Commercial, manufacturing, or trade establishments (including nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses) must obtain a permit to discharge industrial waste into the City’s sanitary sewer system. Most industrial waste producers will fall in the general industrial user category. If you have already obtained one, you may follow this link to print your current General Industrial User permit.
A general industrial user permit cannot be issued to if any discharge by a customer is subject to any federal categorical pretreatment standard. To qualify as a general industrial user, the combined discharge of all process waters must be less than 25,000 gallons per day (gpd), and those discharges must be less than 5% of the average hydraulic or organic loading capacity of the city's wastewater treatment plant that accepts them. Furthermore; a general industrial user may not have a reasonable potential to adversely affect the city's treatment plants or collection system operations. These users must submit a permit application, operate and maintain pretreatment devices, keep waste manifest documents and comply with all City effluent limitations and notification requirements (see Chapter 15-10 of the Austin City Code). General Industrial Users include, but are not limited to:
| Automotive repair shops | Laundry facilities |
| Analytical laboratories | Food service establishments |
| Bakeries | Schools |
| Carwashes | Photo processors |
| Daycare facilities | Print shops |
| Doctor & dentist offices | Silk screen operations |
| Grocery stores |
Complete and submit the application form below if your operation qualifes as a General Industrial User.
Our office may require you to complete and submit the long form Wastewater Discharge Application (Adobe PDF, MS Word) if we determine that the level of complexity of your operations, the types of pollutants present, the potential for slug discharges, or any other conditions at your site warrant it.
General Industrial User discharge permit holders have no self-monitoring requirements, though the Pretreatment Program does periodically inspect and monitor. Please contact a Pretreatment Program staff member if you have any questions.