&EPA
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Region 9 Ground Water
Office (WTR-9)
EPA 909-F-00-002
MAY 2000
A shallow injection well
includes any subsurface
excavation, such as a
drywell, seepage pit, septic
system, leach field, or
unlined sump, through
which waste water is
disposed below ground.
Definition of motor vehicle
waste disposal well: 144.81(16)
Motor vehicle waste disposal wells
(are defined as wells) that receive
or have received fluids from
vehicular repair or maintenance
activities, such as an auto body
repair shop, new and used car
dealership, specialty repair shop
(e.g. transmission and muffler
shop) or any facility that does any
vehicular repair work.
Fluids disposed in these wells may
contain organic and inorganic
chemicals in concentrations that
exceed the maximum contaminant
levels (MCLs) established by the
primary drinking water regulations
(see 40 CFR Part 142). These
fluids also may include waste
petroleum products and may
contain contaminants, such as
heavy metals and volatile organic
compounds, which pose risks to
human health.
Industrial Floor Drains and
Ground Water Quality
Floor drains in industrial and commercial settings can cause significant
contamination if used improperly. While many industries have begun investing in
cleaner technologies, floor drains remain an easy method of disposing of wash
water that may contain small concentrations of hazardous or toxic chemicals.
Floor drains may be plumbed to a municipal sewer line, or they may just lead to
a subsurface disposal point. When floor drains discharge to soil, the drain, the
pipes and all associated structures for conveyance of wastewater to soil are
called a shallow injection well.
Used or spilled fuel, solvents, waste oil, paints, and other maintenance fluids
pose a risk to the environment but may be especially harmful if they enter
someone's drinking water supply. Floor drains at facilities which use these
substances should be evaluated. Facility managers should know if floor drains
and other drains from sinks, toilets, showers etc. lead to a municipal sewer line,
to a surface discharge, or to a shallow injection well.
Shallow injection wells allow waste to percolate into soil. Because of their potential
to contaminate underground sources of drinking water, they are regulated through
the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act, Underground Injection Control (UIC) regulations.
Owners and operators of shallow injection wells are usually not required to obtain
a federal permit, but are required to submit inventory information to their state or
federal Underground Injection Control (UIC) programs so that actions can be
taken where necessary to prevent contamination of underground sources of
drinking water. UIC programs have the authority to request additional information
about particular wells, or require a permit if there is a risk of contamination from
a facility. State and local programs may have more stringent permitting
requirements than the federal regulations.
Some types of industries have higher incidences of soil and ground water
contamination than others. So some state and EPA UIC programs have permits
or other requirements for those particular industries or types of waste discharge.
For example, the construction of new motor vehicle waste disposal wells is
banned effective April 5, 2000 (nationwide) because of the potential for
such wells to discharge fuel and motor repair fluids to the ground. Existing
motor vehicle waste disposal wells may be required to close or meet conditions
of a discharge permit.
When the motor vehicle waste disposal well regulations were proposed, EPA also
proposed additional regulations for shallow injection wells receiving industrial
waste. Those regulations have not been adopted, but could apply in the future.
To help business owners and facility managers assess their environmental
liability and comply with ground water protection regulations, EPA has prepared
this information to accompany the Inventory of Injection Wells form. In order
to be authorized to operate an injection well, owners or operators of injection
wells are required to submit this information to EPA or to the delegated
Underground Injection Control Program in their state.
-------
Evaluating Floor Drains
Here are steps to determine whether or not a
facility uses Class V shallow injection wells:
1. Identify all floor drains and other possible
points of entry to subsurface pipelines in
hazardous material use/storage areas, fueling
areas, wash bays, or industrial process areas.
2. For each drain, identify the drain's final point
of discharge. This may be achieved by
presentation of sewer or holding tank permits, or
stamped, "as-built" plans, by performing dye or
smoke tests, looking at the pipe using downhole
cameras, reviewing records of tank pumping, or
simply by examining the floor drain grates or
popping separator or sewer manhole covers.
3. If no absolute determination can be made as
to where a pipe ends, or if you determine that it
ends with disposal to soil, you have a shallow
injection well.
4. Comply with the inventory requirement.
(insert website xxxxxxx) EPA will share the
information with the appropriate state and local
agencies, who may get back to you about your well.
Other Risk Factors:
• Present activities. Does facility manage
hazardous materials, particularly solvents &
other volatile compounds? (Examples: dry
cleaner, auto body shop, metal plating) How are
potentially hazardous fluids prevented from
entering a floor drain? What spill containment
practices are used?
• Historic Activities. Were any former occupants
of the site likely to have disposed hazardous or
toxic waste to floor drains?
IF YOUR INJECTION WELL
NEEDS TO BE CLOSED:
The regulations specify minimum requirements for
closure of an injection well: §144.89. You must plug or
otherwise close the well in a manner that complies with
the prohibition of fluid movement standard in §144.12
and summarized in §144.82(a). If the DIG Program
Director in your State or EPA Region has any additional
or more specific closure standards, you have to meet
those standards too. You also must dispose or otherwise
manage any soil, gravel, sludge, liquids, or other materials
removed from or adjacent to your well in accordance
with all applicable Federal, State, and local regulations
and requirements, as in §144.82 (b).
EPA Region 9 requires that site characterization and
closure of shallow injection wells where hazardous or
toxic materials may be present be overseen and
approved by a hazardous materials regulator from the
local or state government (or EPA) and be performed by
a qualified environmental professional.
Federal closure guidance is available; call (415) 744-
2250. For state contacts, see last page.
EPA's Audit Policy and self-disclosure policy
encourages businesses who discover violations
to promptly disclose, correct and prevent
violations. If appropriate criteria are met, EPA may
reduce gravity-based penalties. For more
information, please call the Small Business Office
at (800) 368-5888 EST, or see their website at
www.epa.gov/sbo.
