The Industrial Pretreatment Program is a federally-mandated program which was established to regulate discharges to the sanitary sewer system for the purposes of (1) protecting the sewerage treatment plants from violating their discharge permits (2) preventing the pass through of pollutants to protect receiving water quality (3) protecting sludge quality and (4) protecting worker health and safety.  Jefferson Parish has had an EPA-approved Pretreatment Program since 1982.  The legal authority for the Pretreatment Program can be found in Sections 27-142 through 27-151 of the Jefferson Parish Code of Ordinances.

The Pretreatment Program establishes technically-based local limits for pollutants that may be discharged to the sanitary sewer.  These limits can be found in Section 27-146 of the Jefferson Parish Code of Ordinances.  It may be necessary to pretreat wastewater prior to discharge in order to be in compliance with Parish effluent limitations.

The program is implemented through the use of discharge permits issued to individual businesses.  For information on Wastewater Discharge Permits and what businesses are required to obtain one see Section 27-148 of the Code of Ordinances.

The Industrial Sewer User Fee Law Sections 27-152 through 27-155 of the Code of Ordinances establishes excessive strength charges to cover the cost of treating wastewater containing pollutants in quantities in excess of those found in domestic wastewater.  It also establishes excessive strength charges for restaurants and mobile waste haulers.