Phoenix Industrial Wastewater Discharge Permit (City Code Ch. 28)

Chapter 28 of the Phoenix City Code covers sewers. It gives the city's Water Services Department the authority to control both the amount and the strength of wastewater sent to the public sewer. Under this chapter, an industrial user that discharges regulated process wastewater must hold a permit before discharging.

Section 28-45.1, titled "Individual industrial user permits," is the part that sets up individual permits for these users. It is one piece of the city's Industrial Pretreatment Program. That program carries out the federal Clean Water Act pretreatment rules at the local level.

Not every business needs a permit. The rules target industrial and commercial users whose wastewater carries pollutants such as metals, oils, solvents, or other high-strength process water. Normal restrooms and clean water are not the concern.

The city calls its most-regulated dischargers Significant Industrial Users. That group includes users subject to federal categorical standards and high-volume dischargers. The city uses about 25,000 gallons per day of process wastewater as one benchmark for that status. Common examples are metal finishers, auto and machine shops, car washes, manufacturers, and industrial laundries.

You must plan ahead. Phoenix's program says a business should apply for a new or amended permit at least 90 days before it starts a new industrial discharge. The city also reviews construction drawings for new industrial facilities before building permits move forward.

One note on sourcing: the city's own Industrial Pretreatment web page returned an access error when we tried to load it directly. The permit steps and the 90-day timing here come from the city's published permitting information, described in our own words. Confirm the current rules with Phoenix Water Services before you rely on them.

This is not the grease program. Phoenix runs a separate FOG program for fats, oils, and grease from food-service businesses like restaurants. FOG controls kitchen grease, mainly through grease interceptors. The industrial wastewater permit controls process wastewater from non-food industry.

A business can fall under one program, the other, or both. See our page on the Phoenix FOG program, and the FAQ on FOG program registration and what FOG means. Shops that must strip oil from their wastewater often pair this permit with an oil-water separator.

If your business will send anything other than normal sanitary or clean water to the sewer, call Phoenix Water Services early. Getting the permit before you build or open helps you avoid fines, penalties, or a shutoff of your sewer service. Once permitted, keep your discharge within the limits the permit sets and file the reports it requires.

Read the code online at Phoenix City Code 28-45.1 and the broader Chapter 28 (Sewers). Program details are published by the City of Phoenix Industrial Pretreatment Program. This page is general information, not legal or compliance advice. City rules change, so confirm the current code and permit requirements with Phoenix Water Services before you rely on them.