§ 19-07 Best Management Practices Plans (BMPPs) for Persons Discharging Total Silver Halide Process Wastewater to the Public Sewer System.
RCNY § 19-07
(a)Any person that discharges total silver halide process wastewater to the public sewer system, including, but not limited to, photofinishers, printers, publishers, hospitals, dentists, and X-ray laboratories, must prepare and implement a Best Management Practices Plan (BMPP) in accordance with the applicable provisions of subdivision (i) of this section.
(b)All pretreatment technology for the recovery of silver at such facilities must be installed pursuant to this section and must be appropriately sized, per manufacturer's specifications, to achieve the minimum percent recovery of silver, as required by the applicable subdivisions of this section, from silver-rich solutions. The pretreatment technology must be installed, operated, and maintained as per manufacturer's specifications. Written records concerning the selected sizing criteria and recommended specifications must be maintained at the facility at all times.
(c)In lieu of complying with the requirements of this section applicable to on-site recovery, any person discharging total silver halide process wastewater to the public sewer system may have all silver-rich solutions transported off-site for recovery, reclamation, and/or refinement in accordance with all applicable City, State and Federal regulations. Any person that exercises this option must retain (1) the most recent manifest and/or (2) a vendor certification, and/or (3) other documentation regarding the disposal of silver-rich solutions. Such documentation must include, but is not limited to, the name of the transporter, the quantity of silver-rich solutions removed from their facility, and where and how the silver-rich solutions were disposed of.
(d)All required records and measurements made by persons at their facility pursuant to this section must be available at all times at the person's facility, for the time periods indicated in the applicable provisions of subdivision (i) of this section, for inspection and copying by authorized representatives of the Department. For persons employing outside contractors to maintain their pretreatment systems, a certification from the vendor that the applicable requirements of these regulations are being complied with must be kept at the person's facility, for the time periods indicated in subdivision (i) of this section, for inspection and copying, upon request by authorized representatives of the Department.
(e)Any person defined as Significant Industrial Users, pursuant to 40 C.F.R. Part 403, must obtain an Industrial Wastewater Discharge Permit to discharge to the public sewers.
(f)Persons subject to the requirements of this section must install and operate the applicable pretreatment technology. Equivalent pretreatment technology may only be used if preapproved by the Commissioner.
(g)Design and operation of pretreatment technology shall be based upon percent recovery of silver-rich solutions. The Department may, upon written request, consider reducing the design-recovery percentages required in these regulations for persons utilizing silver-halide processes with in-line recovery, such as closed loop or recirculated electrolytic desilvering.
(h)For persons performing on-site recovery, the quantities of all total silver-halide process wastewater discharges (i.e. flow rates) shall be gauged and recorded in a log book as follows: (1) one day per month, for persons discharging 100 gallons or more of total silver halide process wastewater; or (2) one day per calendar quarter, for persons discharging less than 100 gallons per day of total silver halide process wastewater; or (3) one day per calendar year, for persons discharging less than 100 gallons per day of total silver halide process wastewater and who are complying with subdivision (i)(1)(ii)(B) of this section. Flows shall be recorded as the daily amount of all total silver-halide process wastewater that is discharged to the public sewer. The day that is selected for gauging and for sampling must be representative of a normal production day. Flows should be determined either through the use of: (i) fixed metering equipment, (ii) timed filling of a vessel of known volume, or (iii) through calculation, utilizing estimated amounts of make-up (replenishment) solutions.
(i)The BMPP must include but not be limited to the following: (1) Discharges of less than 100 gallons per day. Any person that discharges less than 100 gallons per day of total silver halide process wastewater must: (i) install and continually operate metallic replacement pretreatment technology designed to recover at least 90% of the silver from the silver-rich solutions processed; (ii) test for the silver concentration in the influent and effluent from the silver recovery unit(s) using silver estimating paper/wire and/or test kits at least: (A) once per calendar quarter on a day that is representative of normal operations; or (B) once per calendar year on a day that is representative of normal operations, only if the person maintains a log of the amount of silver-rich solutions being treated and discharged.
(iii)measure representative daily quantities of total silver-halide process wastewater discharged to the public sewer; (iv) keep written records of pretreatment technology maintenance; (v) keep written records of the date that any new pretreatment technology is brought into service; and (vi) keep all measurements and records required by this section at their facility for at least one year from the date such records and measurements are made.
(2)Discharges of 100 up to but not including 1,000 gallons per day. Any person that discharges from 100 up to but not including 1,000 gallons per day of total silver halide process wastewater must: (i) install and continually operate one of the following pretreatment technologies designed to recover at least 90% of the silver from silver-rich solutions processed: (A) two metallic replacement units installed in series and operated simultaneously; or (B) electrolytic recovery; or (C) chemical precipitation; (ii) test for the silver concentration in the influent and effluent from the silver recovery unit(s) using silver estimating paper/wire and/or test kits at least once per month on a day that is representative of normal operations; (iii) measure representative daily quantities of total silver-halide process wastewater discharged to the public sewer; (iv) keep written records of pretreatment technology maintenance; (v) keep written records of the date that any new pretreatment technology is brought into service; and (vi) keep all measurements and records required by this section at their facility for at least three years from the date such records and measurements are made.
(3)Discharges of 1,000 up to but not including 10,000 gallons per day. Any person that discharges from 1,000 up to but not including 10,000 gallons per day of total silver-halide process wastewater must: (i) install and continually operate one of the following pretreatment technologies designed to recover at least 95% of the silver from silver-rich solutions processed: (A) electrolytic recovery and metallic replacement; or (B) chemical precipitation; or (C) any combination of the above; (ii) test for the silver concentration in the influent and effluent from the silver recovery unit(s) using silver estimating paper/wire and/or test kits at least once per month on a day that is representative of normal operations; (iii) perform one composite sampling of the influent and effluent at least once every two years on a day that is representative of normal operations and have the sample analyzed for silver by a laboratory certified by the New York State Department of Health; (iv) measure representative daily quantities of total silver-halide process wastewater discharged to the public sewer; (v) keep written records of pretreatment technology maintenance; (vi) keep written records of the date that any new pretreatment technology is brought into service; and (vii) keep all measurements and records required by this section at their facility for at least three years from the date such records and measurements are made.
(4)Discharges of 10,000 gallons per day or more. Any person that discharges 10,000 gallons per day or more of total silver-halide process wastewater must: (i) install and continually operate one of the following pretreatment technologies designed to recover at least 99% of the silver from silver-rich solutions processed: (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; (ii) test for the silver concentration in the influent and effluent from the silver recovery unit(s) using silver estimating paper/wire and/or test kits at least once per month on a day that is representative of normal operations; (iii) perform one daily composite sampling of the influent and effluent at least once every calendar year on a day that is representative of normal operations and have the sample analyzed for silver by a laboratory certified by the New York State Department of Health; (iv) measure representative daily quantities of total silver-halide process wastewater discharged to the public sewer; (v) keep written records of pretreatment technology maintenance; (vi) record the date any new pretreatment technology is brought into service; and (vii) keep all measurements and records required by this section at such person's facility for at least three years from the date such records and measurements are made. (Amended City Record 2/18/2020, eff. 3/19/2020)
