Although chemical manufacturers in the United States voluntarily stopped making PFOS and PFOA years ago, these persistent chemicals may be found in factories years after they were used. Municipal WWTPs major sources of PFOS and PFOA come from industries that have used PFAS-containing chemicals (such as chrome platers and paper manufacturers) and industrial users that may have accepted wastes that used PFAS-containing chemicals in their processes and/or products (such as landfills and centralized waste treaters).

For more information about IPP, see Michigan's Industrial Pretreatment Program web page.The IPP is a federally mandated program and a core part of the federal Clean Water Act. Many industries discharge to municipal WWTPs rather than discharge directly to surface waters or groundwater. Municipal WWTPs often regulate their industrial users through the IPP required by their NPDES or Groundwater Discharge permit. The IPPs provide the basis for WWTPs to regulate industries so industrial pollutants do not interfere with treatment processes or pass through to our lakes, streams, and groundwater. IPPs may require industries to pretreat wastewater or otherwise reduce or eliminate harmful pollutants. Industrial Discharges to Wastewater Treatment Plants Since 2017, EGLE has sampled 56 municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) and 41 industrial dischargers (industries including airports, landfills, paper plants, and groundwater clean-up sites for other contaminants) for a total of 161 samples collected. Wastewater Discharged Directly into Lakes, Streams, and GroundwaterĮGLE's Water Resources Division (WRD) has added PFAS sampling into routine NPDES permit compliance sampling inspections to further understand the prevalence of PFAS in wastewaters of Michigan.

Learn more about EGLE's PFAS sampling of lakes and streams.

The NPDES program regulates municipalities and industries that discharge directly into lakes, and streams by limiting pollutants and requiring other protections.ĮGLE is undertaking several efforts to address PFAS in surface waters, including monitoring municipal and industrial discharges, implementing the Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP) PFAS Initiative, and monitoring lakes and streams.

Anyone discharging wastewater into the surface waters of the state is required by law to obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is responsible for protecting the public health and the environment by regulating discharges of wastewater to Michigan's surface waters.

Effluent treatment plant ppt