Town of Bridgeville, DE Silver Discharge Facilities

The purpose of this section is to prevent the metal silver, designated as a toxic pollutant by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, from being discharged to the sewer system without treatment. This section requires facilities performing processing of photographic materials to install and maintain pretreatment equipment that is designed to achieve a level of treatment appropriate to the size of the facility. Unlike other metals reduction strategies, this silver control regulation does not require facilities to attain specific numerical limits but rather to incorporate the strategy of best management practices.

For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall be applicable:

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPs)

BMPs are typically a schedule of activities, prohibitions, maintenance policies and other management procedures that are implemented to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants into the public sewer system. BMPs also include pretreatment requirements, pretreatment equipment installation, operating procedures and practices to control site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or waste disposal or drainage from raw material storage.

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES PLAN (BMPP)

A BMPP is an operational methodology using BMPs to prevent and/or reduce the discharge of silver to the Town sewer system.

SILVER-RICH SOLUTIONS

Any fixers, bleach-fixes, stabilizers (e.g., plumpness stabilizers and chemical washes), low-flow washes and all functionally similar solutions.

SILVER TEST PAPER

Test paper coated with an analytical reagent which reacts by changing color in relationship to the amount of silver in solution. A reference color code allows users to determine the approximate amounts of silver in solution.

TOTAL SILVER PROCESS WASTEWATER

The sum of all aqueous solutions used in silver imaging processes, including photography film developers, fixers, bleach-fix, stabilizers low-flow washes, rinse waters, other washes and all similar solutions.

Best management practices plan; off-site recovery option.

(1)

Best management practices plans for dischargers of total silver process wastewater from photographic processing facilities to the Town's wastewater system shall incorporate the following:

(a)

All facilities must have a spill plan to ensure spills of silver-rich solutions are not accidentally released to the Town wastewater system.

(b)

All photographic processors shall maintain their processing and holding tanks for silver-rich solutions and the silver recovery and/or management system in a manner that protects the materials from accidental release to the Town wastewater system.

(c)

All photographic processors shall install taps on the influent and effluent of their silver recovery units to provide access for representative monitoring of the efficiency of their pretreatment process.

(d)

Design of pretreatment processes shall be based upon percent recovery of silver-rich solutions.

(e)

All records and measurements kept pursuant to the BMPP shall be recorded in a silver recovery log and be available at all times for inspection.

(2)

In lieu of complying with any requirements of this BMPP, persons discharging total silver process wastewater to the Town wastewater system may have all silver-rich solutions transported off-site for recovery, reclamation and/or refinement by a certified hazardous waste hauler. Users that exercise this option are required to manifest and/or document all loads regarding the disposal of silver-rich solutions, including the name of transporter, the quantity removed and how the silver-rich solutions are disposed. These records must be maintained for a period of two years and shall be made available for inspection by the Town or its authorized agents.

Dischargers of less than two gallons per day of silver-rich solutions and/or less than 1,000 gallons per day of total silver process wastewater shall:

(1)

Install, operate and maintain one of the following technologies designed to recover a minimum of 90% of the silver from silver-rich solutions:

(a)

Metallic replacement unit(s) in series and operated simultaneously.

(b)

Electrolytic recovery.

(c)

Chemical precipitation.

(2)

Install taps on influent and effluent of silver recovery units to provide access to representative samples for monitoring the efficiency of the pretreatment process.

(3)

Test for silver concentration in the influent and effluent from the silver recovery units using silver test paper and/or test kits once per week on a day that is representative of normal operations.

(4)

Collect one composite sample of the influent and effluent of the silver pretreatment system once every 12 months on a representative day. This sample shall be analyzed for total silver by an approved laboratory. Results shall be mailed to the Town Office, 101 North Main Street, Bridgeville, Delaware 19933.

(5)

Keep written records of the measurements required by this BMPP in a silver recovery logbook at their facility for a minimum of three years.

Dischargers of between two gallons and 20 gallons per day of silver-rich solutions and/or between 1,000 gallons to 10,000 gallons per day of total silver-process wastewater shall:

(1)

Install, operate and maintain one of the following technologies designed to recover a minimum of 95% of the silver from silver-rich solutions:

(a)

Electrolytic recovery and metal replacement.

(b)

Chemical precipitation.

(c)

Any combination of the above.

(2)

Install taps on influent and effluent of silver recovery units to provide access to representative samples for monitoring the efficiency of the pretreatment process.

(3)

Test for silver concentration in the influent and effluent from the silver recovery units using silver test paper and/or test kits once per week on a day that is representative of normal operations.

(4)

(5)

Measure and record quantities of total silver process wastewater discharged to the public wastewater system.

(6)

Keep written records of the measurements required by this BMPP in a silver recovery logbook at their facility for a minimum of three years.

Dischargers of over 20 gallons per day of silver-rich solutions and/or over 10,000 gallons per day total silver process wastewater shall:

(1)

Install, operate and maintain one of the following technologies designed to recover a minimum ninety-nine-percent silver from the silver-rich solutions:

(a)

Two metallic replacement units installed in series and operated simultaneously and one electrolytic recovery unit; or

(b)

One electrolytic recovery unit and chemical precipitation.

(2)

Install taps on influent and effluent of silver recovery units to provide access to representative samples for monitoring the efficiency of the pretreatment process.

(3)

Test for silver concentration in the influent and effluent from the silver recovery units using silver test paper and/or test kits once per week on a day that is representative of normal operations.

(4)

(5)

Measure and record quantities of total silver process wastewater discharged to the public wastewater system.

(6)

Keep written records of the measurements required by this BMPP in a silver recovery logbook at their facility for a minimum of three years.

(7)

If the facility consistently maintains its percent recovery for two years, the frequency for the collection of the composite sample of the influent and the effluent may be reduced, at the Town's discretion on a case-by-case basis.

All dischargers of silver process wastewater shall obtain an annual permit from the Town of Bridgeville which shall be effective for the calendar year. Permits shall be issued to the property owner and the tenant, if any. The annual fee for the permit shall be $100. New applications for a permit and renewals of a permit shall be submitted at least 30 days prior to the issuance of a new or renewed permit. The holder of the permit must post the permit in a conspicuous location on the premises.

Any property owner or tenant in violation of the provisions of this section shall be subject to the violations and penalties provisions set forth in § 190-10 of this chapter, including disconnection from the sewer system. Upon evidence of a violation of these provisions, the Commissioners may, with 24 hours' written notice to the property owner or tenant, if any, order disconnection from the sewer system and not allow reconnection until the violation is remedied.