- 📊 Discharge Technical Study signed by MARN-accredited consultant
- 🧪 OGA-accredited laboratory analysis (minimum 4 samples)
- 🗺️ GTM georeferenced plan with exact discharge point
- 🏢 Patente, NIT and legal representation of the company
- 💵 Payment receipt Q3,000-10,000 at BANRURAL MARN account
- 🏗️ Existing or projected WWTP plans (if applicable)
The Wastewater Discharge Permit is the mandatory MARN authorization for any industry, agribusiness, or operation generating non-domestic wastewater that discharges to surface water bodies, public sewer, or agricultural reuse. It is governed by Government Agreement 236-2006 (Regulation on Discharges and Reuse of Wastewater) which defines maximum permissible parameters of BOD, COD, solids, fats, coliforms, nitrogen, phosphorus, and heavy metals. The permit is tied to the Environmental License — it is not an independent procedure but a technical complement.
Quick summary: Mandatory for discharges greater than 7 m³/day of non-domestic wastewater. MARN fee Q3,000-Q10,000 + OGA-accredited laboratory analysis Q5,000-Q25,000 + Discharge Technical Study by MARN-accredited consultant Q8,000-Q40,000. Total timeline 60-120 working days. Validity 5 years renewable with mandatory quarterly monitoring. Applies to industries, agribusiness, hospitals, hotels, condominiums, and treatment plants. Fine for discharge without permit Q10,000-Q500,000 + closure. Generally requires building or adapting a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).
Information verified May 2026 — Government Agreement 236-2006 in force.
What is the Wastewater Discharge Permit?
It is the technical authorization MARN grants to a generating entity to discharge wastewater under specific conditions of quality, volume and monitoring. Its legal basis is Government Agreement 236-2006, informally known as “the wastewater regulation,” which has had progressive compliance since 2006 with staggered targets in 2011, 2015, 2020 and 2025.
Three regulated discharge types
| Discharge type | Receiving body | Restrictions | MARN timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface water bodies | Rivers, lakes, sea, wetlands | Strictest (BOD 100, COD 200, coliforms <10K) | 60-120 days |
| Municipal sewer | Public drainage system | Intermediate (BOD 250, COD 500, no heavy metals) | 60-90 days |
| Agricultural reuse | Crop irrigation | Bacteriological restrictions (coliforms <1,000) | 90-120 days |
Maximum permissible parameters (discharges to receiving bodies)
Indicative values at the end of progressive compliance of Agreement 236-2006:
| Parameter | Maximum | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| BOD5 (biochemical oxygen demand) | 100 mg/L | Biodegradable organic matter |
| COD (chemical oxygen demand) | 200 mg/L | Total organic matter |
| Total suspended solids | 100 mg/L | Turbidity and sedimentation |
| Fats and oils | 10 mg/L | Food industries, workshops |
| Fecal coliforms | <10,000 NMP/100ml | Fecal contamination |
| Total nitrogen | 20 mg/L | Lake eutrophication |
| Total phosphorus | 10 mg/L | Lake eutrophication |
| pH | 6.0 - 9.0 | Acidity/alkalinity |
| Temperature | <40°C | Thermal shock |
| Arsenic | 0.1 mg/L | Toxic heavy metal |
| Cadmium | 0.1 mg/L | Toxic heavy metal |
| Total chromium | 1.0 mg/L | Toxic heavy metal |
| Mercury | 0.01 mg/L | Toxic heavy metal |
| Lead | 0.4 mg/L | Toxic heavy metal |
For specific industries (mining, textile, paper) there are additional parameters of cyanides, phenols, sulfides and persistent organic compounds.
Who is required to obtain this permit?
