Who this article is for: Authority users responsible for managing regulatory controls in their pretreatment program.
Overview
Most pretreatment programs regulate Industrial Users primarily through discharge permits (Specific Controls). However, there are situations where a permit doesn't cover everything — or where a facility isn't permitted at all. That's where General Controls come in.
A General Control represents a broad regulatory document, typically your sewer use ordinance (SUO) or local discharge code. It provides enforceability for requirements that fall outside the scope of an individual permit, or for facilities that are regulated under the ordinance but don't have a permit in place. For example, a General Control might be used to enforce baseline discharge prohibitions on unpermitted facilities, or to provide enforceability for sampling requirements that aren't tied to a specific permit.
In SwiftComply, General Controls can link to SMR Requirements (Sample Report Configurations) and discharge limits, and support attachments such as the ordinance document itself. Some programs also publish discharge limits in their General Control, though this is less common since most enforceable limits are managed through permits.
Where to Find General Controls
To access General Controls:
Click Configuration in the left sidebar.
Click the POTW tile.
General Controls are listed on the main page.
General Control Detail Page
Opening a General Control displays its detail page with summary fields and expandable sections.
Summary Fields:
Field | Description |
General Control Name | Descriptive name for the regulation. |
POTW Name | The name of the publicly owned treatment works. |
Effective Date | When the control takes or took effect. |
Termination Date | When the control was terminated, if applicable. |
Created By | The user who created the General Control. |
Created On | The date the General Control was created. |
General Control Link | URL to the regulation document, if provided. |
Expandable Sections:
Discharge Limits — limits defined under this control.
SMR Requirements — Sample Report Configurations linked to this control.
Attachments — uploaded documents such as ordinance PDFs.
Status Lifecycle
General Controls have three statuses, determined automatically based on dates and actions taken:
Status | Description |
Upcoming | The effective date is in the future. The control exists but is not yet in effect. |
Active | The effective date has passed. The control is in effect and enforceable. |
Terminated | The control has been terminated via the Terminate action. |
💡 Note: General Controls do not have Draft, Pending, or Expired statuses. When you create a General Control with a future effective date, it automatically shows as Upcoming. Once the effective date passes, it becomes Active.
Creating a General Control
Navigate to Configuration > POTW and click New General Control. Fill in the required and optional fields:
Field | Required | Description |
General Control Name | Yes | Descriptive name for the regulation (e.g., "Sewer Use Ordinance 2024"). |
Effective Date | Yes | When the control takes effect. A future date creates an Upcoming control; a past or current date creates an Active one. |
POTW Name | No | The name of the publicly owned treatment works. |
General Control Link | No | URL to the regulation document. |
Click Save. The General Control is created and its status is determined by the effective date: Upcoming if the date is in the future, or Active if the date is today or in the past.
Terminating a General Control
⚠️ Important: Termination is available only for General Controls in Active status. You must type the General Control name to confirm.
Steps to terminate:
Open the General Control detail page.
Click the Terminate button in the header.
The termination modal shows any linked SMR Requirements that will also be terminated. Review them carefully.
If the effective date is in the past, select a Termination Date using the date picker. The date must be between the effective date and today.
Type the General Control name exactly as shown to confirm.
Click Terminate.
💡 Tip: Termination can be backdated. This is useful when a regulation was superseded on a specific date in the past. The date picker allows any date between the effective date and today.
Deleting a General Control
Deletion is available only for General Controls in Upcoming status (effective date has not yet passed).
Open the General Control detail page.
Click the Delete button in the header.
Confirm the deletion.
💡 Note: Upcoming General Controls show a Delete button instead of Terminate. Once a General Control becomes Active, it can only be terminated, not deleted.
Archiving and Unarchiving
Archiving is available for Terminated General Controls. Click Archive in the header to hide the control from default views. Archived controls remain accessible.
Unarchiving is available for archived General Controls. Click Unarchive in the header to restore it to the default views.
How General Controls Connect to Other Features
Discharge Limits — Compliance limits can be connected to a General Control through the Enforceability section on the limit's detail page. This is how you establish that a limit is backed by the sewer use ordinance rather than (or in addition to) a specific permit. See Discharge Limits: Types, Rationales, and Enforceability for details.
SMR Requirements — When creating a Sample Report Configuration, you can select General Control enforceability instead of Specific Control. This is the mechanism for requiring sampling from a facility that isn't permitted, or for sampling requirements that operate outside the scope of a permit. SMRCs with General Control enforceability activate immediately when the wizard is completed — they don't depend on a permit being signed. See How Permits and Sample Report Configurations Work Together for the full comparison.
FAQ
Q: What is the difference between a General Control and a permit?
A: A permit (Specific Control) is issued to an individual IU with tailored discharge requirements, limits, and sampling schedules. A General Control represents a broad regulation like a sewer use ordinance that provides enforceability when a permit isn't in place or doesn't cover the full scope of requirements. Most programs operate primarily through permits, with General Controls as a secondary mechanism.
Q: Can I have multiple active General Controls?
A: Yes. You can have multiple active General Controls representing different regulatory documents or ordinance sections.
Q: Can I terminate an Upcoming General Control?
A: No. Upcoming General Controls have a Delete option instead of Terminate. Use Delete to remove a General Control that has not yet taken effect.
Q: Can I backdate a termination?
A: Yes. The termination date picker allows you to select any past date on or after the effective date. This is useful when a regulation was superseded on a specific date in the past.
Q: Can I reactivate a terminated General Control?
A: No. Termination is permanent. Create a new General Control if the regulation is reinstated.
Q: What happens to linked SMR Requirements when a General Control is terminated?
A: Linked SMR Requirements will be terminated. The termination modal lists all affected SMR Requirements so you can review them before confirming. Review linked limits separately, as they may need to be reconnected to a new General Control.
Q: Can I reactivate a terminated General Control?
A: No. Termination is permanent. Create a new General Control if the regulation is reinstated.
Q: Where do I manage the General Control document itself?
A: You can add a URL to the regulation using the General Control Link field, and upload the actual ordinance or regulatory document in the Attachments section of the General Control detail page.