The Federal Water Pollution Act of 1972, amended in 1977 and 1987, gives the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) the authority to establish and enforce pretreatment standards of the indirect discharge of industrial wastewaters.

The intent of these regulations is to prohibit the discharges of wastes that are incompatible with the Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) processes. To be specific, the pretreatment program has four objectives (40 CFR Part 403.2):

1. To prevent the introduction of pollutants to the WPCF that will interfere with the operation of the WPCF, including interference with its use or disposal of municipal sludge;
2. To prevent the introduction of pollutants to the WPCF that will pass through the treatment work or otherwise be incompatible with such work;
3. To improve opportunities to recycle and reclaim municipal and industrial wastewaters and sludge; and
4. To enable the City of Kendallville to comply with its NPDES permit conditions, sludge and disposal requirements and any other federal or state laws to which the WPCF is subject.

Kendallville is one of 45 municipalities in Indiana that have approved pretreatment programs. Approved pretreatment programs issue wastewater discharge permits, authorizes monitoring, compliance and enforcement activities, establishes administrative review procedures, requires industrial user reporting and provides for the setting of fees for the equitable distribution of cost resulting from the program.

Kendallville has two "Biosolids" permits approved through the IDEM. One is an Non-Site Specific land application permit and the other is a Marketing and Distribution (Give-Away).

Kendallville's "Biosolids" have been designated as Class A, thus allowing Kendallville WPCF to make solids available to the public.