Industrial/Commercial User Survey

The City of Hermiston is conducting an Industrial User Survey of non-residential users connected to the sanitary sewer system. Responses will help the City meet the requirements of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s mandated Industrial Pretreatment Program. 

The Industrial Pretreatment Program is responsible for preventing harmful pollutants from entering its sanitary sewer system. This could impair the wastewater treatment facility, jeopardize worker or public health, and negatively impact the environment through discharge into the Umatilla and Columbia rivers. 

The Industrial User Survey Questionnaire is attached here. Industrial users are requested to return the completed survey by October 1, 2023. If you have questions or need assistance in completing the survey, please do not hesitate to call us at 541-567-5272 or send an email to IndustrialSurvey@Hermiston.gov with the subject: Industrial User Survey.

Q:  I’m not an ‘industrial’ user, do I need to fill this out?

A:  As Hermiston has grown, we are now required by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to conduct a survey of all commercial sewer customers connected to the City wastewater system, not just what people typically think of as “industrial.” Residential users are not required to fill this out.

Q:  What if I don’t fill it out?

A:  Hermiston City Code 51.093 requires that any current or potential industrial or commercial user may be required to apply for an industrial wastewater permit. If your business doesn’t meet the criteria for needing an industrial wastewater permit, completing this survey will remove you from going further in that process.

Q:  Is this information going to be used against me?

A:  The City is developing an industrial pretreatment program that will equally apply to all industrial wastewater permittees. Complete and accurate information is essential for DEQ to determine whether regulation through an industrial wastewater permit is required. Without the requested information, DEQ may require an industrial discharge permit that otherwise would not be necessary.