Monitoring Requirements

Adequate and acceptable monitoring facilities are necessary to monitor discharges for a certain waste stream and conditions. Section 925.08(b) of the City Code provides the authority and the requirements for industrial discharges to provide monitoring facilities. In most cases, a sampling manhole is necessary to provide an acceptable and adequate monitoring point.

Sampling manholes are located at a point where all the waste streams discharging from a facility are consolidated into a central sampling point. Sample manholes are sometimes required where circumstances indicate that monitoring may be required at some future time due to a facility’s location, design, or intended future use.

The City has developed standard specifications covering the installation of sampling manholes (PDF File). Special circumstances and/or conditions, such as the installation of a sewer flow meter, other special equipment, or frequent need to access the manhole, may require a larger manhole and or casting (manhole opening) be installed. This need is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

These sampling manholes are generally necessary to monitor for:

• Prohibited waste streams such as those potentially having high temperature, high oil and grease, high or low pH, or other unusual characteristics. See Section 925.05(a) for information regarding prohibited wastes.
• Permitted wastes for local limits. See Section 925.05 and Pretreatment Standards and Limits for further information regarding local limits.
• Permitted wastes for categorical limits. See Section 925.05(b)(1) and Pretreatment Standards and Limits for further information regarding categorical limits.
• High strength waste subject to surcharge costs
• Flow or volume measurement
• Visual observations, etc.