What are the new requirements?

Dental practices that remove and/or place amalgam fillings must use approved amalgam management practices 

and install an amalgam separator. Such a separator is in 

addition to chair-side traps and vacuum filters that may 

already exist. The separator device must be ISO-certified 

to remove 95% of amalgam particles. 

These new regulations are going into effect in the following cities: Cotati, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa and Sebastopol.

Why is this requirement being enacted?

The Laguna Subregional Wastewater System needs to 

control sources of mercury discharged to the sanitary 

sewer collection system as a result of very strict effluent limits in the permit issued by the Regional Water 

Quality Control Board (RWQCB). Dental wastewater 

has been identified as a source of mercury to the system. 

Control of dental amalgam discharges is an integral part 

of the Subregioanal System’s mercury contol strategy.

Based on results in other jurisdictions, it is estimated 

that mercury discharges to the air, biosolids and water 

from the City of Santa Rosa’s Laguna WastewaterTreatment Plant could decrease 25 to 50 % upon full compliance with the new requirements.

What does a dental facility need to do to 

comply?

Dental Amalgam Recovery Program

for Cotati, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa and Sebastopol

February 2009

Exempted Facilities

A facility is exempt from this requirement if amalgam fillings are removed or placed 3 or fewer days 

per year and the facility serves the following primary function: 

• Orthodontics

• Periodontics

• Oral and maxillofacial surgery

• Radiology 

• Oral pathology or oral medicine 

• Endodontics 

• Prosthodontics

STEP 1 –Comply immediately with required 

“best management practices” described on page 

2.

STEP 2 – Install an approved amalgam separator by December 5, 2009 (see pages 2 and 3).

STEP 3 – Submit documentation that certifies 

that your office is complying with the requirements. 

STEP 4 – Keep training, disposal, and equipment records on-site, available for an inspection.
 Comply with Required “Best Management Practices”

The following amalgam management practices are 

now mandatory:

1. Do not rinse chairside traps, vacuum screens, or

amalgam separator equipment in a sink or other 

sanitary sewer connection. Recycle chairside traps,

vacuum screens, and amalgam separator waste.

2. Train staff in the proper handling and disposal of 

amalgam materials and fixer-containing solutions. 

Training records shall be available for inspection.

3. Do not use bleach or other chlorine-containing

disinfectants to disinfect the 

vacuum line system. 

Bleach-containing 

disinfectants have been 

shown to dissolve mercury 

from amalgam. The disinfectants in the box at right 

are bleach-free, and therefore 

meet this requirement. 

 4. Do not use bulk liquid mercury; only precapsulated 

dental amalgam is permitted. Handle precapsulated 

containers as mercury waste.

5. Store amalgam waste in accordance with recycler 

or hauler instructions.

If you have questions about any of these practices, please contact us. 

Amalgam separators employ filtration, settlement, or ion exchange to remove amalgam and 

its metal constituents from the office vacuum system before it discharges to the sewer. While 

chairside traps capture the largest waste amalgam particles, amalgam separators focus on 

removing the remaining, much smaller particles. Also, in the case of ion exchange units, dissolved or ionic silver and mercury is removed. 

Separators should either be installed in the vacuum line at each chair or in a central location that receives vacuum line wastewater from all chairs. Dental practices that are served 

by a shared vacuum system may elect to have one amalgam separator installed at the central 

location. 

Separators must be maintained according to the manufacturer’s recommendation and disposal of amalgam wastes must be in accordance with applicable regulations.

Approved Amalgam Separators

Approved separators are those that meet the International Organization for Standardization’s standard ISO 11143 and are certified by the American Dental Association or other qualified testing laboratory to remove at least 95% of amalgam. A list of 

recommended amalgam separators is available at the following web site:

www.srcity.org/amalgam

Choosing the Righ

STEP 1 

All-In-One

E-Vac

Evacuation 

Cleaner

EZ-Zyme

Gobble Plus

Disclaimer: This list may be incomplete; inclusion on this list does not constitute an endorsement of 

products or companies. 

STEP 2 Install Approved Amalgam Separator

 by December 5, 2009

Green and Clean

MAXI-EVAC

ProE-Vac

 Purevac

Sani-Treet Plus

Stay-Clean

Super-Dent

 Turbo Vac Line Flush

VacuCleanse

Some Bleach-Free Line Cleansers

Vacuum System Compatibility

Does your office use a wet vacuum or a 

dry vacuum system? Does the practice 

want individual chair-side separators 

or a central unit that will handle all the 

chairs? Some amalgam separators are 

approved only for chair-side use or for 

use with a particular type of vacuum 

pump.

If a practice shares a central vacuum 

with other dental practices, make sure 

the selected separator will be compatible with the central vacuum. Alternatively, a central separator may be more 

practical to serve all of the practices in 

the building.
Dental practices must keep the following information on site for 3 years:

	 • Staff training records

	 • Separator installation and maintenance records

	 • Amalgam waste disposal records

All records must be provided to municipal inspectors upon request.

