County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works

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The Industrial Waste (IW) Unit of the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works (Public Works), Environmental Programs Division (EPD) permits and inspects industrial waste discharges into over 3,000 miles of local sewers within the unincorporated areas (PDF, 32 KB) of Los Angeles County and 38 contract cities. The Unit also regulates industrial wastewater collected and hauled to a legal point of disposal or discharged into the ground (where permissible).

Los Angeles County Code (LACC), Title 20, Division 2 (LACC) requires that any business which generates, handles, and/or disposes of industrial wastewater must obtain an industrial waste disposal permit. The Public Works, EPD, IW Unit reviews plans to determine if facilities have adequate pretreatment systems. Clearances and Industrial Waste Disposal Permits (IWDPs) are issued for the discharge of wastewater to sanitary sewers, private disposal systems, or offsite disposal. Compliance with applicable Federal, State, local domestic and industrial waste regulations is verified. The Industrial Waste Unit's goal is to ensure that facilities are designed so as to not create a nuisance, menace the public peace, health or safety, or impact the public sewerage system, soil, underground and/or surface waters.

NOTICE
Public Works is proposing amendments to Title 20 to incorporate and consolidate requirements for the control of fats, oils, and greases (FOG) in the sanitary sewer system. The link to the Draft Copy of Proposed Ordinance Amending Title 20 can be found here (PDF, 664 KB) (Updated October 6, 2008 – see below for updated parts). . The revision better defines the Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) program as required by the Statewide General Waste Discharge Requirements for Sanitary Sewer Systems. It also revises definitions to conform with the 2007 Uniform Plumbing Code and makes references to the Code of Federal Regulations 40CFR for Environmental Protection.

The public information meeting notice for the ordinance to amend Title 20 can be found here (PDF, 12 KB).

El anuncio con respecto a la reunión de información pública de la ordenanza para modificar el Título 20 se puede encontrar aquí (PDF, 14 KB).

Additional references can be found here:
     LA County Sanitary Sewer Management Plan (SSMP)
     Sources for Definitions in Proposed Revisions to Title 20 (PDF, 19 KB)

Updates on the proposed ordinance will be posted on this website. UPDATED October 6, 2008

The following two parts were updated on the proposed ordinance on October 6, 2008.

20.20.121     Food service establishment.

“Food service establishment” means a facility engaged in preparing food for consumption by the public such as a restaurant, bakery, commercial kitchen, caterer, hotel, school, religious institution, hospital, prison, correctional facility, or care institution.

20.36.310 Permit - required when.

D. For the purpose of this section, discharges resulting from garbage grinders powered by motors less ~~greater~~ than one and one-half horsepower, in food service establishments in accordance with the provisions of Title 28 of this code and where such facilities are not required by other provisions of this Division 2, are not considered to be industrial waste discharges.

If you have received a referral from Building and Safety or if you need to obtain clearance from our office, we have provided useful information and included the most common forms you will need. When you are ready to submit your package for approval, or if you have any questions, you may contact us at our public counter, via mail or phone.