (S) | All discharge work units | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
The assessment of noxious substances and groups of noxious substances and the respective threshold values are given in the following table.
Find further information about German discharge limits and regulations.
| Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) | 20 mg/l, annual volume of 250 kg |
| Phosphorus | 0.1 mg/l, annual volume of 15 kg |
| Nitrogen | 5 mg/l, annual volume of 125 kg |
| Organic halogen compounds | 100 μ/l, annual volume of 10 kg |
| Metals and their compounds: | |
| Mercury | 1 μ/l, annual volume of 100 g |
| Cadmium | 5 μ/l, annual volume of 500 g |
| Chromium | 50 μ/l, annual volume of 2.5 kg |
| Nickel | 50 μ/l, annual volume of 2.5 kg |
| Lead | 50 μ/l, annual volume of 2.5 kg |
| Copper | 100 μ/l, annual volume of 5 kg |
The Government of India hands the standards for the emission or discharge of environmental pollution from various industries. It is divided into industries, and some industries have been selected to provide insight into the industrial wastewater limits in India.
Concentration limits shall be complied with at the outlet, discharging effluent to receiving environment (surface bodies, marine systems, or public sewers).
| pH | 6–8.5 |
| Oil & Grease | 5 |
| BOD5 | 15 |
| COD | 125 |
| Suspended Solids | 20 |
| Phenols | 0.35 |
| Sulphides | 0.5 |
| CN | 0.20 |
| Ammonia as N | 15.0 |
| TKN | 40 |
| P | 3 |
| Pb | 0.1 |
| Hg | 0.01 |
| Zn | 5 |
| Ni | 1 |
| Cu | 1 |
| TPPs (units) installed before 31st December 2003 | |
| Particulate matter | 100 mg/Nm3 |
| Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) | 600 mg/Nm3 (Units Smaller than 500MW capacity units) |
| Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) | 200 mg/Nm3 (for units having capacity of 500MW and above) |
| Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) | 600 mg/Nm3 |
| Mercury (Hg) | 0.03 mg/Nm3 (for units having capacity of 500MW and above) |
| TPPs (units) installed after 1st January 2003, up to 31st December 2016 | |
| Particulate matter | 50 mg/Nm3 |
| Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) | 600 mg/Nm3 (Units smaller than 500MW capacity units) |
| Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) | 200 mg/Nm3 (for units having capacity of 500 MW and above) |
| Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) | 300 mg/Nm3 |
| Mercury (Hg) | 0.03 mg/Nm3 |
| TPPs (units) to be installed from 1st January 2017 | |
| Particulate matter | 30 mg/Nm3 |
| Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) | 100 mg/Nm3 |
| Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) | 100 mg/Nm3 |
| Mercury (Hg) | 0.03 mg/Nm3 |
| Slaughterhouses or meat processing units or both | pH | 6.5–8.5 |
| Slaughterhouses or meat processing units or both | Biochemical Oxygen demand (BOD) | 30 |
| Slaughterhouses or meat processing units or both | Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) | 250 |
| Slaughterhouses or meat processing units or both | Suspended solids | 50 |
| Slaughterhouses or meat processing units or both | Oil and grease | 10 |
| Sea Food Industry | Biochemical Oxygen demand (BOD) | 30 |
| Sea Food Industry | Suspended Solids | 50 |
| Sea Food Industry | Oil and Grease | 10 |
| pH | 6.5–8.5 |
| BOD | 100 |
| Suspended solids | 150 |
| Oil & grease | 10 |
| pH | 5.5–9 |
| Temperature | 40°C |
| Suspended solids | 100 mg/l |
| Zinc | 2 mg/l |
| BOD | 30 mg/l |
| COD | 100 mg/l |
| Chlorides | 600 mg/l |
| Sulphated | 1000 mg/l |
| TDS | 2100 mg/l |
| %Sodium | 60 mg/l |
| Oil & Grease | 10 mg/l |
| Phenolics | 1.2 mg/l |
| Cyanides | 0.2 mg/l |
| Fluorides | 1.5 mg/l |
| Sulphides | 2 mg/l |
| Chromium (Cr+6) | 0.1 mg/l |
| Chromium (Total) | 1 mg/l |
| Copper | 0.2 mg/l |
| Lead | 0.1 mg/l |
| Mercury | 0.01 mg/l |
| Nickel | 3 mg/l |
