If your facility has been issued a Low Flow/Low Pollutant Discharge Permit by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), be sure to check the daily flow on a regular basis.
Facilities that have no reasonable potential to violate MWRA sewer use discharge limits and discharge less than 300 gallons per day are permitted to apply for a low flow/low pollutant permit with the MWRA. These permits stipulate much less stringent requirements than the Category 2 and above permits. If your facility is issued a low flow/low pollutant permit, be sure to monitor the average daily wastewater effluent flow to ensure that it does not exceed 300 gallons per day. As facilities grow quickly, it is easy to lose track of the need to upgrade the wastewater permit based on the increased water use.
When completing initial MWRA permit applications for new facilities, estimates are often used to determine the average daily effluent volume. As the number of employees increases, the sink use will increase, the glass washer use will increase, etc. Be sure to keep track of the flow and upgrade your permit as necessary.