Dental Offices: Wastewater Discharge Rule

Dental Category

Effective July 14, 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) passed a rule seeking to reduce the discharge of mercury-containing dental amalgam to municipal sewage treatment plants from dental offices in the United States. The rule requires the installation of an amalgam separator and a one-time compliance report to be submitted. Also, included in the rule are recordkeeping requirements and prohibitions on certain types of cleaners used in dental unit water lines. All offices that open after July 14, 2017 must comply by July 14, 2020, and submit the one-time compliance report by October 12, 2020. The City's one-time compliance report can be found below under Supporting Documents. The American Dental Association and US EPA crafted several resources to help dentist comply with the new rule. Please contact the Environmental Services Department at (903) 464-4483 for assistance.