Dental office vacuum lines, sinks, and toilets all discharge wastewater to local sewer lines which run to the wastewater treatment plant in your community. Because these treatment plants are not designed to remove metals like mercury and silver, these harmful metals can end up in local waterways, like the San Francisco Bay if not properly separated beforehand.
In 2017, the US Environmental Protection Agency adopted Dental Effluent Guidelines. These guidelines require dental offices to install and maintain an amalgam separator, which removes mercury-containing amalgam from wastewater prior to discharge to the sanitary sewer. This is a practical, affordable and readily available technology for capturing mercury and other metals before they are discharged into sewers.
Help Protect Our Waterways by Staying Compliant with the Law
All dental offices that use amalgam must comply with the following:
- Dental offices may not discharge waste amalgam from chair-side traps, screens, filters, dental tools, and other devices to the sewer.
- Dental unit water lines, chair-side traps, and vacuum lines must not be cleaned with oxidizing or acidic cleaners.
- Dental offices must submit a one-time compliance report certifying that they have installed, operate, and maintain an amalgam separator that meets the ISO 11143 Standard or the ANSI/ADA Specification 108, or equivalent. Form can be obtained from your local wastewater treatment agency.
Compliance reporting requirements for existing dental practices have been in effect since 2020. New dental practices and dental practices that change ownership must submit compliance reports within 90 days of starting to discharge to a wastewater treatment agency.
Additional Requirements and Resources
Your local wastewater treatment agency is tasked with implementing these federal regulations. They may have additional requirements such as best management practices, permits, or reporting. Please contact your local wastewater treatment agency or refer to the American Dental Association’s article on Amalgam Separators and Waste Best Management.
