The California Water Boards' Annual Performance Report - Fiscal Year 2012-13

MEASUREMENTS  - Data Last Updated on: 

WHAT THE MEASURE IS SHOWING

General Permits are used broadly across the state. The largest number of facilities regulated with a general wastewater NPDES permit are in Regions 2, 4, and 5. General permits themselves must be renewed every five years, facilities enrolled in a general permit that is not updated with the required frequency are considered past expiration date. 57% of facilities discharge under a general permit that is not past the expiration date. Overall, the number of new enrollees did not increase significantly across the state during FY 12-13. The largest increases occurred in Regions 2 and 4.

WHY THIS MEASURE IS IMPORTANT

In order to ensure that discharges to surface waters do not adversely affect the quality and beneficial uses of such waters the NPDES permits must be reviewed and revised to reflect new standards and requirements (such as new TMDLs and other water quality plans and policies adopted) and updates to monitoring and reporting requirements (reflecting previous facility performance and compliance history). NPDES permits expire five years after issuance and shall be reissued (renewed) every five years or less (40 CFR Part 122.46 and California Water Code section 13380). Permits may also be revoked or terminated. Typically, permit requirements remain in effect until the permit is reissued. Revising and reissuing permits for major facilities requires a significant amount of time and resources and is considered a good indicator of overall program performance.

TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Data Source: CIWQS. Period July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. Extracted on August 12, 2013.
• Unit of Measure: Number of active NPDES permits for Minor facilities as of June 30, 2013.
• Data Definitions: Permits issued during FY 12-13: adoption date between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013. Current enrollees: Permits not expired and not issued in FY 12-13. Permits Expired: permits with an expiration date before June 30, 2013. Active number of facilities do not include animal feeding operations enrolled under a general NPDES permit.
• References: Information on the Water Boards' NPDES Program
  Public Reports and Data

GLOSSARY

NPDES Permit

The Clean Water Act prohibits anybody from discharging "pollutants" through a "point source" into a "water of the United States" unless they have an NPDES permit. The permit contains limits on what can be discharged, monitoring and reporting requirements, and other provisions to protect water quality and public health. In essence, the permit translates general requirements of the Clean Water Act into specific provisions tailored to the operations of each person discharging pollutants.

General Permit

An NPDES permit issued under 40 CFR 122.28 that authorizes a category of discharges within a geographical area. A general permit is not specifically tailored for an individual discharger.

General Facility

A general facility is a discharge with a design flow of less than one million gallons per day (MGD) that has not been determined to have an actual or potential adverse environmental impact classifying the discharge as major enrolled under a General Permit.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)

The NPDES permit program (Section 402 of the Clean Water Act ) controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. Point sources are discrete conveyances such as pipes or man-made ditches. Individual homes that are connected to a municipal system, use a septic system, or do not have a surface discharge do not need an NPDES permit; however, industrial, municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if their discharges go directly to surface waters. US EPA has approved the Water Board’s program to issue NPDES permits.

( Page last updated:  4/10/14 )