Wastewater Discharge Permits for Mobile Waste Haulers (MWH)

The City of Watsonville’s Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) allows disposal of approved liquid wastes trucked in by permitted mobile waste haulers. The advantages of discharging at the City of Watsonville WWTF include:

• No permit application fees
• Open for service every day, rain or shine (unless otherwise communicated)
• Convenient location

How to apply for a MWH Discharge Permit

1. To receive a MWH Discharge Permit from the City of Watsonville, please gather the following documents and submit to Source Control:

a. Mobile Waste Hauler Discharge Permit Application Form (completed and signed)

i. Download pdf or Fill form online

ii. List all trucks and trailers that will be used for discharging at the City of Watsonville WWTF. Only vehicles that are listed in the current MWH Discharge Permit are allowed to discharge at the facility.

b. Weights & Measures Certificate for each vehicle

i. Contact the County of Santa Cruz Weights and Measures to obtain a certificate: (831) 763-8080 or (831) 454-2383. Fees may apply.

c. Inedible Kitchen Grease (IKG) Transporters Certificate (if discharging grease)

i. Obtain from California Department of Food & Agriculture IKG program 

d. Environmental Health Department Permit (if discharging domestic septage or chemical toilet  waste)

i. A health permit is required from the County which is being serviced by the MWH. Santa Cruz County Environmental Health or County of Monterey Health Department

e. Certificate of Liability Insurance (minimum of $1,000,000 per occurrence general liability and minimum of $500,000 per occurrence automobile liability) and which identifies the City of Watsonville as additionally insured at:

City of Watsonville
250 Main Street
Watsonville, CA  95076

f. If discharging chemical toilet waste, the MWH must provide a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the additives used in their chemical toilets.

2. Submit MWH Discharge Permit application and document to Source Control at:

jim.crowley@cityofwatsonville.org
or
City of Watsonville
Attn: Jim Crowley
500 Clearwater Lane
Watsonville,CA 95076

MWH Discharge Permit Issuance 

1. Once the application and documents have been received and approved by Source Control, a City of Watsonville Mobile Waste Hauler Discharge Permit will be issued to the applicant by e-mail. Allow a minimum of one week for processing.

2. A gate access code specific to the MWH’s business will be assigned and provided with the MWH Discharge Permit. This access code will need to be entered each time a permitted MWH enters the WWTF.

3. Contact the City of Watsonville Finance Department at (831) 768-3459 to set up a customer account for billing (permitted MWH dischargers are billed on a monthly basis). All active MWH accounts must be kept in good standing in order to maintain access privileges using their gate codes.

MWH Accepted Wastes

To determine if your waste is accepted for discharge at the WWTF, identify your waste type in the table below:

_{*Any waste discharged at the City of Watsonville WWTF that could cause upset or interference with the wastewater treatment process or contribute to an exceedance in the WWTF’s permitted effluent limits is prohibited per WMC 6-3.513.}

Discharge by Permitted MWHs at the City of Watsonville WWTF

Once a MWH has obtained a current MWH Discharge Permit from the City of Watsonville for each vehicle to be admitted and an access code from Source Control, the hauler can begin to use the Panabaker Lane entrance gate (see map) to discharge loads at the WWTF. Note that only vehicles specifically listed in the MWH discharge permit are authorized to discharge at the City of Watsonville WWTF.

1.Use your gate access code at the Panabaker Lane entrance gate only between the WWTF hours of operation from 7:00 am to 4:30 pm daily (7 days/week including weekends and holidays).

2. Complete a Mobile Waste Hauler Load Identification Report found in the gray storage shed before discharging. Place one copy of the manifest into the slot of the drop box located in the gray storage shed and keep the customer copy. A completed Mobile Waste Hauler Load Identification Report is required for each load discharged at the City of Watsonville WWTF. Failure to accurately manifest each load discharged on a Mobile Waste Hauler Load Identification Report may result in fines and/or suspension of access privileges.

3. The MWH Discharge Permit expires after three years, but it can be renewed by Source Control at no charge:

a. Complete the MWH Permit Renewal Form and submit the renewal form with required documentation to Source Control

b. The MWH is responsible for keeping the permit information up to date in order to keep the permit valid and the gate access code active. Contact Source Control if any information needs to be changed on the permit at any time.