## _Planning for control of industrial wastewater_

In cities where industries contribute a significant amount of wastewater, the enforcement of industrial pretreatment programs is essential for the successful operation of any treatment plant. The importance of such programs cannot be overemphasized in cities with large wastewater treatment facilities.

Quality standards are usually set up for industrial wastewater discharged into municipal sewerage systems, in order to ensure that heavy metals or other contaminants generated by industrial activity do not reach levels that may damage pipes, inhibit the biological treatment processes, remain in the effluent in higher concentrations than permitted, or accumulate in the sludge and limit or even prevent its disposal or reuse. Industrial discharges that cannot meet quality standards should be prohibited from discharging into municipal sewers. The establishment of industrial discharge standards is important in order to promote industrial pretreatment programs and control certain industrial discharges that may be critical to the operation of wastewater treatment plants and the quality of treated effluents and sludge byproducts.

The main elements of a successful industrial pretreatment program are the following (Idelovitch and Ringskog, 1997):

- A discharge inventory and information system

- An industrial discharge permit system establishing limits for discharging into sewers and requirements for presenting a compliance plan

- Self-reporting requirements that involve the use of certified laboratories

- Inspection and monitoring by the wastewater authority

- Sanctions for noncompliance

- Sewer use tariffs based on both the volume discharged and the organic load

- Industrial participation, for example, through a joint water quality council, in all phases of the program, including design, the setting of standards, and implementation

- Some form of technical and financial assistance for industries, particularly small and medium enterprises

- A training and institutional development program to help the wastewater authority prepare itself in this new area of responsibility

- Close and well-defined coordination between the wastewater authority and the environmental regulator to ensure that industrial wastes are not improperly discharged into sewers, as well as for the correct disposal of effluent and sludge.

# _5.1.2 Developing a strategic plan_

A strategic plan (comprising a long-term strategy and a phased action plan to meet the strategic goals, along with needed policy reforms) should be developed that will help to move from unplanned to planned wastewater irrigation and that meets internationally-accepted health-based targets. Recognizing that this goal cannot be achieved overnight or even in one phase, the action plan should be multi-phased and aim at steady and measurable progress toward the ultimate goal within an agreed and realistic timeframe (such as 15–20 years). The experience of country regulators in adapting to new WHO Guidelines also shows that it often takes a decade before the new regulatory framework is fully implemented (J. Bartram, personal communication).

Development of a strategic plan for wastewater use in agriculture should take place within a broader multisectoral planning framework for integrated water resources management, seeking the maximum economic yield from the use of an increasingly scarce resource. The incorporation of protocols for safe wastewater use into national water plans is important, especially when water and financial resources are scarce, not only to protect water quality but also to minimize wastewater treatment 49