Thursday, May 24, 2012

Dental Amalgam Program

Program Overview

Dental practices that place or remove amalgam fillings are a controllable source of mercury impacting sanitary sewer systems.  Consequently, all dental practices located in the eight cities and unincorporated areas served by the San José/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant are required to obtain and comply with a 5-year Dental Wastewater Discharge Permit.  This permit requires dental practices to implement mercury reduction Best Management Practices (BMPs) and to install an approved amalgam separator.

How to Comply

1. Apply for a Dental Wastewater Discharge Permit. Submit a Dental Wastewater Discharge Permit Application.
2. Implement Required Best Management Practices, which include:
   • Do not use bulk liquid mercury; use only precapsulated dental amalgam.
   • Do not rinse chairside traps, vacuum screens, or amalgam separator equipment in a sink or other sanitary sewer connection.
   • Properly discard amalgam waste.  Recycling is the preferred method for discarding amalgam waste.
   • Store amalgam waste in air tight containers.
   • Train staff to properly handle and dispose of amalgam materials and solutions; training records must be available for inspection.

   For the full list of required BMPs, see the Dental Amalgam Brochure.

3. Install an ISO 11143 Certified Amalgam Separator.
   An approved amalgam separator must be installed within 180 days of the effective date of the discharge permit.  Approved separators are those that meet the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 11143 to remove at least 95% of amalgam.
4. Certify Compliance.
   BMP Certification
   This form is due within 180 days from the effective date of the dental practice’s Discharge Permit and certifies that your practice is following the designated BMPs.
   Amalgam Separator Installation Certification
   This form must be submitted by the dental practice with appropriate attachments within 30 days of installation of the amalgam separator.
5. Keep Records.
   Keep training, disposal, and equipment records on site for five years, and make these records available for inspection. All records must be provided to Environmental Inspectors upon request.
6. Submit a Dental Wastewater Discharge Permit Annual Report.

Program Links

Frequently Asked Questions

A Dentist’s Guide to the Dental Amalgam Program & Permit

ADA List of Dental Recyclers

ADA Amalgam Separator Product Review

Approved Separators List

Best Management Practices

Bleach Free Line Cleaners

Forms

Amalgam Separator Installation Certification Form

Best Management Practices Certification Form

Dental Wastewater Discharge Permit Application

Last Modified Date: 1/6/2012

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