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

REGULATE:WASTE DISCHARGERS TO LAND - WDR

GROUP:

WASTE DISCHARGE TO LAND-WDR FACILITIES

MEASURE: INSPECTION TRENDS

MESSAGE:

Downward trend in the number of inspections conducted in the Waste Discharge Requirements program.

MEASUREMENTS (updated )

WDR Large Municipal

Region	2000 2001	2001 2002	2002 2003	2003 2004	2004 2005	2005 2006	2006 2007	2007 2008	2008 2009	2009 2010	2010 2011	2011 2012	2012 2013	Grand Total

WDR Small Municipal

Region	2000 2001	2001 2002	2002 2003	2003 2004	2004 2005	2005 2006	2006 2007	2007 2008	2008 2009	2009 2010	2010 2011	2011 2012	2012 2013	Grand Total

WDR Industrial Facilities

Region	2000 2001	2001 2002	2002 2003	2003 2004	2004 2005	2005 2006	2006 2007	2007 2008	2008 2009	2009 2010	2010 2011	2011 2012	2012 2013	Grand Total

WDR All Other

Region	2000 2001	2001 2002	2002 2003	2003 2004	2004 2005	2005 2006	2006 2007	2007 2008	2008 2009	2009 2010	2010 2011	2011 2012	2012 2013	Grand Total

WHAT THE MEASURE IS SHOWING

The data show a downward trend in the number of inspections conducted since Fiscal year 2000-2001. This downward trend is not equal in every region and some regions such 1, 5, 6 and 7 have increased the number of inspections conducted. For compliance purposes, some facilities are inspected more than once a year, which is why the total number of inspections is greater than the total number of facilities inspected.

WHY THIS MEASURE IS IMPORTANT

Inspections are a primary tool used in determining and documenting compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits and waste discharge requirements. It is the policy of the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to ensure compliance with Water Quality Control Plans, NPDES permits, and Waste Discharge Requirements through Regional Board implementation of a comprehensive self-monitoring and compliance inspection program. Comparing the number of inspections by fiscal year may help improving the performance of the Water Boards, if the trends are moving in the wrong direction, it would assist management in early detection and correction of problems.

TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Data Source: CIWQS. Period July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2013. Extracted on August 12, 2013.
Unit of Measure: Number of inspections by fiscal year (FY).
Data Definitions: Inspections: include inspections conducted by Regional or State Water Board staff, or US EPA contractors. Facilities Inspected: Count of facilities inspected one or more times during a fiscal year.
References: Information on the Water Boards' WDR - NON15 Program
Public reports and Data
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Information

GLOSSARY

Large Municipal Facilities: Facilities discharging municipal waste serving a population equivalent to 1,000 people and with a design flow of greater than 100,000 gallons a day. This group only includes those facilities regulated with individual Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR).
Small Municipal and Domestic Waste Facilities: Facilities discharging municipal waste serving a population equivalent to less than 1,000 people and with a design flow less than 100,000 gallons a day. Small municipal waste facilities are typically regulated under a general order and may include facilities discharging to subsurface systems such as septic tanks and leach fields or small wastewater package plants.
Industrial Sources: Facilities that treat and/or dispose of liquid or semisolid wastes from any servicing, producing, manufacturing or processing operations of whatever nature including mining, gravel washing, geothermal operations, air conditioning, ship building and repairing, oil production, storage and disposal operations, and water well pumping.
All other WDR facilities: All facilities that treat and/or dispose of wastes that do not fall into one of the Municipal, Industrial and Agricultural Waste categories. It does not include Dairies or other Confined Animal facilities.
Municipal Sources: Facilities that treat sewage or a mixture of predominantly sewage and other waste from districts, municipalities, communities, hospitals, schools, and publicly or privately owned systems (excluding individual surface leaching systems disposing of less than 1,000 gallons per day).
Waste Discharge Requirements Program: The Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) Program regulates all point source discharges of waste to land that do not require full containment (which falls under the Land Discharge Program), or are not subject to the NPDES Program.
Inspection (Compliance and Non Compliance): The Regional Board or State Board may inspect the facilities of any discharger at any time pursuant to Water Code, Section 13267. Compliance activities include all activities necessary to determine if discharges are in compliance with waste discharge requirements, NPDES permits, and related enforcement orders. Compliance inspections are classified as either Level A or Level B, with Level A being more thorough.

( Page last updated: 9/16/13 )