Proximity to ground and surface water: How
far is it to the nearest private or public drinking
water well? How far is it to the nearest creek,
river, lake or shore?
Operations Permits. Do any permits you have
on file with the local building or health
department require you to monitor discharges to
your floor drain?
Sampling. Have you ever had the sludge below
the drain analyzed by an environmental
laboratory for toxic or hazardous constituents?
-------
DEFINITIONS FROM THE
UIC REGULATIONS
§144.3 Changes to definitions and new definitions:
cesspool, drywell, improved sinkhole, point of
injection, sanitary waste, septic system, subsurface
fluid distribution system, well, and well injection.
Drywell means a well, other than an improved
sinkhole or subsurface fluid distribution system,
completed above the water table so that its bottom
and sides are typically dry except when receiving
fluids.
Point of Injection means the last accessible sampling
point prior to waste fluids being released into the
subsurface environment through a Class V injection
well. For example, the point of injection of a Class V
septic system might be the distribution box - the last
accessible sampling point before the waste fluids drain
into the underlying soils. For a drywell, it is likely to
be the well bore itself.
Sanitary Waste means liquid or solid wastes
originating solely from humans and human activities,
such as wastes collected from toilets, showers, wash
basins, sinks used for cleaning domestic areas, sinks
used for food preparation, clothes washing operations,
and sinks or washing machines where food and
beverage serving dishes, glasses, and utensils are
cleaned. Sources of these wastes may include single
or multiple residences, hotels and motels, restaurants,
bunkhouses, schools, ranger stations, crew quarters,
guard stations, campgrounds, picnic grounds, day-
use recreation areas, other commercial facilities, and
industrial facilities provided the waste is not mixed
with industrial waste.
Septic system means a "well" that is used to emplace
sanitary waste below the surface and is typically
comprised of a septic tank and subsurface fluid
distribution system.
Subsurface fluid distribution system means an
assemblage of perforated pipes, drain tiles, or other
similar mechanisms intended to distribute fluids below
the surface of the ground.
(Injection) Well means: A bored, drilled, or driven shaft
whose depth is greater than the largest surface
dimension; or, a dug hole whose depth is greater than
the largest surface dimension; or, an improved
sinkhole; or, a subsurface fluid distribution system.
Examples of onsite sewage system designs
Drinking
Water
Well
contaminants collected at the water table can flow with ^
ground water to a well or surface discharge point (such
as shore, creek, stream, or spring)
SUMMARY OF NEW SUBPART G
(old citation follows)
§144.80 What is a Class V injection well?
§144.81 Examples of types of Class V wells.
§144.82 Prohibition of fluid movement, regulatory tools
to ensure protection, including steps for closure of wells
that endanger ground water. (40 CFR part 144.12)
§144.83 Inventory requirement for all Class V wells,
and (b) examples of information which may be requested
from a specific well owner. (144.26, 144.27)
§144.84 Criteria for authorization by rule to operate a
Class V injection well, permits, and closure. (144.26)
§144.85 New restrictions on large capacity cesspools
and motor vehicle waste disposal wells.
§144.86 Information for well owners regarding Source
Water Assessments.
§144.89 Summary of steps required for closure or
conversion of injection wells.
DISCLAIMER
The statements in this document are intended solely as guidance. This document
is not intended, nor can it be relied upon, to create any rights enforceable by any
party in litigation with the United States. EPA or the program Primacy Agency may
decide to follow the guidance provided in this document, or to act at variance with
the guidance based on its analysis of the specific facts presented. This guidance
may be revised without public notice to reflect changes in EPA's approach to
implementing the authorities discussed in the document or to clarify and update
text.
-------
For more information about
Best Management Practices
EPA Small Business Office:
http://www.epa.gov/smallbusiness/help.htm
or call (800) 368-5888.
EPA Compliance Assistance Centers:
http://es.epa.gov/oeca/main/compasst/
compcenters.html.
with links to assistance for these specific industries:
automotive service, chemicals, local government,
metal finishing, paints and coatings, printed wiring
boards, printing, and transportation
EPA Region 9 Automotive Pollution Prevention
Guides, video: http://www.epa.gov/region09/cross pr/
p2/autofleet/index.html
Dry Cleaning: (independent site)
http://www1 .umn.edu/mntap/P2/DRYCL7fs54-r17.htm
THIS DOCUMENT can be downloaded from:
insert http: when available
Ground Water Protection/U 1C
Programs in EPA Region 9
CALIFORNIA
Call EPA
(415) 972-3537
or the California
Regional Water
Quality Control
Board near you
www.swrcb.ca.gov
HAWAII
Call the Safe
Drinking Water
Branch, Hawaii
Department of Health
(808) 586-4258
www.hawaii.gov/
health/eh/sdwb/
INDIAN COUNTRY
Call (415) 972-3544
http://www.epa.
gov/region09/
cross pr/indiŁ
index.html
NEVADA
Call the Nevada
Division of
Environmental Protection
Water Permit Program
(775) 687-4670
www.state.nv.us/ndep/
bwpc/bwpc01.htm
ARIZONA
Call the Arizona
Department of
Environmental
Quality, Aquifer
Protection Permit
Program, at (602)
207-4573
www.adeq.state.
az.us/environ/water
To report your injection well, or
request compliance assistance
NATIONWIDE - CALL (800) 426-4791, the SAFE
DRINKING WATER HOTLINE (E.S.T.)
EPA REGION 9 UIC PROGRAM: (415) 972-3542
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9
Underground Injection Control Program (WTR-9)
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, California 94105-3109
OFFICIAL BUSINESS - PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE $300
FIRST CLASS MAIL
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
U.S. EPA
Permit No. G-35
------- |