Effluent Guidelines | US EPA Skip to main content An official website of the United States government Here’s how you know Here’s how you know Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu Search Search Environmental Topics Environmental Topics Air Bed Bugs Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide Emergency Response Environmental Information by Location Health Land, Waste, and Cleanup Lead Mold Radon Research Science Topics Water Topics A-Z Topic Index Laws & Regulations Laws & Regulations By Business Sector By Topic Compliance Enforcement Guidance Laws and Executive Orders Regulations Report a Violation Report a Violation Environmental Violations Fraud, Waste or Abuse About EPA About EPA Our Mission and What We Do Headquarters Offices Regional Offices Labs and Research Centers Planning, Budget, and Results Organization Chart EPA History Effluent Guidelines Unmanaged Combustion Residual Leachate Proposed Rule The EPA is proposing revisions for the effluent limitations guidelines that apply to unmanaged combustion residual leachate at coal-fired power plants. Learn more about the proposed rule Meat and Poultry Products Category The EPA took final action to withdraw a 2024 proposal that would have revised the effluent guidelines and established certain pretreatment standards for this industry. Review the final action Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 16 The EPA continues to focus on assessing opportunities to limit PFAS discharges from multiple industrial categories. View the planned actions and studies 123 Effluent Guidelines are national regulatory standards for wastewater discharged to surface waters and municipal sewage treatment plants. The EPA issues these regulations for industrial categories, based on the performance of treatment and control technologies. Current & Recent Actions Unmanaged Combustion Residual Leachate Proposed Rule Deadline Extensions Rule Meat and Poultry Products Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 16 POTW Influent PFAS Study PFAS-related rulemakings:Organic Chemicals Landfills Metal Finishing Industry Regulations & Studies All existing & proposed regulations: Federal Register notices Support documents Industry studies Ongoing Industry Studies Oil and Gas Extraction Electrical & Electronic Components Textile Mills Learn About Effluent Guidelines Key terms and concepts Development of Effluent Guidelines Levels of control: BPT, BAT, BCT, NSPS, PSNS, PSES Implementation Industries/pollutants not specifically regulated by Effluent Guidelines Planning & Implementation Effluent Guidelines Plan reviews of existing & potential regulations Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 16 Implementation and compliance permits, pretreatment, enforcement Pollutants, Analytical Methods, Research Pollutant discharges regulated by Effluent Guidelines must be measured with approved analytical methods. Toxic & Priority Pollutant lists Laboratory analytical methods Industrial Wastewater Treatment Technology Database Effluent Guidelines Database Contact Us About Effluent Guidelines to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem. Last updated on July 29, 2026 Assistance Spanish Arabic Chinese (simplified) Chinese (traditional) French Haitian Creole Korean Portuguese Russian Tagalog Vietnamese Discover. Accessibility Statement Budget & Performance Contracting EPA www Web Snapshot Grants No FEAR Act Data Plain Writing Privacy and Security Notice Connect. Data Inspector General Jobs Newsroom Regulations.gov Subscribe USA.gov White House Ask. Contact EPA EPA Disclaimers Hotlines FOIA Requests Frequent Questions Site Feedback Follow.