Special Discharge Requests and Permits

The Special Discharge Program of the Metropolitan Council provides a method for acceptance of “special discharges” to the Metropolitan Disposal System. Special discharges regulated under this program include contaminated groundwater, contaminated surface water, hauled industrial waste, and nonhazardous landfill leachate and condensate.

Approval or permit

Any person or entity wanting to make a special discharge to the Metropolitan Disposal System must first apply for an approval or permit through the Met Council’s Industrial Waste and Pollution Prevention (IWPP) office by completing the appropriate form below. If a discharge is expected to be ongoing for 12 or more months, a Met Council Permit may be issued instead of an Approval. Duration, frequency and volume of discharges are considered when determining whether to issue an Approval Letter or Permit for an accepted discharge.  

Contaminated Groundwater and Surface Water:
Groundwater and/or Surface Water - Special Discharge Application (Word, 643 kB)
Community Review Form (Word, 640 kB) (required only for direct discharges to the sanitary sewer)

Industrial Waste - non-hazardous liquid waste discharges requested to be hauled to Met Council facilities:
Industrial Discharge Approval Request Form (Word, 763 kB)


Landfill Leachate or Condensate - nonhazardous discharges:
Contact Karalynn Marr at [email protected] or 651-602-4727



Supplemental Attachments:
Out-of-Service Area Attachment - required for waste generated outside of the Met Council service area (Word, 634kB) 
PFAS Attachment - required for waste containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (Word, 636kB)

More resources

• Frequently asked questions for Special Discharge requests (PDF)
• Met Council hauler disposal site information and alerts
• Met Council Liquid Waste Receiving facilities (PDF)
• Met Council service area and facility map (PDF)
• Met Council Waste Discharge Rules (PDF)
• Permit forms
• Permitted Liquid Waste Hauler listing (Excel)

Connect With Us

Open Channel News  – A biannual news bulletin containing important pretreatment program information and news

Customer Workshops  – Annual workshops for industrial customers to provide input in the rate-setting process and to share ideas and concerns on pretreatment program issues that may affect their businesses.

To receive important notifications regarding your Met Council industrial discharge permit, we recommend you add these emails to your address book: [email protected] and [email protected].