Waste Water Construction Permitting

Wastewater Pump and Haul Operations

General

The Standards for Wastewater Facility Construction, Regulation 61-67, address pump and haul operations. In general, pump and haul operations are considered by the Department as only a temporary means of handling wastewater generated from a proposed project.

Before a temporary pump and haul proposal can be approved, a permanent means of disposal must be already approved by the Department. Under certain circumstances, permanent pump and haul operations may be approved by the Department for small volumes of industrial or domestic wastewater. In these situations a report justifying the need for the permanent pump and haul operation must be submitted and approved by the Department.

Domestic Operations

Domestic operations include municipal and private utilities. Section 300.G.1 of Regulation 61-67 addresses these type of pump and haul operations. This section reads as follows:

  1. Domestic Wastewater Pump and Haul Operations. The following Criteria shall apply:

    1. The Department may waive some or all of the criteria in subsection 67.300.G.1.b if the project will address an existing water quality concern or problem.
    2. Pump and haul operations shall not be used as a permanent means of wastewater handling. A pump and haul operation shall be allowed only for temporary sewer service, for a time period not to exceed thirty (30) days, unless otherwise approved by the Department. In addition, a pump and haul operation shall only be utilized for individual projects. Prior approval shall be obtained from the Department before initiating a pump and haul operation. Where there is no reasonable remedy for wastewater handling, pump and haul operations may be allowed in accordance with the following:
      1. The Department shall approve the entity responsible for pumping out, hauling, and disposing of the wastewater.
      2. All transporting of wastewater shall be in accordance with rules and regulations of the State Department of Transportation and other agencies as applicable.
      3. The permanent plan of wastewater handling and disposal shall be approved via the issuance of a construction permit by the Department. The completion of the permanent wastewater disposal system shall be properly bonded, or a financial assurance that the project shall be constructed.
      4. Weekly reports from the party responsible for the holding facility shall be submitted to the Department's local Environmental Quality Control Regional Office. Failure to submit these weekly reports or continuing the pump and haul operation beyond the approval date, without prior approval from the Department, may result in possible enforcement action by the Department. If the final disposal of this wastewater is at a wastewater treatment facility that is not owned by the party responsible for the pump and haul operation, a signed statement from the individual responsible for the wastewater treatment facility shall be included in the report. This statement shall give the time, date, and amount of wastewater received.
      5. The holding facility shall be inspected on a daily basis by the responsible party.
      6. A report containing the following information shall be submitted to the Department for approval:
        1. A discussion of the need for the pump and haul operation. Availability of sewer, NPDES permit options, or other options for the wastewater shall be discussed.
        2. A letter from the owner of the wastewater treatment facility receiving the wastewater shall be submitted agreeing to accept and treat the wastewater.
        3. The report shall discuss how spills and leaks shall be prevented during the transfer of wastewater and include best management practices.
        4. For private entities, an escrow account shall be established for payment to the party responsible for hauling and disposing of the wastewater. The responsible party shall have complete control of the escrow account. The sum to be placed in this escrow account shall be two (2) times the project cost for pumping and hauling the wastewater for thirty (30) days or other approved period of operation. If at any time the account is depleted to one third (a) the original amount and the pump and haul operation is still needed for more than ten (10) days, the owner of the project shall upon notice by the party responsible for this operation, bring the account up to two thirds (b) the original amount within five (5) days.
        5. The holding facility shall be sized to hold at least three (3) days of average daily flow from the project, based on the loadings as stated in 61-67 Appendix A.
        6. The type of holding facility being proposed shall be approved by the Department, and shall be of watertight construction. The location of the holding facility shall be secured (e.g., fenced) to prevent access by unauthorized persons.

Industrial Operations

Industrial pump and haul operations includes non-hazardous process wastewater and domestic wastewater generated at industrial facilities. Section 300.G.2 of Regulation 61-67 addresses industrial pump and haul operations and reads as follows:

    "Industrial Wastewater Pump and Haul Operations. This applies to the storage of non-hazardous industrial and/or domestic wastewater generated by an industrial facility which is then hauled to a receiving facility at a rate of greater than fifty (50) gallons per day or three hundred fifty (350) gallons per week or one thousand five hundred (1,500) gallons per month. One-time/intermittent operations or those on-site operations are exempt from these requirements. On a case-by-case basis, the Department may also consider other exemptions on the requirement to obtain pump and haul approval for certain process wastewaters. Intermittent is defined by Section 300.G.2 as less than one shipment of wastewater per month. Pump and haul operations may be allowed in accordance with the following:

    1. Approval by the Department shall be required before a facility can have its wastewater hauled by a tanker truck or other vehicle to the receiving facility or when an approved facility proposes to change its method or location of its wastewater disposal.
    2. All transporting of wastewater shall be in accordance with rules and regulations of the State Department of Transportation and other agencies as applicable.
    3. A back up receiving facility or other contingency plan for the wastewater may be required, as determined by the Department.
    4. Pump and haul operations may not be approved unless the proposed off-site receiving facility has the capability to appropriately manage and treat the waste.
    5. A report containing the following information shall be submitted to the Department for approval:

      1. The name and location of the industrial facility, the current (if applicable) receiving facility, and the proposed receiving facility.
      2. A brief description of the type and amount of waste and how it is generated.
      3. A discussion of the need for the pump and haul operation. Availability of sewer, NPDES permit options, or other options for the wastewater shall be discussed. Proposed pump and haul operations that have a reasonably available sewer may be considered not suitable for approval. An engineering estimate of the annualized cost (including treatment, piping, transportation, operations, etc.) of the current and proposed disposal methods, including any possible capital costs, may be required by the Department.
      4. A letter from the owner of the receiving treatment facility agreeing to accept and treat the wastewater.
      5. The corresponding limitations page(s) from the proposed receiving facility's discharge or pretreatment permit.
      6. The capacity of the holding facility, type and amount of wastewater, compatibility of the wastewater with the holding facility material and holding times. Analytical data or other information may also be required as determined by the Department.
      7. A discussion of how spills and leaks shall be prevented during the transfer of wastewater, including best management practices.
    6. The Department may require the applicant to provide at least one alternate facility to receive the wastewater if there is a question of maintaining adequate capacity at the facility receiving the wastewater. A construction permit for the holding facility may be required by the Department (e.g., permanent holding facilities)."

Where to Submit Request

The Water Facilities Permitting Division requests for Pump and Haul Operations:

DHEC Water Facilities Permitting Divsion
2600 Bull Street . Columbia, SC , 29201

Bureau of Water . Phone: (803) 898-4300 . Fax: (803) 898-4215 . Contact Us