Discharge Approvals/Permits
Fairfax County must find, assess, and review industrial and commercial sewer users to make sure their wastewater is safe for the public treatment system. Businesses must provide details about their wastewater using a Wastewater Discharge Survey Form. The county reviews this form to decide what kind of approval is needed. This could be a permit or an authorization.
The type of approval is based on things like the type of business, how much wastewater it produces, what's in the wastewater, and any risks it might pose to the system. Not all businesses need a permit or authorization, but every business must follow Fairfax County’s Sewer Use Ordinance (Chapter 67.1).
If you have questions about your company’s wastewater discharge, contact the Industrial Waste Section at 703-324-9389.
Types of Approvals
- Wastewater Discharge Permits: For federally regulated industries (like Categorical Industrial Users), businesses that produce more than 25,000 gallons of wastewater per day, or any company that might cause harm to the sewer system. Permits are issued after the business submits and has their Wastewater Discharge Application approved. (Submit online at: Electronic Reporting for Industrial Waste Permittees.)
- Letter of Authorization: For businesses that produce less than 25,000 gallons per day and pose low risks to the sewer system.
- Verbal Authorization: For small or one-time wastewater discharges.
Fairfax County must approve cooling tower connections to the public sanitary sewer or the county storm drainage system, which are two separate systems.