35 Ill. Adm. Code 304.125
pH
Section 304
Section 304.125Â pH
a)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Except as provided below a person must not cause or allow the
negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration (pH) in any effluent to be
more or less respectively than the maximum and minimum values for pH range
indicated in the following table:
CONSTITUENT
RANGE (pH units)
pH
6-9
b)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The pH limitation is not subject to the averaging rule
contained in Section 304.104(a).
c)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Effluents that are monitored to provide a permanent,
continuous pH record may be outside of the listed range for a total of not more
than fifteen minutes in any day provided the excursion is accidental and less
than one pH unit above or below the listed range.
d)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The pH 9 maximum limitation may be exceeded if the elevated pH
level:
1)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â is caused entirely by algae in treatment lagoons, in which
case there is no upper pH limit; or
2)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â is caused by the addition of alkali in the wastewater
treatment process to cause precipitation of barium, cadmium, chromium, copper,
lead, manganese, zinc, or other materials requiring such elevated pH for
treatment, in which case the upper limit is pH 10 and subsection (c) does not
apply to the upper limit.
e)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The burden of proving that subsection (c) or (d) applies is
upon the discharger.