Industrial Wastewater Permit

What is the Permit?

An Industrial Wastewater Permit defines the conditions a business must follow to discharge wastewater to the City’s sewer system. These wastewater conditions might include discharge amount, rate of flow, and strength of waste. The permit also defines reporting requirements, e.g., how often a business must provide updated information on operations related to its wastewater discharge.

Who Needs this Permit?

You need this permit if your business discharges wastewater as part of its manufacturing processes or other operations. If your business produces a large volume of wastewater and/or "high strength" wastewater, you might need to install special equipment to comply with the City of Petaluma’s municipal code.

The types of businesses that need this permit include:

• Beverage Producers: e.g., beer, wine, spirits, kombucha, and milk
• Food Producers: e.g., cheese, ice cream, nut products, and bread
• Meat processing and packing facilities
• Large-scale fruit/vegetable processors and/or packagers: e.g., sauces, jams, oils, and pickled vegetables
• Pharmaceutical Producers
• Metal-working industries that produce wastewater: e.g., machine shops, and metal plating shops
• Producers of personal care products: e.g., soaps, shampoo, and health care products
• Print shops
• Producers of plastic materials or products