NPDES Pretreatment Program

The National Pretreatment Program is a component of the NPDES program as established in §402 of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and requires nondomestic dischargers into Publicly Owned Treatment Works or POTWs owned by a state or municipality to comply with pretreatment standards to protect surface water. 

In the State of New Mexico, USEPA Region 6 authorizes local municipalities to perform permitting, administrative, and enforcement tasks for discharges into the POTWs.  Albuquerque, Farmington, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho, Roswell and Santa Fe have approved Pretreatment Programs.       

Contact the Control Authority (see below) with any questions about the Pretreatment Program in the State of New Mexico.

What’s New?

• Dental Amalgam Reporting in New Mexico

USEPA has promulgated pretreatment standards at 40 CFR Part 441 to reduce discharges of mercury from dental offices into POTWs. Existing and new sources must submit a one-time compliance report to their pretreatment Control Authority.  Contact information for approved Pretreatment Programs is provided below.  Dentists in all other municipalities that discharge to a POTW should send their reports to the USEPA Region 6 Pretreatment Coordinators. 

For More Information:

• Federal Register Notice
• USEPA Dental Effluent Guidelines
• Dental Amalgam Example Submittal Form November 2017

USEPA Region 6 Control Authority / Pretreatment Coordinators

• Michael (Mike) Tillman (6EN-WM), USEPA Region 6, 1201 Elm Street, Suite 500. Dallas, TX 75270, or by e-mail 
• Rudy Molina (6WQ-PO), USEPA Region 6, 1201 Elm Street, Suite 500. Dallas, TX 75270, or by e-mail

New Mexico Approved Pretreatment Programs / Municipal Control Authority Web Sites or E-mail

• Albuquerque
• Farmington
• Las Cruces
• Rio Rancho
• Roswell
• Santa Fe

Pretreatment Organizations

The Region VI Pretreatment Association (RVIPA) represents the people of USEPA Region VI states (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas) whose profession involves working with Industrial Pretreatment.  The Association is a non-profit organization primarily incorporated to coordinate the EPA Region VI Annual Workshop. 

RVIPA’s next workshop has been scheduled:

Region VI Pretreatment Association, 36th Annual Workshop, Denton, Texas, Rescheduled 2021