The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 initially defined the National Pretreatment Program. Section 307 of the Act required the US EPA to develop pretreatment standards designed to prevent the discharge of pollutants from industrial users to Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) "which interfere with, pass through, or are otherwise incompatible with such works." The Act was amended in 1977 to require POTWs to establish local pretreatment programs to ensure compliance with the pretreatment standards. As a result, in 1976, MSD began a Pretreatment Program.

The General Pretreatment Regulations (found in 40 CFR 403) were developed to enable the EPA to implement the requirements of the Act. These regulations outline the purpose and objectives of pretreatment programs and the minimum responsibilities of Federal, state and local authorities, and Industrial Users (IUs). Virtually all aspects of the MSD Pretreatment Program are controlled to some degree by the General Pretreatment Regulations. The state of Kentucky is a delegated state; therefore, these programs are implemented through the Kentucky Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (KPDES) program. In Kentucky, 40 CFR 403 was adopted as law, unchanged, under the KPDES Program 401 KAR 5:055 (9) in 1981.

Pretreatment continued

Pretreatment Index