logo CITY OF PINOLE
California

Fats, Oils, Grease (FOG)

Overview

Pinole-Hercules Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) works with businesses and institutions to limit discharges of harmful substances to the sewer system. This protects the wastewater treatment plant as well as water quality in San Pablo Bay. Many substances can interfere with the treatment operations at the plant and pass through the sewage treatment plant to the Bay.

As a publicly owned wastewater treatment agency, Pinole-Hercules WPCP is responsible for developing and enforcing Pretreatment and Pollution Prevention programs in compliance with State of California regulations and national pretreatment standards and regulations mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Pinole-Hercules WPCP Environmental Compliance staff conducts inspections, issues permits, and monitors discharges in accordance with its Pretreatment and Pollution Prevention Programs and City of Pinole Municipal Code Title 13.

List of Potential Dischargers

Industrial Categories

  • Adhesives and Sealants
  • Aluminum Forming
  • Automatic and Other Laundries
  • Batteries
  • Bottling Plants
  • Canneries
  • Coal Mining
  • Coil Coating
  • Copper Forming
  • Electrical and Electronic Products
  • Electroplating
  • Explosives
  • Food Processing Plants
  • Gum and Wood Chemicals
  • Hospitals
  • Ink Formulation
  • Inorganic Chemicals
  • Iron and Steel
  • Laboratories
  • Leather Tanning and Finishing
  • Metal Finishing
  • Metal Molding and Casting Foundries
  • Nonferrous Metals Forming
  • Ore Mining and Dressing
  • Organic Chemicals
  • Packing Houses
  • Paint Formulations
  • Pesticides
  • Petroleum Refining
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Photographic
  • Plastic and Synthetic Materials
  • Plastics and Synthetics
  • Porcelain Enameling
  • Printing and Publishing
  • Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard
  • Rendering
  • Rubber Processing
  • Soap and Detergents
  • Steam Electric Power Generating
  • Textile Mills
  • Timber Products Processing

Residential Categories

  • Flammable or explosive substances
  • Highly toxic and poisonous substances
  • Substances which may obstruct flow
  • Strongly odorous wastes
  • Uncontaminated water (such as cooling water, roof runoff, etc.)
  • Pretreatment sludge
  • Wastes with temperatures over 150°F or which cause the temperature at the treatment plant headworks to exceed 104°F
  • Most radioactive wastes (in excess of state guidelines)
  • Wastes which contain or result in the production of toxic, corrosive, explosive or malodorous gases
  • Wastes that interfere with wastewater treatment processes
  • Petroleum oil, non-biodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral origin in amounts that pass through or interfere with the treatment plant processes
  • Trucked or hauled wastes, except at discharge points designated by the District
Permits and Applications

Industrial customers, please follow these steps to participate in the Pinole-Hercules WPCP Pretreatment Program.

  1. Complete a Discharge Permit Application and submit it to Pinole-Hercules WPCP.
  2. Pinole-Hercules WPCP will review the permit application and conduct an inspection.
  3. Pinole-Hercules WPCP will Collect Fees and issue a Discharge Permit to the customer.
  4. The customer and Pinole-Hercules WPCP begin implementing permit provisions, including monitoring waste and submitting reports.
Helpful Links for FOG Items

Report Illegal Dumping or Spills

Call 1-800-NO-DUMPING (1-800-663-8674) in Contra Costa County; or report online