Some dental offices in our wastewater service area are required to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Dental Effluent Guidelines. The purpose of this regulation is to reduce the disposal of mercury - often used with other metals in fillings - into publicly owned wastewater treatment systems. 

Dental offices should separate mercury from other metals using amalgam separators, a practical, affordable and readily available technology for capturing mercury. Once captured by a separator, mercury can be recycled.

The EPA expects compliance with this final rule will annually reduce the discharge of mercury by 5.1 tons as well as 5.3 tons of other metals found in dental waste. Disposing of dental waste properly helps ensure that our public wastewater system is only receiving waste that it is designed to receive and protect water quality for everyone.

Union County Water appreciates the dental offices in our service area who work with us to protect water quality by following EPA’s rules and best practices. 

DOWNLOAD: Dental Dischargers Compliance Report Form