Our city has a long history of outstanding quality in its treated wastewater discharged to the Elm Fork, Trinity River.  This water is reused to irrigate Keneteso Park and throughout the treatment plant.  Our program is dedicated to maintaining this level of quality by ensuring all customers do their part to protect the treatment system and the environment. 

The City of Gainesville Pretreatment Program is responsible for the protection of the wastewater collection system, treatment facilities, and safety of those operating the system. 

City businesses are required to install, operate and adequately maintain pretreatment devices and wastewater systems to remove pollutants that could cause damage or obstruct the wastewater collection system.  Interference or pollutants passing through the wastewater collection system is of particular importance because the treatment plant is a biological process which is vulnerable to pollutants such as heavy metals, fluoride, cyanides, toxic organics, and acidic or basic wastes from industrial operations. The wastes from restaurants and other food service industries are often more problematic due to the prevalence of conventional pollutants such as grease and solids.

Some major elements of the City's Pretreatment Program include the review of pretreatment designs, the issuance of permits, the performance of inspections, the collection of samples, the review of permit self-monitoring reports, and the initiation of enforcement activities when appropriate.

Other functions of the Pretreatment Program include:

Pollution Prevention Activities
Helps residents and business owners to become more aware of potential trouble spots and the best management practices to prevent pollution.

Compliance Assistance
Helps business owners achieve compliance goals set by the Pretreatment Program, Federal, and State mandates.

Waste Hauler Inspections and Permitting
Ensures drivers are permitted by state and local government to safely collect and transport waste within the city limits.

Grease Trap / Interceptor Inspections
Ensures business owners are properly maintaining their grease traps and are not discharging excessive amounts of fats, oils or grease into the collection system.

Enforcement Response Plan (ERP)
The goal of Gainesville’s ERP is to ensure compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal rules and regulations as they relate to pretreatment standards and requirements.  The primary concern in every enforcement scenario is to correct the problem that caused the violation.

The ERP is designed to see that it is applied fairly and consistently, removes any economic advantages enjoyed by violators, and will recover utility costs caused by the violation.

The Pretreatment Program staff consists of one Industrial Waste Control Officer who conducts inspections, including surveillance and monitoring of industrial wastewater sources discharging to the City's wastewater collection system and treatment plants. The monitoring and inspections are performed in order to independently verify compliance with all applicable pretreatment standards.

Other monitoring and inspection activities are conducted on an as needed basis. Often these activities are related to problems or unusual conditions noted either at the wastewater treatment plant or within the wastewater collection system. They may also be a part of an initiated investigation subsequent to an anonymous report of suspicious activity or illegal dumping.

If you have any question about any suspicious discharge to the sanitary sewer, please contact the Industrial Waste Control Officer at 940-668-4544.  Your assistance would be greatly appreciated and your confidentiality respected. 

DIVISION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Goals

• Improve the quality of product and service to Gainesville Citizens through a concern for customers’ satisfaction, health, and welfare with a focus on quality and commitment to continuous improvement.
• Focus on quality and commitment to continuous improvement.

Objectives

• Commit to customer service by immediate response to calls.
• Improve opportunities to recycle and reclaim municipal and industrial wastewaters and residuals.
• Prevent endangerment of the health and safety of the general public.
• Create an innovative and technical organization with delivery of public services as a number one priority.