Agreement 236-2006 applies to every generating entity with discharges greater than 7 m³/day of non-domestic wastewater. Typical sectors:
- Industries — food (dairy, sausages, beverages), textile, chemical, metalwork, automotive, pharmaceutical, electronic
- Agribusiness — coffee mills (wet processing is the most polluting), sugar mills, African palm extraction, banana processing, rubber, industrial poultry
- Hospitals and health centers — discharges with bacteriological risk, pharmaceuticals, radioactive waste
- Hotels >50 rooms — especially in tourist areas (Antigua, Atitlán, Petén)
- Condominiums and subdivisions >50 dwellings — collective treatment systems
- Industrial restaurants — corporate canteens, events, large franchises
- Commercial laundries — discharges with detergents and solvents
- Mining mills — acid drainage, cyanide leaching, sediments
- Municipal treatment plants — most do not comply and operate under adequacy plan
- Slaughterhouses — high organic and pathogenic load
File requirements
From the owner:
- Formal request on MARN format.
- Articles of incorporation, legal representation certificate, patente and NIT.
- Property title or land use agreement.
- Legal personhood document if public entity or municipality.
From the project:
- Description of productive processes generating wastewater.
- Georeferenced plan in GTM with exact location of:
- Discharge point(s)
- Existing or projected WWTP
- Receiving body (river, lake, sewer)
- Sampling system
- Calculation of discharge flow (m³/day) at maximum and average conditions.
- Process flow diagram with mass balance.
- List of chemical inputs (MSDS) that may reach the discharge.
From the Discharge Technical Study:
- Document signed by MARN-accredited environmental consultant.
- Physicochemical and biological characterization of the discharge (minimum 4 samples).
- Receiving body dispersion model (when applicable).
- Quarterly monitoring plan.
- Contingency plan for spills or emergencies.
- Hydraulic and treatment design of the WWTP (if applicable).
From laboratory analysis:
- Report from OGA-accredited laboratory (verify OGA accreditation).
- Minimum 4 representative samples taken in dry and rainy seasons.
- Documented chain of custody.
- Results signed by the laboratory’’s technical director.
From payments:
- BANRURAL receipt for the Q3,000-Q10,000 fee depending on volume.
If applicable:
- Agreement with municipality if discharging to public sewer.
- Agreement with land owners if agricultural reuse.
Step by step
1. Characterize your discharge
Before starting the formal procedure, hire an OGA-accredited laboratory to take at least 4 representative samples (2 in dry season, 2 in rainy) under maximum operating conditions of your industry. This tells you whether current parameters meet or you need to invest in WWTP before processing the permit.
2. Hire a MARN-accredited consultant
Verify current registry at sigeia.marn.gob.gt → Consultores. For industrial discharges, proven experience in WWTP design is required. Fees: Q8,000-Q40,000 depending on complexity.
3. Design or adapt the WWTP (if applicable)
If current parameters do not meet, the consultant designs the WWTP (screens, grit chamber, grease trap, settler, biological reactor, disinfection). WWTP cost: Q500K (small, 50 m³/day) to Q15M+ (large industry). Construction time: 6-18 months.
4. Prepare the Discharge Technical Study
The consultant produces an 80-200 page document with: characterization, dispersion model, WWTP design, monitoring plan, contingency plan.
5. Pay the fee
Deposit Q3,000-Q10,000 in MARN’’s BANRURAL account depending on the categorized discharge volume.
6. Submit the file in SIGEIA
Upload the Technical Study, lab analysis, plans and receipts. For Category A industries, in-person delivery at Environmental Window (7a Av 8-23 Zona 9 Edificio Etisa) is also required.
7. DIGARN technical review
DIGARN reviews in 30-60 days. Typically issues prevenciones the consultant answers in 30 days. Expanded sampling or WWTP design adjustments may be required.
8. Resolution and permit issuance
Once approved, MARN issues a discharge permit resolution tied to the environmental license, with 5-year validity and specific obligations: quarterly monitoring, semiannual reports, WWTP maintenance.
9. Start of quarterly monitoring
From the issuance date, you must perform quarterly sampling with an OGA-accredited laboratory and upload results to SIGEIA. Non-compliance with monitoring = bond execution + permit suspension.
