Dewatering, Pretreatment, & Scavenger Waste

Businesses that need to discharge into New York City’s sewer system must comply with the Sewer Use Regulations established in Rules of the City of New York, Title 15, Chapter §19. For other general information about water and sewers, and for permitting forms, go to Water and Sewer Forms.

• Download the Dewatering Wastewater Quality Control Application (WQCA) for Discharges Over 10,000 Gallons Per Day
• Download the Scavenger Application
• Download the Scavenger Semi-Annual Report Form
• Download the Industrial Waste Pre-treatment Application

Discharging Groundwater into NYC Sewers

Discharging into City sewers requires a Discharge Permit that can be obtained from the Bureau of Customer Service. A Self-Certification Form must be submitted to the Bureau of Customer Service if the discharge is 10,000 gallons of groundwater per day or less. If the discharge exceeds 10,000 gallons of groundwater per day into City sewers, prior approvals from the Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations and the Bureau of Wastewater Treatment are also required. The Approval to Temporarily Discharge Groundwater Into Sewers provides a description of the process and associated forms for obtaining approval to discharge and a Dewatering Permit. Discharges to sanitary and combined sewers are subject to approval from the Bureau of Wastewater Treatment (see above Dewatering WQCA for Discharges Over 10,000 Gallons Per Day). Discharges to storm sewers must be approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation prior to applying for a Discharge Permit from the Bureau of Customer Service.

• Download the Self-Certification Form
• Download the Approval to Temporarily Discharge Groundwater Into Sewers