 2) “Self-Certification of Amalgam Separator Installation”

This form must be submitted by the dental practice, with appropriate attachments, within 30 days of installation of 

the amalgam separator. The form will be 

mailed to dental practices in the summer 

of 2009. It is also available at our website.

The type of amalgam separator you choose depends on several factors. Vendors will 

ht Amalgam Separator also be able to suggest units that will best serve your office configuration.

STEP 3

Disclaimer: Costs cited here are only estimated, 

based on review of vendor information, and are 

subject to change.

 Submission of Compliance Forms

 STEP 4

 Record Keeping

Equipment Size and Location Maintenance Costs

How often does one need to dispose 

of accumulated waste sludge? Is the 

sludge collected in a canister that can be 

replaced or in one that must be emptied? Does the vendor provide regular 

maintenance or is it the responsibility 

of the practice? If the vendor maintains 

the unit, find out the following: who the 

vendor contracts with to haul the waste 

away; where the contractor sends it, and 

what waste documentation the vendor 

provides as part of the service fee.

Are dental personnel available to maintain the equipment? Some separators 

require more staff time than others. 

For example, daily decanting may be 

necessary with a batch settling system. 

If no one is available for this task, then a 

separator that uses a different technology may be a better solution.

How much physical space is available 

for the equipment? Do you want to 

install an amalgam separator at individual chairs, or in one central location 

that will serve the entire office? 

Choose an amalgam separator that 

easily handles your peak flow, such as 

when the vacuum system is flushed at 

the end of the day. Consider both current and future capacity. Also, if chairside cuspidors connect to your vacuum 

lines, include this volume when sizing 

a separator system. If chairs are currently used for hygiene work, but may 

be used for general dentistry in the 

future, vacuum lines from these chairs 

should be routed to the separator.

Some separators will need 120V AC 

power supply. 

Costs will depend on the size of the 

practice and will include the cost of 

purchasing, installing, and maintaining the amalgam separator unit, and 

for proper removal and disposal of 

amalgam wastes collected. For the 

average practice, approved amalgam 

separators can range in purchase 

price from $150 to $2000; installation 

can range from $50 to $1000; annual 

maintenance can range from $250 

to $600 (including the cost of waste 

disposal).

1) “Self-Certification of Amalgam Management Requirements”

This form indicates compliance with 

best management practices and presents 

the dental practice’s plan for amalgam 

separator installation. This form was 

mailed to dentists in February 2009 and 

is required to be completed by March 

2009. Additional copies are available 

at our website (see back of brochure).

Maintain Amalgam Separator

Amalgam separators employ filtration, settlement, or ion exchange to remove amalgam and its metal constituents from the office 

vacuum system before it discharges to the sewer. While chair-side traps capture the largest waste amalgam particles, amalgam separators focus on removing the remaining, much smaller particles. Separators must be maintained according to the manufacturer’s recommendation and disposal of amalgam wastes must be in accordance with applicable regulations.

STEP 5
To whom does the new ordinance apply? 

It applies to the Subregional partner municipalities that have 

dental practices in their jurisdiction: Cotati, Rohnert Park, 

Santa Rosa, Sebastopol and the Sonoma County South Park 

Sanitation District. 

Are chairside traps and vacuum filters suitable to meet 

the requirement?

No, chairside traps and vacuum filters are independent devices that do not meet the amalgam removal requirement.

What if my practice already has an amalgam

separator?

If your practice operates an air-water separator device with 

large top-draining sedimentation tank, you may be eligible 

for an exemption. See the website for details. 

How does the WWTP know the mercury coming

into its wastewater treatment plant is from dental 

practices?

Many dentists use amalgam, which contains approximately 

50% mercury. Studies have shown that a significant amount 

of the amalgam mixed for placement ends up as waste. With 

proper management, much of this waste, as well as amalgam 

waste from filling removals, will be prevented from being 

discharged to the sanitary sewer.

FAQs Frequently Asked

Questions

In the United States, dentists are the third largest users of 

mercury. In 1997, 40 metric tons of mercury were used for 

dental purposes.

What if the landlord or a separate dental practice overseas 

the vacuum system?

Each dental practice is legally responsible for ensuring that an 

approved amalgam separator has been installed for a shared 

vacuum system. Communicate with the other dental practices and building owner and determine who will be responsible 

for installation and maintenance.

Why can’t wastewater treatment plants just remove 

the mercury?

Wastewater treatment plants, including the Laguna Wastewater Treatment Plant, are designed to treat wastewater 

containing conventional pollutants such as human waste and 

food waste. Heavy metals, such as mercury, are not removed 

by conventional treatment. As a result, mercury ends up in 

the wastewater discharged to the Laguna de Santa Rosa or in 

biosolids that are incinerated or used for land application and 

landfill cover.

Why not dispose of it in the garbage?

If amalgam is disposed of with other garbage the mercury 

may end up in the landfill leachate, which may eventually 

contaminate groundwater or surface water.

City of Santa Rosa Laguna Wastewater Treatment Plant

4300 Llano Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95407

For more information : http://www.srcity.org/amalgam