Water Treatment Additive Discharge Application Instructions

Agency: Environmental Quality

Any water treatment additive that is discharged to a surface water of the state from a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitted discharge requires prior review and approval by the Water Bureau (WB).  The process to receive approval to discharge a water treatment additive includes submittal of the following information to the WB by the NPDES permittee proposing to use/discharge the product:

1. The water treatment additive Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

2. The proposed water treatment additive discharge concentration with supporting calculations.

3. The discharge frequency (i.e., number of hours per day, week, etc.)

4. The outfall the water treatment additive is to be discharged from.

5. The type of removal treatment, if any, that the water treatment additive receives prior to discharge.

6. The water treatment additive function (i.e., microbiocide, flocculant, etc.).

7. A 48-hour LC50 or EC50 for a North American freshwater planktonic crustacean (either Ceriodaphnia sp., Daphnia sp., or Simocephalus sp.)

8. The results of a toxicity test for one other North American freshwater aquatic species (other than a planktonic crustacean) that meets a minimum requirement of Rule 323.1057(2)(a) of the Water Quality Standards. Examples of tests that would meet this requirement include a 96-hour LC50 for a rainbow trout, bluegill, or fathead minnow.

The required toxicity information (described in items 7 and 8 above) is currently available in the SWAS files for the water treatment additives in the attached WATER TREATMENT ADDITIVE LIST (Word 6.0 Document). If you intend to use one of the water treatment additives on this list, only the information in items 1 through 6 above needs to be submitted to the SWAS. Please note that the availability of toxicity information for a water treatment additive does not constitute approval to discharge the water treatment additive.

Requests to discharge a water treatment additive to a surface water body should be submitted to:

 Ms. Kay Edly, Water Resources Division, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Box 30273 , Lansing , Michigan , 48909 or via email at  edlyk@michigan.gov.  Ms. Edly can be contacted at 517-373-4633.

By providing the information described in items 1 through 8 above, we will be able to provide an expeditious review of your request.