North Little Rock Wastewater

Environmental Compliance 

The Environmental Compliance & Safety Department ensures that NLRW maintains compliance with all state and federal regulations and requirements. NLRW currently has four National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment – Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and submits multiple Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMR) monthly. Compliance is accomplished by a variety of programs and practices including:

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• Sampling and analysis through the NLRW laboratory

• Industrial Pretreatment Program

• Fats, Oils, and Grease (F.O.G.) Program

• Development of standard operating procedures and guidelines

• Permit and regulatory review, interpretation, and guidance

 

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Laboratory

The NLRW Laboratory performs process control analyses and analyses required for NPDES permits. The laboratory maintains a seven-day-per-week schedule to serve NLRW's four wastewater facilities with a combined treatment capacity of 30.6 million gallons per day. Compliance monitoring ensures that the data quality objectives and reporting criteria are met, while process control data enables the facilities to confirm that each stage of the treatment process is operating properly. Laboratory staff conducts over 60,000 analyses annually.

 

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Industrial Pretreatment Program

The NLRW Industrial Pretreatment Program was established June 25, 1992. In order to comply with the Federal Clean Water Act and North Little Rock Ordinance No. 8094, NLRW is required to regulate and monitor industrial and commercial contributors to the wastewater system. The program monitors non-domestic wastewater discharge to reduce the amount of industrial-strength waste coming into the treatment facilities, safeguarding the public, the environment, our employees, and our wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure. NLRW currently permits nineteen industries. Duties associated with the administration of the Industrial Pretreatment Program include:

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• Annual walk-through inspections and interviews with each of the permitted industries

• Monitoring each permitted industry wastewater discharge by sampling multiple times a month

• Assessing excessive strength surcharges

• Taking formal enforcement action where necessary

 

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F.O.G Program

This program’s mission is to reduce the amount of Fats, Oils, and Grease coming into NLRW's sanitary sewers and treatment facilities. Reducing these types of incoming wastes reduces sewer blockages, Sanitary Sewer Overflows, and treatment costs. The Industrial Pretreatment section monitors and inspects grease traps for more than 300 food service establishments that discharge into the North Little Rock Wastewater system.

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Safety

The NLRW safety mission is to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of our employees and visitors. The safety section develops, implements, and enforces safety rules, regulations, standards, and procedures appropriate to the operations of each NLRW department. NLRW Safety coordinates all safety related activities. They plan trainings, execute safety audits, develop and maintain safety procedures and standards, maintain required safety and training records, and promote health and safety awareness among all employees. NLRW is committed to providing a safe environment for our employees.