El Salvador Imposes Special Wastewater Discharge Controls

El Salvador has established strict quality limits for special type wastewater discharges into national and private sewer systems, covering industrial, hospital, and chemical effluents, through the Reglamento Técnico Salvadoreño (RTS) 13.05.02:26.

Compliance Requirements for Special Type Wastewater Discharges in El Salvador

Direct Answer: El Salvador regulates special type wastewater discharges (industrial, hospital, chemical, and agroindustrial effluents) into national and private sewer systems through Reglamento Técnico Salvadoreño (RTS) 13.05.02:26. Compliance requires adherence to strict permissible limits for 48 parameters, mandatory ANDA authorization, and regular monitoring with penalties for non-compliance^{1, 2}.

Regulation Analysis

1. Scope and Applicability

• Covered Discharges: The RTS applies to special type wastewater (industrial, hospital, chemical, agroindustrial) discharged directly or indirectly into ANDA-administered or private sewer systems¹.
• Exclusions: Ordinary domestic wastewater (e.g., from sinks, toilets) is not covered¹.
• Indirect Discharges: Includes effluents routed through intermediate systems (e.g., private/industrial sewers) before entering ANDA’s network¹.

2. Permissible Limits

The RTS establishes maximum permissible limits for 48 parameters, including:

• Unlisted Parameters: ANDA may impose additional limits for contaminants not specified in the RTS if they threaten sewer infrastructure or public health¹.
• Prohibited Practices:
  • Dilution of effluents with non-process water to reduce contaminant concentrations¹.
  • Discharging stormwater or untreated solids/lodges into sewers¹.
  • Using solvents in grease traps¹.

3. Authorization and Compliance Procedures

A. Mandatory ANDA Authorization

• Requirement: All entities discharging special type wastewater into ANDA’s sewer system must obtain prior authorization¹.
• Application Process:
  1. Submit a formal request (Annex A) to ANDA, including:
• Proof of payment for ANDA services (receipt from prior month)¹.
• Characterization reports for wastewater parameters (Annex C)¹.
• Operation/maintenance logs for treatment systems (if applicable)¹.
• Sampling point access (e.g., inspection wells) for ANDA verification¹.
1. ANDA reviews the application and may request additional data¹.
2. ANDA conducts unannounced inspections to verify compliance¹.

B. Monitoring and Reporting

• Sampling Frequency (Table 1 of RTS):

• Sample Types: Simple or composite (collected over ≥3 hours, with aliquots every 30 minutes)¹.
• Laboratory Requirements: Analyses must be performed by accredited labs using recognized methodologies¹.
• Record Retention: Entities must retain 5 years of monitoring reports¹.

C. Inspection and Enforcement

• ANDA’s Authority:
  • Conduct unannounced inspections and sampling¹.
  • Revoke authorization if violations are detected¹.
  • Prohibit construction of new treatment works without approval¹.
• Penalties: Non-compliance is subject to sanctions under El Salvador’s Environmental Law (Decree No. 233) and General Water Resources Law (Decree No. 253)¹.

4. Technical and Operational Requirements

• Sampling Infrastructure:
  • Grease traps must include accessible sampling wells between the treatment system and sewer connection¹.
  • Multiple discharge points require separate sampling wells for each¹.
• Treatment Systems:
  • ANDA does not approve construction of new treatment facilities; entities must comply with existing systems¹.
  • Lodges/solids from treatment systems cannot be discharged into sewers¹.
• Process Changes: Entities must immediately report modifications that alter effluent characteristics¹.

5. Supporting Legislation

The RTS is enforced under:

• Ley del Medio Ambiente (Decree No. 233, 1998) – Article 42¹.
• Ley General de Recursos Hídricos (Decree No. 253, 2022)¹.
• Reglamento Especial de Aguas Residuales y Manejo de Lodos Residuales (current version)¹.

Summary Answer

El Salvador’s RTS 13.05.02:26 imposes strict limits on 48 parameters for special type wastewater discharges into sewer systems, including BOD₅ (500 mg/L), COD (1,000 mg/L), and pH (6.0–9.0)¹. Compliance requires ANDA authorization, regular monitoring (frequency tied to discharge volume), and unannounced inspections¹. Prohibited practices include dilution, stormwater discharge, and unauthorized solids disposal¹. Penalties for non-compliance are governed by Decree No. 233 (Environmental Law) and Decree No. 253 (Water Resources Law)¹. Entities must retain 5 years of records and report process changes to ANDA¹. The RTS is subject to periodic review to align with modern standards².

Sources

1. ↩ WTO SPS notification 26-02816 — El Salvador https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/SPS/SLV/26_02816_00_s.pdf
2. ↩ WTO TBT notification 26-01725 — El Salvador https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/TBT/SLV/26_01725_00_s.pdf