Pretreatment standards: categorical regulations on the horizon.

As Congress writes aggressive wastewater laws and EPA tightens its regulatory grip, the question of whether to fight or compromise becomes even more pressing for the textile rental industry. As Congress moves forward on the reauthorization of the Clean Water Act, EPA's authority to issue pretreatment standards could be greatly strengthened. Categorical pretreatment standards would set national limits on the concentrations of various pollutants that are being discharged to publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). As EPA lays out its recommendations to Congress, perhaps it's time for the textile rental industry to reevaluate its position on categorical standards.