Cost and timeline
| Item | Cost (GTQ) | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Initial characterization (4 samples) | Q5,000 - Q15,000 | 30-60 days |
| Consultant fees (Technical Study) | Q8,000 - Q40,000 | 30-60 days |
| WWTP design (if applicable) | Q15,000 - Q80,000 | Parallel |
| WWTP construction (if applicable) | Q500,000 - Q15,000,000+ | 6-18 months |
| MARN permit fee | Q3,000 - Q10,000 | Pay at intake |
| Additional analysis for review | Q3,000 - Q10,000 | Per prevention |
| Quarterly monitoring (annual) | Q20,000 - Q80,000/yr | Ongoing |
| PROCEDURE TOTAL (without WWTP) | Q16,000 - Q75,000 | 60-120 days |
| WITH WWTP construction | Q500K - Q15M+ | +6-18 months |
Common mistakes
- Non-OGA-accredited laboratory — analysis from in-house or non-accredited laboratories is rejected automatically. Verify the official list at oga.org.gt.
- A single sample — MARN requires at least 4 representative samples in dry and rainy seasons. A “good” sample taken at a favorable moment is rejected for lack of representativeness.
- Not considering peak flow — designing the WWTP for average flow instead of peak generates failures when production increases. Use historical maximum flow + 30% slack.
- Omitting sub-sector specific parameters — textile industry must analyze phenols and dyes; mining must analyze cyanides; dairy must analyze fats. Generic-only analysis is rejected.
- Not linking to environmental license — the discharge permit is a complement, not a substitute. Without an approved environmental license (via EIA or Diagnostic) the permit is not issued.
Penalties for discharge without permit or out of parameters
| Infraction | Sanction | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Discharge without active permit | Fine Q10,000-Q500,000 + closure | Agreement 236-2006 Art. 22-24 |
| Discharge exceeding parameters | Fine Q5,000-Q200,000 + adequacy period or closure | Agreement 236-2006 Art. 22 |
| Recurrence in excess | Permit cancellation + definitive closure | Agreement 236-2006 Art. 23 |
| Not performing quarterly monitoring | Fine Q5,000-Q50,000 + permit suspension | Agreement 236-2006 Art. 24 |
| Falsehood in laboratory reports | Cancellation + criminal complaint | Penal Code Art. 347 |
| Quantifiable damage to receiving body | Indemnification + restoration + criminal complaint | Penal Code Art. 347-347 quinquies |
| Operating without environmental license AND without permit | Cumulative sanction Decree 68-86 Art. 14 + Agreement 236-2006 | Both legal bodies |
Related procedures
- MARN Hub: Ministry of Environment Procedures — full directory.
- General Environmental License — discharge permit is complementary.
- Environmental License Category A — large projects with industrial discharges.
- Environmental Impact Study EIA — includes Discharge Technical Study.
- Environmental Diagnostic — for industries operating without discharge permit.
- Waste Management Plan — Agreement 164-2021, complementary.
- OGA Laboratory Accreditation — verification of authorized laboratories.
- MEM Procedures — energy projects with thermal discharges.
- MAGA Procedures — generating agribusiness (coffee, palm, sugarcane).
- Register a business and get a NIT.
Official MARN links
- SIGEIA (Environmental Management System): https://sigeia.marn.gob.gt/
- Discharge Regulation (Agreement 236-2006): marn.gob.gt → Marco Legal
- Environmental Evaluation Regulation (Agreement 137-2016): marn.gob.gt → Marco Legal
- Environmental Protection Law (Decree 68-86): marn.gob.gt → Marco Legal
- List of OGA-accredited laboratories: https://www.oga.org.gt/
- Environmental Window (in person): 7a Avenida 8-23 Zona 9, Edificio Etisa, Guatemala City
- MARN PBX: 2423-0500
- WhatsApp service: 5213-2971
- Hours: Monday to Friday 8:00-16:30 (file intake until 15:00)