Introduction

The Federal Government through the provisions of the General Pretreatment Regulations (40 CFR, part 403) requires that local Sewer Authorities establish procedures for the enforcement of pretreatment standards and requirements. The terms of the agreements between CCRI and its local sewer authorities are summarized in this document.

• The Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC) through its Pretreatment Program has required the Community College of Rhode Island to apply for Wastewater Discharge Permits, to install pollution prevention equipment and barriers and to conduct periodic self-monitoring tests at its Flanagan (Lincoln) Campus.

• The Warwick Sewer Authority (WSA) has likewise required CCRI to obtain two Industrial pretreatment Program Wastewater Discharge Permits for its Warwick (Knight) Campus, to install pollution prevention equipment and to conduct periodic self-monitoring. 

• Industrial User Wastewater Discharge Permit No. NPT-013-06 was issued to the CCRI Newport County Campus on August 22, 2006.

See the testing requirements for each campus below. 

CCRI Knight Campus

400 East Avenue

Warwick, RI 02886
 

Warwick Sewer Authority Industrial Waste Pretreatment Program

 Wastewater Discharge Permit NO. 759

Science Laboratories and Photography Darkrooms
 Issued June 1, 2008 - Expires May 31, 2013

Wastewater Discharge Permit NO. 1217
 Dining Services Kitchen

Issued July 17, 2006 - Expires May 31, 2011

Under Industrial Pretreatment Wastewater Discharge Permit No. 759, issued June 1, 2008, the Community College of Rhode Island works with the Warwick Sewer Authority (WSA) to ensure that CCRI's laboratory and photography darkroom sewage discharges stay within the limits imposed by the WSA.  Under Wastewater Discharge Permit No. 1217, issued July 17, 2006, CCRI works to keep grease and other discharges from the dining services kitchen within WSA limits.  In keeping with the terms of the permits, CCRI contracts with an independent laboratory for semi-annual self-monitoring of wastewater from selected Knight Campus operations.  Scheduled testing is done every April and October on discharges from the East Wing limestone tank which receives sewage from the Biology Department laboratories, the West Wing limestone tank which receives sewage from the Chemistry Department laboratories and on discharges from the Art Department student darkroom on the fourth floor. The original test results and a written report are submitted to the Warwick Sewer Authority after each round of testing.  The WSA is also empowered to make unannounced visits to the facility and to conduct spot checks of sewage discharges at any time.

Silver and pH are the only two parameters monitored at the student photography darkroom location. The following eleven parameters are tested in the discharge from the Chemistry and Biology Department laboratories:

• Cadmium

• Chromium

• Copper

• Lead

• Mercury

• Nickel

• Silver

• Zinc

• Chemical Oxygen Demand

• pH

• Total Toxic Organics.

Table I shows the Warwick Sewer Authority effluent limits, usually expressed in parts per million, for a wide range of contaminants, not all of which are part of CCRI's self-monitoring requirements.

Specific questions on Warwick Sewer Authority effluent limits and regulations may be directed to BettyAnne Rossi, Pretreatment Coordinator and Laboratory Director at 401-468-4726 or bettyanne.rossi@warwickri.com:  or to Steven Miller, Pretreatment Inspector at 401-468-4723  steven.d.miller@warwickri.com. 

CCRI Flanagan Campus

1762 Louisquisset Pike

Lincoln, RI 02865

Narragansett Bay Commission 
Wastewater Discharge Permit # P8602-174-0809
Issued October 22, 2004

Table II

Table III

On December 1, 2007, the Liston Campus of CCRI was issued Wastewater Discharge Permit # P8600-239-1112 for its wastewater discharges into the Narragansett Bay Commission's sewer system. A copy of this permit, which expires on  may be obtained from the Chemical Safety Coordinator

Under the conditions of the Liston Campus permit, CCRI has prepared a Toxic Organic/Solvent management (TO/SM) Plan which describes how the college limits the use of toxic organic compounds in the Liston Campus laboratories and arranges for their proper disposal. A copy of the Toxic Organic/Solvent Plan may be obtained from the Chemical Safety Coordinator. Under the terms of the permit, the installation of a grease removal device in the cafeteria kitchen has also been arranged.

No self-monitoring of sewage by an outside laboratory is required at the Liston Campus under the terms of the present Wastewater Discharge Permit. However, the Narragansett Bay Commission is empowered to make inspections and to test wastewater at any time. The discharge limits for the Liston Campus are the same as those shown in Tables II and III for the Flanagan Campus.

CCRI's Efforts Toward Water Pollution Prevention

Success in achieving sewage discharge compliance at all four campuses of CCRI has been achieved through extensive cooperation among the administration, the academic departments that create hazardous wastes, the physical plant directors and the Chemical Safety Coordinator.

In the photography darkrooms at the Knight and Flanagan Campuses, waste chemicals such as developer and fixer from the developing of pictures are collected in Satellite Accumulation Areas for disposal by a licensed hazardous waste contractor. The large volumes of wash water generated in print developing are processed through silver recovery systems to keep even low levels of silver from being discharged into the sewer.

Where directed by the Warwick Sewer Authority and the Narragansett Bay Commission, floor drains in selected mechanical areas and laboratory preparation/storage rooms have been capped to keep accidentally spilled toxic materials from entering the sewage system.

Biology and Chemistry Department faculty and paraprofessionals have been trained to prevent discharge of toxic materials into the sewers. Laboratories are equipped with absorbing devices and materials to keep accidentally spilled toxic materials out of the floor drains. Heavy metals and toxic organic compounds have been eliminated entirely from some biology and chemistry laboratory experiments. Other experiments have been scaled down to reduce the generation of hazardous waste and the potential for toxic pollutant discharges. Biology and chemistry laboratory students receive as part of their laboratory safety training specific instructions in the proper disposal and collecting of hazardous wastes.

Almost all elemental mercury has been removed from the college to minimize  the risk that spilled mercury will find its way into a drain pipe.   There are no mercury-containing thermostats in the buildings.  All mercury containing barometers and most mercury monometers have been removed from laboratories.  The few  manometers that remain are protected by secondary containment in case of breakage or spill.  All mercury thermometers have been replaced by alcohol-in-glass or digital thermometers. Most sink drain traps have been inspected for mercury droplets and for other chemical residues.  

All wastes from experiments that use heavy metals and toxic organic compounds are collected in specially marked containers and stored in Satellite Accumulation Areas as described in CCRI's Hazardous Waste Management Training. Wastes are stored in Satellite Accumulation Areas or in Main Waste Storage Area in accordance with federal and state laws until they are removed from the premises by a licensed hazardous waste contractor.

In June 2001, the Community College of Rhode Island received an Environmental Excellence Award from the Narragansett Bay Commission for  pollution prevention work at its Providence and Lincoln campuses.  Click on http://www.ccri.edu/Safety/environmental_excellence_award.shtml  to read about this achievement.

Sewage pretreatment questions pertaining to all CCRI campuses may be sent to CCRI's Chemical Safety Coordinator at eterezakis@ccri.edu.