KERN COUNTY AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT
RULE 414 - WASTEWATER SEPARATORS
(Adopted 4/18/72, Amended 6/26/79, 6/29/81, 5/6/91, 3/7/96)
I. Applicability
This Rule applies to wastewater separators as defined in this Rule.
II. Definitions
A. Air Flotation Unit: equipment used to remove suspended matter, both oil and solid, from water by dissolving
air under pressure and then releasing the air at atmospheric pressure in a tank or basin.
B. Volatile Organic Compound (VOC): any compound containing at least one atom of carbon except for compounds
exempted by Rule 102, Subsection L.
C. Wastewater Separator: any device or piece of equipment that is used to remove VOC-containing liquids
from water, or any device, such as a flocculation tank, clarifier, etc. that removes petroleum-derived compounds
from wastewater.
D. Wastewater Separator Forebay: that section of a gravity-type wastewater separator which: (a) receives
the untreated, oil-water waste from the pre-separator flume: and (b) acts as a header which distributes the influent
to the separator channels.
III. Exemptions
A. This Rule shall not apply to any wastewater separator receiving effluent containing volatile organic compounds with a Reid vapor pressure of less than 0.5 pound per square inch and recovering less than 200 gallons per day of VOC-containing liquid.
B. Air Flotation Units.
IV. Requirements
A. A person shall not use any compartment of any vessel or device operated for the recovery of oil or tar from
effluent water, from any equipment which processes, refines, stores or handles petroleum or coal tar products unless
such compartments is equipped with one of the following vapor loss control devices, except when
gauging or sampling is taking place:
B. Any gauging and sampling device in a compartment cover shall be equipped with a cover or lid. The cover shall
be in a closed position at all times, except when the device is in actual use.
C. All wastewater separator forebays shall be covered.
D. Skimmed oil or tar removed from wastewater separating devices shall be either charged to process units with
feed or transferred to a container with a control system with at least 90% control efficiency by weight. Any control
device must be under District permit.
V. Administrative Requirements
A. Test Methods